Throughout my years of study and interfacing with the paranormal, the paradigm of religious belief by others invariably over-shadows my work.
To the more evangelical Christians particularly, I am accused of "communion with the devil",  - the hypothesis being that as there was only one `holy ghost`, and that was naturally Christ, all others must logically be demons.
Well to place my cards firmly on the table I can say that I don`t believe any one religion has the monopoly on God.
In fact I would go further and say that all religious belief is a dominion of power and controlled by man over his fellow peers.
Because of this, so much evil has been perpetrated by the followers of one doctrine over another, that I am sadly drawn to conclude that organised religion is a man made construct and nothing else.

This is my belief, if "belief" be taken on this point as my position, and not as my own religious dogma.
I believe in the concept of "God", but I do not see this as a singular entity, and perceive it to be a collective energy on which all matter - physical or spiritual is derived and connected.
We are part of this collective, and whether we like it or not we are as much part of it as the most basic and humble insect or plant.

In a physical form all life is derived from bacteria, and over the eons this has evolved into many forms with human`s currently representing the higher end of the scale.
The development is ongoing, and this process of evolution creates and modifies all life on this planet with the result that some adapts whilst others die out.
It is quite possible that one day we will `run out of steam` in evolutionary terms, and in time will be replaced by some other creature that will take our place on the podium of superiority.
The time scale is massive, maybe hundreds of thousands of years - with our lives being merely the blink of an eye.
Without doubt they will create their own religion with their own set of rules, and so the whole process of intellectual thought and belief will repeat itself over and over again.

Having put into account my take on religion, let`s get back to the subject of the paranormal.
Do angels and demons really exist?
Emphatically, I must say yes and no!
Okay, both responses cannot be right, but there is some truth in both.
Let`s return briefly to the human race.

GOOD AND BAD

Amongst us are those that are evil or bad, as well as those that are pure in heart or good.
When our bodies wear out and cease to function, the higher or spiritual self, or the thinking process of the body leaves to either reach back to a higher plane from which it derived, or it decides (for whatever reason) to remain attached to the world of the living.
This intellectual energy moves by the process of thought, and uses this same process to create either a life facsimile of itself, or it attempts to create something near tangible from it`s own existence.

This may simply be an amorphic shape like an orb, or it may manifest it`s presence as EVP, a smell, or some kind kinetic energy. The more powerful can do all of these, and from experience they seem to be either troubled entities or those formerly in life with huge or aggressive ego`s or those with great love and compassion.
In general, the lesser of these tend to keep to one shape or modus operandi.

But the important point to remember is that the more powerful entities can create forms that some would refer to as being angels or demons - depending on their previous life personality.
I`ve seen and experienced both, the more angelic form of a little girl rising through my bedroom to that of an evil entity who took the form of what I can only describe as `devil like`.
They know what fear is like from their own mortal experiences, so perhaps they use evil looking manifestations to scare as perhaps they are incapable of more direct physical action.

To create fantastic imagery requires energy to boost these creations, and many can only sustain these appearances for a very short time before flagging or fading away.
An example that might answer this is often experienced on paranormal investigations.
Quite often you arrive at a location everything happens all at once, and then it quickly subsides until much later when a second tier of events occur, but never seemingly as powerful as the first. Sometimes another energy will arrive shortly afterwards, and you`ll notice that the events that occur aren`t like what you earlier experienced. But as with the first example, it quickly fades away and team members with you report that nothing is happening.
I`ve experienced this so many times.

ANGELS AND ORBS

I`ve heard of people being helped by `angels`, but these were simply good people in life taking on a shape that would relax and ease fear in someone caught in a life threatening situation.
These spirits are for all intents and purpose of an angelic spirit, but they themselves (I believe) aren`t angels persae.
Likewise people often see white, black, or even coloured orbs and ask if the black one`s are evil.
They aren`t, as in life there are people of all colours, but dark people don`t represent evil, or white people good, it`s just the colour they are.
Perhaps the colours might even represent temperment, but this is an idea I haven`t really been able to lay to rest from my own study experiences.

These are my thoughts on religion, and I don`t personally hold it against anyone because of their own beliefs, but I do object to those that use their beliefs to silence the study of the paranormal by those that disagree with them.
Religious tolerance seems an almost impossible goal when so many are willing to villify or even kill those who views do not accord to their own.
Let`s all try and accept we have differences and respect those differences rather than silence them.