Ode to the "dark" spirit

I believe in spirits.

The ones that prey on the living, manipulating them, to get their fantasies fulfilled. I have also heard stories about "haunted" houses, and heard first-account narration about people calling-on the spirits. But this post is to caution about the spirit everyone succumbs to - knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unintentional. I call it the "dark" spirit and I thought of writing on it, when it let go of me today.

The "dark" spirit gets hold of anyone and everyone on a regular basis; a diurnal ritual it performs. When I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE. You, me, billions and billons of other humans; the rich and the poor; the educated and the illiterate. It's boundaries are not confined to only humans, it pervades every living being and even controls its every cell!

This spirit extends its dark shadow on posession. It covers our vision with its dark infinite form, never ending in space and the posession often recurring in time. Yes it is dark, so very dark. And has no form, shape or voice.

Maybe it has a form, and it controls and instructs us on possession. But it also attempts to erase any trace of such events from our memory. And even if some traces are left behind when we regain consciousness; the story is often absurd, graphical and hard to believe even for our own family and friends. Everyone is forced to undergo the same spell by the "dark" spirit, which is sometimes mischievous and likes to confuse us, with its incompatible traces forming absurd stories and linkages.

This spirit leads us through abysmal darkness, but in the process we are so entranced by it, we never realise we are possessed. And in the end it is a small routine battle to regain ourselves. We are in a way a slave to it. Ironically, without its control and periodic possesion of us, we turn weak, frail and pale. Though we often lie motionless, unconscience and speechless when it takes over, we might even faint without it. Such is its addictive power. The "dark" spirit ruled over the living, for ages known and will no doubt do so in the future.

We forget the whole world; our home, family and even ourselves when it reigns over us. Anything might happen by the time it decides to leave. A war may start, or it might just have ended, our loved ones might have left, or come back. Anything from a natural disaster to a personal tragedy. The world at large changes when we are under its spell, yet we know nothing. We see nothing. All we see is its darkness spanning across our vision, intellect and cerebrum, the reason why I termed it "dark".

Perhaps thats the beauty of this spirit. It takes our time, our capability to act, our resolution to work, and our determination to make a motion. We lie incapable of action except for an occasional jerk; helpless, with no one caring to help us out of it. Not even our loved ones come to our rescue. Often we are left alone, to slowly regain based on our determination, at its willingness to let go.

This has been the case throughout evolution. Alcohol and other drugs also inebriates and incapacitates humans. But I should classify this as a more powerful spirit. It spares none. Not even a new born child or ill and frail elder. Not even the richest man or a poor beggar who eats
quarter-meal once a couple of days.

The "dark" spirit rewards people who obey its control. It leaves behind something to rejoice after its posession, often more energy. But it trades it for our time and posession of our body.

A few determined people have throughout the ages have tried not to fall for it. But as time passes by they are allured by its conveniences, the attractions it offers and at some point are forced to succumb to it. However we have succeeded in developing many methods to regain consciousness. The most common is to wade off the "dark" spirit by using exotic sounds which in its most common form a series of beeps.

Luckily, before we are captured, we have a premonition about it. Once we realise the process is inevitable, we decide a way to shake it off, often through a spell of sounds at a predetermined period of time. Unless its grip is strong, wherein we are unconsciously or subconsciously manipulated to stop the chant, we often succeed. This is some consulation to us humans.

Largely, we are rather helpless before this inevitable "dark" spirit, mute on its actions, and fear to stand against its call. Often we try to resist and delay its possession, but hardly can we deny its influence at somepoint or the other. One idiosyncrasy of the "dark" spirit I would like to mention is we are often aware it is going to take us over in sometime, but by the time it actually controls us, we lose our consciousness. And by the time we realise who we are, and where in the world we are, and what day and time it is... the "dark" spirit has already left. Without a trial. Only the time, and onlookers vouch that it had taken over all this while.

This spirit has also embarassed us on many occasions. Many a times I had been its slave in class and work, but seldom at play. We are more liable to it during boredom, or after a heart-filled meal, and least when we are happily engaged in doing something we like. But even then, it is hard to put off its call more than a day. Such is its power.

As I write this blog, a series of yawns and my half closed eye lids serve as a premonition:
The "dark" spirit is ready to control me. It will take over me anytime, and I will be led through the same process again:

Me... forgetting who I am... where I am... just the word: me... revolving and travelling in an infinite space of darkness, not knowing the start or the end, not knowing when I will see the light again. Just plain me... sleeping.

the end.