The Beautiful Side of Evil

by Johanna Michaelsen, Hal Lindsey (Foreword)

An extraordinary story about Johanna's involvement in the occult and how she learned to distinguish between the beautiful side of evil and the true way of the Lord.

Genres: Christian, Biography, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality, Memoir, History

222 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1982

Reviews

[Cindy]

I always find books like this difficult to rate as "I liked it" or "it was amazing". A better and more appropriate choice might be "I suggest this book" or "I do not suggest this book". To me there is a difference. How do you "like" the content of a book that exposes sadistic evil practices much less in the name of "religion" (of any kind). I read this book as a teenager and back in those days there was a LOT of "exposing" going on, as well as a lot of heightened fanatical sensationalism. There's a fine line between the reality of such acts and the sensationalist notions that elude to demons "around every corner". I have read a lot of expository books on the occult; and while I find a lot of the content of this book as having the potential to be believable, it is difficult to entirely trust because so many authors abuse their position and tend to embellish on non-fictional events. I honestly don't have a strong opinion either way about The Beautiful Side of Evil. Simply that it opened my eyes (in my youth) to the darkness that surrounds us reaching depths of unfathomable wickedness. I don't stick my head in the sand but I don't go chasing demons either.

[Yakking Yogini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very frightening account of one young woman's unusual upbringing and subsequent terrifying spiritual experiences by malevolant unseen entities. Her spiritual journey led her to become the personal assistant of a Mexican woman named Pachita who performed psychic surgery on locals as well as wealthy Americans during the 1970's. Pachita's (channeling the spirit of an ancient Aztec healer named Cuauhtemoc) miraculous surgical healings performed without anesthesia and with just a pair of scissors and a kitchen knife are documented in an American medical journal ("A Surgeon's Observation on Psychic Surgery" by Dr Stanton Maxey, 3/1972). The title (The Beautiful Side of Evil) is the theme of the book: how God revealed to the author the source of these miraculous healings as being satanic in nature. She observed that when doing follow-up care, the patients that were believers in Jesus Christ would experience excruciating pain during the surgeries and that their operations would not last, but would be only a temporary healing. The story is also about her conversion to the Christian faith and the difficult journey that brought her there. I decided to give this title 5 stars, namely because of how brave this author was for sharing such a personal and heart-wrenching story.

[Maaike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not long ago, my husband and I were speaking at a home group in California. One of the people there was Johanna Michaelsen. She told us she was an author and a poet, and that this was one of the books she wrote.
I loved reading her testimony, and like her view on spiritual gifts and other things she talks about in this book. When we met her it was clear to me that she's a very intelligent woman, who has a close walk with the Lord, and this book definitely confirmed this.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has questions about, or is involved in the occult.

[Randy Corn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of those that I got when putting together my annotated bibliography for the Commission on Theological Integrity. I remember it being much more interesting than most of the books that I read in connection with that project. The reason was that it is written from a first-person perspective. More than half of the book is dedicated to the author sharing her story, and quite a story it is! She was the great granddaughter of a well know mystic / medium who traveled abroad cashing in on her strange powers. Michaelson sees this as fulfillment of the generational curse idea of the OT. In any case, from her teen years forward the author had strange ghost like encounters. What is strange is that she seems to have been on relatively good terms with them! This led eventually to experimentation with drugs and eventually to a group called “Mind Control” that promised to unlock the spiritual potential all of have. This group eventually connected her with a psychic healer called Pachita. She tells of several “operations” where people had cancers removed or vertebra corrected. If these happened the way she describes them, then this was indeed a supernatural occurrence. The question is was it from God or Satan?

Due to the influence of her sister she eventually accepted the offer to discuss all of this with someone who really understood the spiritual significance of it all. That would turn out to Os Guiness at L’abri in Switzerland. Her “restoration” was certainly dramatic and would lead her to study at Hal Lindsey’s “Power and Light” school.

There were a couple of things which stood out to me about this book. First, the author contends that her salvation experience was when a fellow student share the “Four Spiritual Laws” with her while in college. She then goes on to plunge into all sorts of occult practices. How is that possible? I guess what I’m saying is that I would find it hard to believe that a Christian could go so headlong into such things. Maybe lack of background and no discipleship explains that. Second, I appreciated that she identifies as a charismatic and is candid about the problems that present with supernatural manifestation. Finally, she is good about how to “test the spirits” which is certainly something this book hinges upon.

I enjoyed rereading this book from 1986. I doubt that it is still in print, but it is a valuable and interesting book to own and refer to.

