Of the many types of Christian books I enjoy reading, I suppose that the types dealing with the demonic are the ones about which I am the most circumspect, both because they require the most discernment and caution and because they provide such a mixed bag of quality and understanding from the author. As an Orthodox Christian, I read such figures as Elder Paisios (among many other modern Orthodox Elders) or St. Anthony on the topic of the demonic, and I find a great deal of understanding of the nature and tactics of Satan and the demons... an understanding far beyond my own knowledge. Their expertise is twofold: firstly, they have learned from the experience of their encounters with the demonic, and secondly, they are spiritually advanced Saints, so much so that they view spiritual warfare and all things concerning man and God through Divinely-illumined eyes. They are spiritual warriors of an elite class whose holiness was gained through years of struggle in prayer, fasting, and worshiping in the Divine Services of the Church.
In the case of Michael Leehan's Ascent from Darkness, I think that we unfortunately get the account of someone who has experience with the demonic but without the understanding needed to fully understanding his own experiences or to express them in a way beneficial to other Christians. In fact, I found this book to be far more disconcerting than uplifting.
Whenever speaking of the demonic and experiences with them, one needs a great deal of discernment in when and how to express those experiences to others. Personally, I have had a few experiences of demonic activity; it is very rare that I speak of these experiences, however, because a focus on Christ and explaining experiences of the Divine are so much more inspiring and encouraging. Further, stories of the Saints and of Christ's Light don't have the possibility of leaving a personal feeling unsettled, unlike stories of the demonic. In cases dealing with darkness and evil, it becomes very easy to cause the focus to shift off of Christ and for these stories - while they are intended to be inspiring - to become unpleasant and even dangerous.
In the case of Leehan's book, nearly 200 of the 250 pages deal with the author's days in satanism and spiritual darkness. He leaps from one story to another about the rituals in which he participated, the control the demons took over him, the actions his dark worship led him to take... The darkness included self-mutilation, voices, visions, depression, hatred, anger, confusion, thoughts of murder, and other results of his participation in the worship of Satan. Despite the many years in this dark delusion, I've read other accounts that didn't go into nearly as much detail or take nearly as many pages which showed a greater depth of understanding of the demonic worship in which the authors had participated and more "advancement," if I can put it this way, in the ranks of demonic "powers" and "spirituality."
Part of the problem is Leehan's very poor writing style. He moves from one scene to another, often disconnected, with little explanation of what was happening "behind the scenes" (i.e in his understanding of the demonic in his life). I am unsure of whether he did not understand his own actions and thoughts enough to describe them or if he simply didn't want to write about them deeply, but there seems to be so little introspection in his book. There is little if any deep explanation of why, on one page, he is depressed and confused, while on another he is angry and driven by demonic forces while on yet another he is attending a Christian church but not participating. There is no real attempt to try to explain the life he was living. This becomes tiresome for the reader, as Leehan tells stories without any clear point and describes confusing actions without explanation.
When his conversion occurs, it is again without introspection. It is all so much on the surface. His explanation of the grace and peace of Christ are sentimental and vague. There is little here that is deep or profound compared to what one can get elsewhere (such as in the writings of Orthodox Saints), and unlike many reviews I've read, I found the book too scattered, too focussed on the demonic and evil without introspection, too ready to tell fantastical stories for the shock factor and reading pleasure without caution of the dangers of such stories to be inspiring.
While I wouldn't dare to question the sincerity of the author or the transformation he feels, I found one last thing troubling. I have read and listened to many others who have dabble or dove into demonic worship and eventually scrambled out, and none of their conversions seemed as... dare I say "easy"... as this one. I am not suggesting that Leehan did not struggle, but when he did decide to accept Christ, everything seemed to end. The spiritual struggle seemed to end without even a modest protest from the demons. He admits that he still struggles with sin and falls, but there is something that seems too simple. I recall an Orthodox Christian who, when he was baptized, felt the demons actually leaving him... and it was physically painful until they completely left. I am not spiritually advanced enough to offer a real appraisal of Leehan's experience, but I can at least compare his to many others that I've read and confidently state that his account stands apart in lacking many of the struggles and features that were common to all the others. This, in itself, was curious, at the very least.
Ultimately, I think that, while some books in this small genre ought to be read with great discernment, others ought not be read at all. This is one of those books. I pray all the best of Leehan, but this book left me feeling too invaded by his own darkness to cause me to recommend it.
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