Inner and Personal Demons

I've always thought the phrasing referred to a sort of metaphorical "hell on earth" or chronic moral/self destructive struggle. Like alcoholism. Gambling. Forgiving a family member who's done you wrong. Those sorts of things.

Though a real personal (inner) demon would be an interesting story. I'd read it.

Personal demons splitting off from someone and taking physical form is a very old idea. It's been dealt with particularly well in horror;

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. The good Doctor drinks a potion that transforms him into a being entirely ruled by his personal demons (id triumphing over ego).

The werewolf myth; men periodically turn into slavering beasts, a metaphor for sexual lust (especially in Angela Carter).

The movie The Brood; as part of a radically confrontational therapy program, patients exorcise their neuroses by giving them physical form; cancerous tumours, a brood of murderous dwarves, etc.

Also dopplegangers, poltergeists, are often about projecting, externalising personal demons. Raising Cain is another movie that plays with the same ideas.

I'm sure other posters will have more examples.

The Lonely One said:

I've always thought the phrasing referred to a sort of metaphorical "hell on earth" or chronic moral/self destructive struggle. Like alcoholism. Gambling. Forgiving a family member who's done you wrong. Those sorts of things.

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Writing.

Read the Winter of Our Discontent by Steinbeck. You won't have to ask about personal demons afterward.

DwayneA said:

What exactly are inner and personal demons? I've heard the term before, yet I don't exactly understand their purpose.

Also, is it possible for a character's inner or personal demon to actually become an actual character that the character interacts with? If so, how is it accomplished? This is something that I've been considering for my current work.

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An inner or personal demon is basically the problem/memory that haunts the character. Say, his wife leaving him. Anything that tortures him.