[Lady Kurdle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johanna Michaelsen has always had the ability to see demons and spirits. She joins the 'mind control' group, where she learns to develop her mediumship and psychic abilities, as well as contact her spirit guides. Through this group she is introduced to a psychic surgeon, Pachita, who is able to miraculously heal anyone while under the possession of the spirit Hermanito. These surgeries are freakishly appalling and gruesome. Johanna becomes her apprentice, so she may one day take Pachita's place as psychic surgeon. The author goes into disturbing detail that makes the whole experience all the more horrific.

This book was shocking and captivating. I would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated in new age culture or practices. It really changed the way I think about spirituality. Its a really interesting read for sure, but oh god its chilling. Kept me up some nights just thinking about what i'd read.

Please dont let the Christian aspect scare you off if you are atheist. I was skeptical at first, because I am really not interested in reading some pro-Jesus book that "turns you to the light". Its got some of that, but its truly worth it. I promise. The story is EXTREMELY COMPELLING.

I read this book last year, and I still think about it a lot. This story is one that you will remember for a long time. I would definitely read it again in the future, and recommend it to anyone who has the stomach and nerve for it. It is such a dark and fascinating story. A page turner for sure.

[Margarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is really trippy!! if you want to read a book about how the Lord renews one's heart and brings deliverance to the soul..this is a book to read. how people can be so deceived in thinking that what they do isn't evil but sees it as beautiful and good..personally i'd like to read it again..but i lost the book or someone borrowed it a long time ago!

[Clara Dearmore Strom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who doesn't believe that evil is alive and "well" in this world needs to read this book.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this book is crazy. I'm not sure if it's crazy good or crazy bad. On page 100. "Psychic surgery" taking place ..pretty gruesome too.

Final grade 2.5 stars.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening and relevant even more so today as the enemy presents himself as an angel of light. It is a must read for both christians and non-christians, especially those still straddling the fence and exploring different religious ideals.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently Johanna Michaelsen made something of a name for herself back in the 80s, and is credited (or blamed) as one of the more significant contributors to the famous "satanic panic" that took place around that time. This book demonstrates how that would have been the case, as especially the first three quarters - being her autobiography growing out of conventional religion, being lured into the occult, and eventually returning to Christianity - makes for some crazy, very shocking reading if you take it to be true.

Personally, I'm not so sure. I much preferred the more direct, more "evangelical" last section where she drops the personal story and simply rails against what she perceives as a satanic/occultic threat seeping into the mainstream culture. She also explores the theme suggested in the title also, which is that sometimes things appear harmless, even good and virtuous, but there may be evil lurking underneath. Then, in another sense, it might seem easier and more humane, more tolerant and peaceful, to accept all manner of lifestyles in this world - but at what cost to our collective soul?

This can apply to broader things, or to more specific taboos. But of course, it can also be stretched well into the domain of sexuality, personal identity, culture and religion, and this is where things become a lot more difficult to navigate, and it's where I also have become less absolutist and sectarian - for the betterment or detriment of my soul, I guess I cannot know. I can only hope, and follow my intuition towards a God I believe is too great, too infinitely wise and loving, to have such a narrow list of only stalwart Catholics or Protestants or zealous Muslims for entry into His Eternal Kingdom.

I prefer to believe - and my belief is genuine - that Michaelsen makes some strong and interesting points. She is, by and large, more right than she is wrong. But I do think she is also narrow-minded, overly dogmatic, and a bit of a wildcard, to be entirely worth stepping behind.

[Frank Man · Rating 1 out of 5]

First half of the book is very readable. I like the style. Interesting material regarding her psychic experiences and then those of Pachita - just over mid way through book. Second half she turns into the 'narrow minded, Bible bashing, religious fundamentalist' that she accused Edith Schaeffer of, in an earlier chapter!
Everything good that Pachita achieved ; 5o years of selfless service & sacrifice to assist people ,many of whom medicine had failed, is now evil.. Pachita is now demonic , as is anyone else who heals people , but does not accept Jesus as their savior. Edgar Cayce who also dedicated his life to help people without accepting payment - he too is now of Satan. One has to wonder what her criteria for good is.
She had the opportunity to follow on from Pachita & accomplish similar healings, but opted not to. . A great pity . Much of the second half of the book is not worth spending time on , unless you want to review scripture, scripture interpreted by Johanna , alas.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing and scripturally sound firsthand recounting of a topic that is mocked by many academics and Christians alike. Yet, its importance is particularly important in today's world where the words and actions of many individuals, including Christians, are influenced by New Age and occult practices and beliefs. The resulting oppression is something that is undoubtedly felt but may be dismissed as a psychological, rather than a spiritual, problem. In this book, Michaelsen touches upon the differences between the two and focuses on how to mend the spiritual chasm through Christ.

