I experienced ‘post-book grief’ after reading books on the occult but it led me back to the Bible

Kate Orson loves to get lost in a book, but after feeling bereft at the end of her last, she felt drawn back to the Bible.

I recently read a book called Dancing With the Devil: An Honest Look Into The Occult From Former Followers compiled by Jeff Harshbarger. The book is a collection of testimonies from former satanists, witches and new age practitioners about their experiences and how they left behind their former lives to follow Jesus.

It was a fascinating read, giving an insight into how people are drawn to the darkness. As I read, I reflected on my own childhood, how at school with friends we talked about the grey lady who haunted the local graveyard, and how if you turned around twelve times in a mirror at night, Bloody Mary would appear. I devoured books on ghosts and the supernatural. As an adult I was drawn to the "lighter" side of spirituality, in the kind of spiritual practices where Satan "disguises himself as an angel of light" (Corinthians 11:14). Some people mentioned they’d written their own books in their testimonies, and I jotted down the names, hungry to learn more about the occult.