Dostoevsky's "paltry devil" Hallucination

The devil does not exist in reality, only in your imagination.

Dostoevsky's concept of the "paltry devil" hallucination was introduced to the reader in the classic book The Possessed (1871).  In The Possessed a scene in the chapter Night occurs when Madam Stavrogin peers through a door at her son Nikolai Stavrogin who appears to be sleeping in a chair in a trance.  Madam Stavrogin enters the room, she walks about the room wondering how her son could sleep so rigidly in his chair.  Suddenly frightened, Madam Stavrogin quickly withdraws from the room without disturbing her son.  Nikolai Stavrogin awakens shortly after the departure of Madam Stavrogin, he stares fixidly at some object in the room, although nothing in the room appears to be out of the ordinary.  The spell is broken by a chime of a clock and by the entry of the Stavrogin family butler Alexey Yegorytch.  But, apparently, Nikolai Stavrogin has just had a visit and conversation with the "paltry devil" hallucination.

Dostoevsky expanded the "paltry devil" hallucination in Stavrogin's Confession, a manuscript Dostoevsky planned to include as a chapter in The Possessed. But the publisher refused to print Stavrogin's Confession.  Dostoevsky's handwritten manuscript of Stavrogin's Confession sat in a locked box in a Russian museum until it was finally published by the Soviet government in 1929.  But, Dostoevsky did reincarnate the "paltry devil" hallucination in The Brothers Karamazov in 1880.

In Stavrogin's Confession  Nikolai Stavrogin has gone to Bishop Tikhon to confess his crimes against the young maiden Matryosha and to seek absolution, but like Ivan Karamazov, Nikolai Stavrogin lacks faith to overcome his doubts about the existence of God. During the interview, Nikolai Stavrogin admits to Tikhon he is having visits from a pernicious "paltry devil" who is actually himself in various forms.  Nikolai Stavrogin also admits at times it is almost impossible to distinguish hallucination from reality.  Tikhon recommends Nikolai Stavrogin consult a doctor to deal with his mental malady. A debate then ensues as to the existence or non-existence of Satan.  Nikolai Stavrogin asks, "Without God, can the devil exist?" Certainly, replies Tikhon with a smile, people often come to this conclusion.  Then Nikolai Stavrogin asks Tikhon this question, if you possess a mustard seed of faith can you bid a mountain to move?  Tikhon asserts this may be possible, but Tikhon also admits his faith is imperfect.  Therefore, if the mountain did move, the movement may be an act of God, independent of any wilful act by Bishop Tikhon.

Nikolai Stavrogin then presents Tikhon a manuscript titled From Stavrogin.  From Stavrogin is a manifesto printed on a foreign printing press which provides a detailed description of Nikolai Stavrogin's crimes of molestation against the young maiden Matryosha. Matryosha later commits suicide in a chicken coop located next to a water closet after she exclaims she has "killed God."  Nikolai Stavrogin tells Tikhon he intends to publish the manifesto for the entire world to read.  Tikhon implores Nikolai Stavrogin to reconsider his intention, reminding Nikolai Stavrogin of cheap cynical shallow people who will react to his hideous crime with laughter. Tikhon also issues a warning, at the last moment before publication of the document, Nikolai Stavrogin will commit another heinous crime to prevent the publication of the document. But Tikhon offers Nikolai Stavrogin an alternative course of action.  Tikhon knows of a ascetic monk who has acquired profound knowledge from years of isolation and study.  This monk may have a solution for Nikolai Stavrogin's spiritual doubts. Tikhon suggests Nikolai Stavrogin retire to a monastery for a period of time to study under this monk as a novice. Then Tikhon suggests Nikolai Stavrogin return to public life as a reformed chastened man.  But, at the critical moment of a possible total acceptance of Christ, the monk, and his teachings, Nikolai Stavrogin rejects Tikhon's recommendation to retire to a monastery for a time to seek a solution for his spiritual turmoil. Then, suddenly, Nikolai Stavrogin storms out of Tikhon's cell in a rage with a curse. 

Of course, later in The Possessed, Nikolai Stavrogin incites Fedka the convict to murder his wife Marya Timofyevna and her brother Captain Lebyadkin with promises of money and a internal merchants passport. Thus the hideous crime Bishop Tikhon predicted would happen, did occur.

In The Brothers Karamazov (1880)  Ivan Karamazov and the "paltry devil" engage in a intense philosophical debate, where the devil tries to establish himself as a reality, not as a dream.  But Ivan Karamazov mocks the devil as a childish buffoon who does nothing more than repeat old ideas Ivan Karamazov has abandoned long ago.  Ivan Karamazov realizes the devil is himself not a seperate entity.  After Ivan Karamazov visits Smerdyakov who states he murdered Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov and that Mitya Karamazov had nothing to do with the murder, Ivan Karamazov decides to appear with Smerdyakov in court to expose the truth. The "paltry devil" laughs outright at this new resolution citing the "Geological Cataclysm" where Ivan Karamazov declared when mankind replaces the existence of God with the "Man-God," mankind will devolve into a amoral chaos where "all things are lawful."  Including parricide.  But Ivan Karamazov is determined in his quest to exonerate Mitya Karamazov even though this altruistic behavior directly contradicts Ivan Karamazov's philosophical statement "one reptile will devour the other."  A violent knocking on the windowpane ends the hallucination.  Alyosha Karamazov brings news Smerdyakov has hung himself in his flat. At this point Ivan Karamazov goes mad in a literal sense.  Ivan Karamazov wants to change course from atheistic and nihilistic ravings towards Christianity, but intellectually he cannot completely accept the existence of God.  This is the dilemma Ivan Karamazov faces, an unsolvable riddle.  Ivan Karamazov does appear in court, he presents the stolen money, he openly accuses Smerdyakov of the murder, he declares Mitya Karamazov innocent, but the court refuses to believe him.  In the end Ivan Karamazov is led out of the courtroom shouting incoherently.  Testimony relating to Ivan Karamazov's mental health reveals he was experiencing hallucinations of visits by the devil and he was seen talking to dead people in the street.  Ivan Karamazov's testimony could easily be refuted as ravings of a demented man intent on saving his brother.

Unfortunately, in the end, Mitya Karamazov, a innocent man, is convicted by a peasant jury of a murder he did not commit.

This is Dostoevsky in his pure form. "Does God exist?  Upon my word I don't know!"  I think Dostoevsky endlessly wrestled with this question, and he never completely accepted the existence of God in his lifetime.