Even (and especially) if one's immediate reaction to this review or to the book's description is scorn or skepticism, I highly recommend reading this book, along with M. Scott Peck's "Glimpses of the Devil," which similarly addresses the topic of demonic oppression and possession, but from the standpoint of a psychiatrist.

[Kayla Colyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe every Christian should read this book. It has opened my eyes into deeper understanding of scripture that warns us of these very things! Her "experience" matches up perfectly with what scripture says is happening. Even though this is a little scary, it's amazing to see scripture unfold and be brought to life.

[Karen L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author tells her story of her frightening experiences in the Occult as a healer and her conversion to the true healer, Jesus.

[Nathan Seys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for anyone wanting to see the power of Satan and his forces and how they influence the world! A must-read for every Christian!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely eye opening. Understanding the enemy is the first step to combating the enemy.

[David Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for those who don't realize that evil often wraps itself in light and colour......

[Jessica Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

"but nevertheless Satan couldn't heal, could he? And surely he wouldn't cast out demons. After all, didn't the Scriptures state that a house divided against itself cannot stand?"

everyone should read this book. I am not exaggerating. EVERYONE. my grandma read this book in 1986 and my grandpa read it after. He is always talking about the points in this book, and I never understood until now.

this book has changed my view on a lot of things I loved before. It really opens your eyes to the beautiful side of evil. what we thought could be miracles could actually be the Devil's work in disguise.

Johanna also talks a lot about the end times. It is a little scary to think how much the world has changed since this book was written.

this book is leaving me to question, have I practiced occultic things? what about books like Harry Pottor, The Twilight Saga, and shows like The Vampire Diaries, can those be considered the Devil's work? I never thought such common things like astrology and yoga could open you up to demonic bondage.
"I've lost count of how many individuals, even while under severe demonic bondage, have said to me, 'Oh, but I've never been involved in the occult! I just played around with the Ouija board a few times!' (or astrology, or tea-leaf reading, or rod and pendulum, or Dungeons and Dragons, or seances, or palmistry, or tarot cards, etc.)"

these things are so common. we have a Dungeons and Dragons club at our school! I would have never thought these are occultic things. Think of astrology, one of the most popular things to read about and look at. People are obsessed with astrology and "what's your sign" and justifying things by saying "oh I'm a capricorn." I have looked at astrology, I'm a libra and my friends and I talk about it sometimes. I never realized how involved the Devil is in our world until now.

"The occult is not a passing fad. It is here and will continue to grow and spread like a mass of suffocating jungle vines until the promised return of Jesus Christ."

[Lisa Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Christians need to read this book and pray not to be deceived by the spirits in the land. My experiences were a little similar. I was saved but searching for the power of God and began visiting a "church" for special services where the focus was on outward manifestations. My husband and I had met the pastor while attending a G.W. Grant meeting. (At the meeting, Grant started to lay hands on me to pray when an angry expression came across his face and he blew on me instead causing me to fall down. I felt evil coming from him but passed it off as my imagination thinking it must be of God because of my never known anyone who was "slain in the spirit" without being touched. ) The happenings of the "church" made me feel wonderful in the beginning unless there was a visiting minister who spoke false "words of knowledge" over me. I began to pray for special anointing like the pastor had and ended up confused when the opposite happened. I would go into these services and feel bound while others were "feeling God's presence". The more I fasted, prayed, repented of sin, the less I wanted to go to these services. The pastor became obsessed with Todd Bently to the point of going to Lakeland to get an "impartation" and playing live recordings of his services at "church" after coming back. I finely discovered what the church was actually about when they began to chant for fire to come and fill them. Rather than being the last time of seeing occult activity at any church, it would become the norm. I have known those who claim to be against witchcraft and new ageism than practice it at places of worship. Prayer breaths, yoga, or doing things like spells to get rid of sins or bad habits are very common among believers today while the same Christians would have known better thirty years ago. Today, experience and emotionalism have taken over as the means to "try the spirits' in "religious" circles rather than the methods mentioned in the Bible.

