The occult seduces in many ways. It promises secret knowledge and magical powers. It teases of enlightenment and transformation. It enchants with mysteries and wonders. But therein lies the trap. Once the shiny bait is taken, the hook is pulled. The prey is left to slowly perish, gasping for breath in a metaphysical dream that has turned into a nightmare.

The occult is nothing if not dangerous. It opens channels that are best left closed. It attracts entities that don't play by the rules. And it demands more - always more - than what was bargained for.

These true-life accounts reveal the heartache and horror that can occur when people participate in the occult - be it witchcraft, Ouija boards, white magic or black - and knowingly or not, release dark spirits into the human realm. Dabbler or devotee, it doesn't matter how deeply one is committed or involved. Once evil is unleashed, it treats everyone the same: hellishly.