Angels were thought to be celestial entities who ruled certain realms through which a soul had to transit as it emancipated itself from the restraints of its material existence in theological traditions that have regarded the world in a dualistic perspective, such as gnosticism. Belief in demons has nothing to do with one's perspective on the universe. Demons have played a long and storied role as spiritual creatures affecting people' relationships to the sacred or holy throughout a vast geographical area.
