In 1974, Kent [not his real name] was an out-patient from a mental hospital, diagnosed as schizophrenic and paranoid, but not usually violent. He wandered the streets, couldn't or wouldn't hold a job, and sometimes got into fights. All in all, he looked and acted "crazy as a loon." I asked his mother if he was always like this. She said "No. He became a different person when he was 19 years old."

Later, when we were alone, I asked Kent what happened when he was 19 years old. In a long, rambling monologue, he described how Kent drowned in a lake and he entered Kent's body when it was resuscitated. At that point, I realized I had never met the original Kent.

He kept getting into trouble. Police and social workers took him back to the mental hospital again and again. I visited him there many times. After a few weeks or months of treatment, the hospital would release him, and he would stay with his mother until he got in trouble again.

In April 1989 our First Century Christianity group was praying for guidance when one of the members asked, "What should this group do for Kent?" I received: "Care. Prepare. Wait." Prepare? "As seen. Add: can do more. Not merely demons. Other aspects of course also apply." Course? "The course."

We discussed those answers, and decided "the course" referred to the course on Past Life Therapy and Spirit Releasement that Dr. Bill Baldwin was scheduled to teach at St. Michael's Manor in May. Three of us attended his course, and we learned a great deal.

Then I started applying what I had learned, in combination with two-way prayer.

I prayed about Kent, asking if the second occupant should be removed and the first occupant returned. I received: "First soul has gone on. Not interested in coming back to this body after all this time." Since there was nothing to be done about it, I did not tell Kent's mother. But I think she already knew.

I continued to pray for Kent even though he isn't the original occupant of that body, thinking he probably had evil spirits attached to him, and it would be better for him if they were removed. But remote detachment didn't work in his case.

A few weeks later, I saw Kent walking along a street, stopped my car, and asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee. Of course he did. We went and got two cups of coffee, then sat in the car and talked, as we had before. But as soon as I silently tried to connect to God and to him, he became very agitated. I kept on talking, but he became even more agitated, jumped out of the car, and literally ran away.

During the next year, I talked with Kent several times, but I didn't try anything, and he didn't get agitated.

Then, one night in June 1990 as I was going to sleep, I inadvertently connected to Kent when I wasn't actually connected to God, and some of the demons attached to Kent attacked me through the connection -- huge, glowing red eyes suddenly rushed at my face and tried to get into my eyes. I instinctively used my spiritual hands to push them out of my face and hold them away, and then, with that little bit of breathing room, I called out to God through Jesus for help.

Angels came to me. The demons retreated and went back to Kent. The angels followed them. Then, as I was still mentally and emotionally panting from the shock of the attack, I saw what looked like a battle in the distance -- an area where many bright white lights were rapidly descending and converging, and things were happening that I couldn't see clearly. It went on for quite awhile. Finally, everything seemed quiet and peaceful, so I went to sleep.

When I met Kent a week later, he said he had something to tell me. I said "Okay."

He said, "Big fireworks last week. Middle of the night. Boom! Boom! Bright lights! Everywhere! Big battle! Boom! Boom! And all my evil spirits went to heaven."

It sounded like he was describing the battle I saw from a distance, but I didn't tell him that. Instead, I asked: "How were they your evil spirits?"

He said, "I made a deal with them. If they got me through this life, I'd get them to heaven. But I wasn't sure I could do that."

"Well, it looks like they went on ahead of you."

"Yeah! Boom! Boom! Big fireworks. Angels came and got 'em."

I said, "Okay. That's good. What's out there now?"

He shrugged: "Just a bunch of dumb ghosts. One says he's Harry Truman, but he ain't."

I laughed: "Well, tell him to go to heaven."

"I did, but he don't want to."

"Well, maybe the angels will come and get him."

"Yeah. I hope so. He ain't happy."

That was the end of that conversation, but ever since the night of "big fireworks" Kent has been much less paranoid and much more coherent and rational. I have talked with him many times. He lives in a group home, works at various jobs, and seems to be doing well. His doctors say he has outgrown or outlived most of his paranoia and schizophrenia, as sometimes happens in such cases.

Memo to self: In this work, remember why the two great commandments are given in that order, by sequence as well as importance. FIRST love God to establish your connection to God. THEN love your neighbor to establish your connection to your neighbor.