The expert Valter Cascioli
«At Halloween we celebrate the saints and, above all, we use our brains well, remembering that it is not an empty pumpkin». To put it bluntly, it is Valter Cascioli, psychologist and psychotherapist as well as collaborator ofInternational Association of Exorcists (IEA) of which he is a scientific consultant.
Cascioli, what is the danger of Halloween?
«Beyond the social phenomenon and the consumerist side that fuels it, this festival has always been, for us Christians, a dangerous and desecrating “collective rite”, subtly presented as an innocent carnival celebration or a recreational-recreational occasion. We are in fact faced with something disturbing and dark. In addition to the abandonment of our Christian roots and the centuries-old traditions that have always accompanied the solemnity of All Saints – which, ultimately, should be the feast of every baptized person worthy of the name! – we are witnessing, more or less indifferently, a return of neo-paganism and new witchcraft. Halloween is, in the true sense of the word, a diabolical celebration, the satanic New Year, cunningly hidden – as is well known to devil worshipers – behind innocent appearances, during which black masses, rites of adoration, initiation and consecration to Satan. Those most exposed to the risks, which we have mentioned, are young people, who, incited to engage in transgressive practices and participate in parties and actual esoteric and occult initiation rites, end up taking the bait and falling into the net of the sects.”
Are there any cases in the news that highlight the link between Halloween and violence and occultism? Which are the most significant?
«As the news events testify every year, in the aftermath of this holiday, accidents and crimes increase. Among these, episodes of violence and rape, drug use, sacrilege and desecration of churches, in particular that of tabernacles, and of tombs in cemeteries. The statistics and reports from the police confirm this. There is no doubt that this anniversary is closely linked to the return of neo-paganism and new witchcraft (Wicca), as followers know well. The ceremonies and rituals usually fall during the annual Wiccan holidays, called Sabbats, linked to the movements of the sun. One of the main ones is Samhain, more commonly known as Halloween. All this dangerously opens the door to occultism and Satanism, realities that are increasing exponentially in our country. As a doctor, every year I find myself denouncing a whole series of harmful consequences on the psyche of many young people who, due to superficiality, ignorance or gullibility, take part in certain magical-esoteric practices during the night between October 31st and November 1st. The pathologies I encounter most are insomnia, anxiety disorders, modifications of the thymic axis, anancastic disorders, slatentization of psychotic disorders, altered states of consciousness and depersonalization and derealization disorders.”
What are the historical roots of this festival?
«It is a very ancient pagan celebration of Celtic origin, Samhain, born in Ireland, about three thousand years ago. In the 19th century it moved to the United States, and then returned to Europe more recently. The name Halloween has been around since 1745 and derives from the contracture of the Scottish expression “All Hallow’s Eve”, which means “All Hallows’ Eve”.
Doesn’t Halloween, with its disguises and rites, try to exorcise the fear of death, which is human?
«The thought of death should absolutely not be trivialized or, as they say, “exorcised”. It is in fact an unavoidable event of our creaturely reality. It still represents an unmissable opportunity to reflect, in time and place, in a serious and responsible way and with the help of grace, on the meaning and meaning of life. However, this reflection must not at all costs rape the psyche with horrifying images which, moreover, betray that desire for beauty, goodness and truth that God has wisely inscribed in the heart of every man. It is not by wearing our fears that we will be able to overcome them, but rather by giving man’s life meaning and meaning, according to an eschatological perspective that projects him into eternity, to which he was called by God. In this way the atavistic fear of death vanishes like fog in the sun.”
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