Demons are AS REAL today as they were during the time of Christ. Probably MUCH more prevalent.
How does one recognize a 'demon'? That is the tricky part.
MEC
Another great post, my friend.
Visions do not have to be of God, but come from the opposing forces as well.
Gospel of Mary Chapter 5
5) Peter said to Mary, Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman.
6) Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them.
7) Mary answered and said, What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.
8) And she began to speak to them these words: I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me,
9) Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.
10) I said to Him, Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?
11) The Savior answered and said,
He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision
Now, one can claim this to be true or not. But not by reading it, but seeing the vision it portrays. The mind can see this, as it happened (the group sitting around) and discussing Mary's vision. As the vision becomes apparent, we are challenged with if it is true or not. If what is said, aligns with the scriptures where Jesus spoke, then we would assume Mary is telling the truth. If the doctrine we follow instead says that the vision is not true, we make a choice to place the doctrine, above the vision, thereby the doctrine controls us. How else would the Holy Spirit contact us if not through visions?
So if visions are real, the opposing forces can cause them as well. We see the visions before and after an event. If we are one with the disciples, should we not see the same vision as John with his Apocalypse? Yet it is seen differently by the many who pursue it. Obviously, Johns was given by the Holy Spirit. But when we have different visions that confuse the true meaning, those visions are not of God, IMO.
A vision is where the mind attempts to receive the image of truth. To limit it to a certain preordained set of rules, is spiritual suicide (doctrines, etc). To challenge that it is of God, makes us grow in truth. Like Mary, we need to try and understand what the mind receives by testing the vision, rather than saying "I simply don't believe it".