[Tirzah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was atrocious. Absolutely off-the-wall bananas. Highlights include that one time in college where some guys told the author they asked a ouiji board about her and were told she's an alien priestess, as well aa that time the psychic healer she was working for pulled a tarantula out of a child's throat. The author tells us, with all the seriousness one can possibly muster for such an abaurd claim, that the tarantula had been living in this child's throat for over a year. The healer deftly removed it with a pair of rusty kitchen scissors. Her first cited source is a quote from an article which can be found at "Source Unknown". That's at the end of chapter two. She uses the phrase "That's 'warts', to you." on purpose. I didn't know it was legal to write this badly. This book is great for seeing how absurd her stories get. It's just not great for, literally, anything else.

[Emily Kerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t finish. Very creepy and unsettling.
I live in a third-world country where witchcraft is very real and open, and I don’t want to invite any kind of that activity into my home. While I understand the importance of acknowledging demonic activity, I also know my own tendencies. I’m very curious and thoughtful by nature, and the way the author talked about demonic activity and the occult was not helpful to my mind at all.
I prefer material like The Screwtape Letters that Fran the demonic as hostile and evil. The author was befriending these hostile presences for a good portion of the book and even used a oija board (or however you spell it).
Maybe her intentions were good, but the evil was too heavy for me.

[Alesha Garvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and well written book. Ms. Michaelson’s account is meant to open the eyes of Believers’ and encourage them to use the God-given gift of spiritual discernment. We are to discern the source from which these miracles occur and ensure they are from the Holy Spirit and not a device of the devil in operation to deceive the people away from the Light of Christ.

[Sam Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing experience of a read. I finished it in just three to four sessions, and was enthralled. Michaelsen's testimony is powerful, and showcases exactly why exegetics is imperative for the believer.

[Victoria Lemos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy story. Love it! So happy I finally got around to reading it as my Mom had recommended it so long ago. Definitely a book every believer should read (whether the belief is in God, spirits, good/evil, etc.).

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book and truly an eye opener.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and found it to be very interesting

[Mark Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is out of print? I found a copy at a local bookstore. It was a little creepy at times, so I also read the book of Mark.

[Greg Hoskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped with my trauma of the new age deception and let me know people have walked along the same path as I

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Beautiful Side of Evil by Johanna Michaelsen is her story of spiritual searching that led her to become a personal assistant to a “psychic surgeon” for 14 months in Mexico. It was published in 1982 at the beginning of the “Satan is everywhere” and “Why not Rock” movements in the Christian Subculture.

To be honest I got this book as a birthday gift last year. I really didn’t care about the book didn’t even really interest me. I remember all these type of books back in the day and how most of them seem way over done sensationalized and even some just pure crap. So I didn’t have high hopes for this book at all. I don’t know if all of what she has written in this book is the truth. I did do a Google search on her and this book. I didn’t find any “She is a liar/scam artist” out there like I did for Mike Warnke and Lauren Stratford.

So I read the book. Some of it is just wild especially reading about how Catholic Priests came to Pachita for healing and guidance – you would really think they would be the last ones. Johanna walks you through her life and how she got there to become Pachita’s assistant. And, then how she came to faith in Jesus Christ.

In the second half of the book she tries to explain a biblical model for testing the spirits and how to do it. She states she is Charismatic and believes in all the gifts of the spirit. She does go off on some weird tangents – such as – E.T. (the movie) with other things were/are a part of Satan’s pre-evangelistic campaign to reach children. (You now seen the 1980’s Satan is everywhere – Why not Rock movement influence) She does take on her Charismatic brethren on a lot of different issues and for the most part is very biblical in her teaching on discernment and that is needed more often in the Church. (In the 80’s as much as it is today.)

Over all I would recommend this book think and pray as you read. It is a better book then I thought it would be, and the last four chapters are pretty good primer on the Biblical basis of Christian Discernment.

[Lacey Pollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a beautiful, fascinating story. Being extremely familiar with the New Age and Occult I understood exactly where she was coming from, however, people with no previous experience or who have not had an "OBE" or spiritual enlightening event may only relate to the story as fiction combined with stories of her travels. (I don't say this to be critical of the way she portrays her information! I was actually told this was the case by a militant atheist who read the book and had no desire to experience anything "spiritual" and also never had.)

I easily read the book straight through and found it easy to get lost in. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the author's apparent need to state her personal beliefs as factual. I was turned off by the preachy feel in some areas, but it was contained and a very small portion of the whole book ...and was mostly towards the very end.

It was absolutely worth the read, allowed me to see that I wasn't alone in some of the bizarre experiences she encountered as well, and she described them in a very thrilling and intriguing manner. It was my favorite book for a good spell (no pun intended!) when I read it about six years ago (2009) after dealing with meditation, Satanists, and mediums in my own life.