Summary

The article discusses the origin of personal demons in childhood experiences with authoritative figures and the journey towards overcoming them through self-forgiveness and forgiveness of those who inflicted trauma.

Abstract

The article titled "Where Do Your Demons Come From And How Do You Face Them?" delves into the psychological concept of personal demons, attributing their origin to pivotal moments of hurt during childhood. These demons are born from harsh words or actions by authoritative figures, such as parents or teachers, which are interpreted by the child as a rejection of self. The author emphasizes that these figures were likely doing their best with the emotional tools they had at the time. The process of confronting these demons involves a deep understanding that the adults involved were acting from their own limitations and may require forgiveness for past events. The path to liberation from these demons includes the difficult work of deprogramming and reprogramming one's memory and the associated meanings. Forgiveness, both for the child who experienced the trauma and for the adults who caused it, is presented as a key step towards healing. The author, Rasheed Hooda, suggests that this journey is tedious but ultimately rewarding, leading to personal greatness and freedom.

Opinions

The author believes that childhood demons are often rooted in negative experiences involving authoritative figures.
It is posited that the disappointment from an elder's reaction in a moment of hurt during childhood can lead to deep-seated trauma, giving rise to personal demons.
There is an emphasis on understanding the limitations of the authority figures, who were acting with their own level of emotional maturity and knowledge.
The act of becoming a parent and recognizing one's own imperfections can facilitate the process of releasing the past and starting to forgive.
The journey of overcoming one's demons is long and requires a re-evaluation and redefinition of past experiences.
The author suggests that the universe assists in facing demons when the individual is ready to deal with them.
Hooda encourages individuals to move beyond blame and shame, advocating that forgiveness is crucial for reclaiming one's greatness and living a life of freedom.

Where Do Your Demons Come From

And How do You Face them?

Do you have to face your demons? We all have our demons to face and fight.

But where do they come from?

They come from our childhood, of course.

They are the decisions made by a child in a moment of hurt. A temporary event, given permanent status.

Usually, it involves a parent or another elder in our life. It could be an uncle, an aunt, or a teacher. It could be a grandparent or someone else we respected. It’s usually an authority figure.

The child does or doesn’t do something that disappoints the elder, and in the state of disappointment, they act or say something harshly.

“You’re so stupid.”

“No birthday for you this year.”

The child was doing its best, given its ability and understanding at the time, and sees this as a rejection of self or it’s potential. As a result, the child is traumatized.

Ladies and gentlemen, your demon is born.

You’ll face your demons day in and day out for a long time.

It takes years of pain and suffering and fighting your demons before we understand — if we are fortunate — that the elder was doing its best, given their level of education and emotional maturity at the time, and finally resolves to forgive them, or not.

For me, it was becoming a parent and seeing my shortcomings — my inability to be the best parent that I can be — that started the releasing of the blame and shame from the past. It takes the deprogramming and reprogramming of old memories and the meaning we attach to them.

It is a process of forgiveness. It requires forgiving the child and forgiving the adult. Embracing forgiveness is a long and tedious process of rewriting the old script.

What’s encouraging is that when you’re ready to face your demons and deal with them, the Universe becomes your ally and provides you with what you need to move forward.

The sooner we release the blame and shame, the sooner we can reclaim our greatness. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s well worth the effort.

What say you?

Rasheed Hooda is a published author and a regular contributor to ILLUMINATION, a writers’ community on Medium where writers support each other.

He is a self-proclaimed weirdo who lives a Freedom Lifestyle and writes about related topics — Travel (a top writer), Personal Growth, Freedom, and entrepreneurship. (Get the Newsletter)

“You can let others tell you what it means to be successful, or you can decide it for yourself.”