Is there any biblical basis to support demonic paranormal activity? Demonic possession of course is biblical, but what about demonic paranormal activity? With some effort it's not hard to come across testimonies from Christians, and even non-Christians, telling stories of paranormal experiences, such as hearing footsteps, scratches on walls, drawers moving in and out, closets opening and closing, things flying off the shelves or walls, beds shaking, chairs moving, objects falling down, light bulbs exploding, stuff levitating, the temperature in the room suddenly dropping, horrible demonic &quot;smell&quot;, hearing audible evil growls, etc. I'm pretty sure many of you have heard of similar experiences. Is there any biblical basis to this? Does the Bible record examples of demonic paranormal activity? Do the Scriptures support the ability of demons to manipulate objects and intervene in the physical world?
Is there any biblical basis to support demonic paranormal activity?
Does the Bible record examples of demonic paranormal activity? Do the Scriptures support the ability of demons to manipulate objects and intervene in the physical world?
The short answer is maybe at best. And then only perhaps indirectly!
There is no direct biblical support to suggest that demons are capable of making footstep noises, scratching on walls, moving drawers in and out, opening closets and then closing them,  making things things fly off the shelves or walls, beds shaking, chairs moving, objects falling down, light bulbs exploding, stuff levitating, the temperature in the room suddenly dropping, making horrible demonic &quot;smell&quot;, creating audible evil growls or other paranormal activity.
The Devil and his minions are in a way comparable to a virus (Covid-19, if you wish) or electricity. All three are seemingly invisible, yet could be potentially dangerous to mankind, if circumstances are right.
There is an invisible realm in our world. Let us always recall the words of St. Paul:

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 6:12

St. Paul admits that the forces of evil rule the air in which we live live, thus the possibility of evil manipulating the physical sphere in which we live does not at all seem an outright impossibility.
Again St. Paul teaches thus (Admittedly, both interpretation and translation of the Sacred Texts plays a big part here):

2 And you, when you were dead in your offences, and sins,
2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of this air, of the spirit that now worketh on the children of unbelief. - Ephesians 2:1-2

We can see the work of Satan and his hatred for the holiness of true saints in the person of Job. Satan created a storm that killed Job’s family, yet Job did not sin by blaming God.

9 Satan replied, “Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has—he will curse you to your face!”
12 “All right,” the Lord said to Satan, “everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself.” So Satan left.
13 One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother, 14 a messenger came running to Job. “We were plowing the fields with the oxen,” he said, “and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture. 15 Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
16 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, “Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
17 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, “Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
18 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, “Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son, 19 when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground. 21 He said, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!”
22 In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God. - Job 1: 9-22

It is obvious, that the demons can to some degree manipulate the physical world we live in and they do not need the intermediary of a human person to communicate to us. There are countless references of the good Angels speaking to people in both the New and Old Testament.  The Annunciation is just one example:

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, &quot;Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.&quot; - Luke 1:26–38

We thus see that the Angel Gabriel is trying to keep the Virgin Mary calm during the angelic visitation.
Now for Satan or anyone of the demons, they do not care about mankind one iota. They simply want us all to go to hell and join them forever.
The soul that is truly arduous in holiness and genuinely seeks the conversion of sinners is not going to get such a warm welcome from the Devil and his Legions. If you steal his prey, it makes logical sense he would try to scare the hell out of you. There is no real difficultly for me to imagine to Devil making all sorts of noises to make someone think they are going crazy and being drawn into despair.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. - 1 Corinthians 13:1

Satan will do all it takes and make as much noise to interfere in his plans to ruin mankind. The Devil loves not, thus he is the clanging cymbal par excellence.
What exactly were the manifestations of paranormal activities of the demons is not listed in Sacred Scriptures, but we must deduce that some truly existed. The story of the seven sons of one Sceva in Acts 19: 13-17 fits in well here:

13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. - Acts19:13-17

What all transpired during this exorcism, we just do not know. St. Luke only recounts a rough outline, in order to keep our imagination healthy. There is no need to dwell on the morbid. Obvious light bulbs did not explode as they were not invented yet. Were there other manifestation of paranormal activity? Certainly, but Scripture remains silent on this issue.
Another time Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man who lived amongst the tombs and “night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.”

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” - Mark 5:1-20

Once again, allow me to use Scripture to relate the possibility of the good Angels helping us to hold that the opposite may also be true in our lives.
Let us recall the story in St. John’s Gospel how the Angel of God stirred the water in the Pool of Bethesda! Now if the Angel of God could do good this way, what stops Evil from intervening in our lives to create havoc and fear.

For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. - John 5:4

If the Angel of God can stir the waters to heal, can not the Devil shake beds, etc. to scare the wits out of us...

Nightly Monsieur Vianney’s rectory was the site of a terrifying cacophony: scurrying and gnawing rats, the sound of pounding nails, and howling wind.  When the noises failed to trouble the holy Curé, the Devil turned over furniture, smeared excrement on the doorway, and set the priest’s bed on fire. To this last effort, Vianney responded, “The wretched fiend.  He has not been able to catch the bird, so he has burnt the cage.”  - The Devil’s Most Effective Foe


Saint John Vianney's Bed, burnt by the devil.