Are all spirits the same? If so, it would not matter whether one is a Buddhist, Moslem, Christian, Hindu, or a Hare Krishna. Often people from other religions purport that "all is one" (monism), yet the Bible clearly teaches to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1), warning, "...do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God."
When I worked at Venice Beach, the spirits were certainly out to sport with people. People would practice "astral projection"; psychics would tell me casually they had seen apparitions of "Jesus"; witches had seen tables levitate; spirits would speak in audible voices or appear as black figures. No, these people were not crazy. One guy had come from an Indian reservation where he had been taught to pray to his ancestors, and praying to the dead would invoke "very scary" spirits in his life, he told me.
Then, there is the Holy Spirit. The difference between demonic spirits (which are counterfeit spirits of darkness masquerading as light) and the Holy Spirit is the demonic spirits work to seduce people away from Jesus and humility, always coming to appeal to the arrogance and autonomy in the person, whereas the Holy Spirit lifts up Jesus. When the Holy Spirit is at work sometimes people cry, feeling the "presence" of the Lord when simply singing a song about Jesus and His love, as hearts are touched to feel love from God. Interestingly, the demonic spirits also come in the name of "God", however as we "test the spirits" the demonic spirits are deceptive. I once spoke to a man at Venice Beach who had just heard a voice from "god". "She" came to him in a female voice and said that 'he had been chosen' to change the world through his music. I couldn't help but get tears in my eyes as I told him that was a demon. I told him that the demon in the female voice had spoken to him such a message, which would never point him to Jesus or to humility, but, rather, uplift his own egotistical autonomy. The middle aged man cried as I spoke to him. His name was Edward. Edward said, "I wanted to talk to you about this, because I have been watching you for over a year, and you seem sincere. I think God came to speak to me, but I am not sure, and I am scared." We both stood there in the parking lot as the sun set over Venice Beach and cried, because I knew that Edward's encounter had been demonic. I told him his only hope was in Jesus. The Bible says Jesus makes the demons tremble. (James 2:19 says, "Even the demons believe in God, and they tremble.") Satanic spirits are lying spirits. What a comfort to know that there is no lie in Jesus--no lie in the God with authority over the demons.
"...God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline...then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us...shall we not much rather be subjected to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness." Hebrews 12:7-10
"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good spirit lead me on level ground." Psalm 143: 10
