Hi Mod-80, you are very perceptive. The truth is that I became very disillusioned with segulos and all types of superstitions recently. The crazy mayseh of the supposed dibbuk of the past year really upset me. How can we Jews become laughingstocks for the whole world–on video yet.
You see, I have nonreligious relatives who seize on this to make hilarious fun of religious Jews. We are supposed to be an Am chacham vnavon. I hate having to defend behavior which I can’t. Don’t people realize how weird this stuff looks like to the outside world?
Finally, I believe that the RBSH rules the world, period. I do not understand what role could be played by sheidim, for example. If ploni is righteous, then Hashem will treat him well. If not, then he may get in trouble CV. However, how will his plight be affected by a sheid for good or for bad?
Same with keshafim. While there are mekoros in sefarim that seem to indicate this may be black magic or magical powers, how can anybody verify this. Do we have anybody today who understands how to do it? If so, please let them give a demo that we can all see. I am very skeptical that this ever existed, so I choose to be a rationalist like the Rambam, unless somebody will conclusively prove to me otherwise.
I know this is difficult from a number of gemaras. For instance in Bava Basra, it tells of a non-Jewish woman who could turn water into a bowlful of scorpions. However, I believe the Rambam would not take this literally.
The whole topic is fascinating, though.