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"If you are not very careful your possessions will possess you" [quote]
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Simple answer: no, I do not believe a person can be possessed by another entity, being, ghost or demon.
Complex answer: I didn't answer the poll because none of the options are close enough to what I believe. It's too simple to say it's just a bunch of bullshit. People in many cultures around the world have believed in some form of possession. This sometimes includes very intelligent people; and even educated people. (Though I would guess that the greater the level of education, the less likely people are to believe. I certainly hope so, anyway.)
Mental or emotional disorders and other physical or psychological issues are certainly part of the cause for what seem to be possessions. There are also cultural contexts and outright hoaxes that contribute to these beliefs.
In my life I have witnessed situations that might cause others to claim possession as a cause. When my daughter was 1 & 2 years old she went through a period of bizarre behavior at night -- night terrors -- that nearly drove me crazy. People who suffer night terrors cannot be woken or consoled. You just need to let them scream, cry and thrash until it passes. Sometimes their eyes are open, sometimes closed, but they are not awake and cannot see you. Sometimes they speak, sometimes they mutter gibberish.
When it was happening I could understand how someone could believe in demonic possession. Fortunately, I finally realized her breathing was being interrupted (sleep apnea), creating the conditions in her brain for night terrors. We medically solved the problem causing the sleep apnea and the night terrors slowly subsided, then ceased entirely. No priests, prayers, or holy water required.
This doesn't mean that sleep apnea is the cause of all cases of supposed possession. It does demonstrate that there are physical causes that can create conditions that appear very much like possession. For months my daughter's nighttime behavior was unexplained, but that did not mean it was in any way paranormal.
Can we explain everything rationally and scientifically? Of course not, but the scientific method is the best tool we have for understanding the world. Unfortunately, the process of science is poorly understood by most people; leading to a bias against science in some.
The unexplained universe is much smaller than it was a hundred years ago and more, and keeps shrinking by the decade. It will never shrink out of existence, however. That's a good thing, as we are much better defined by our curiosity and ability to learn than we are by our superstitions and fears.
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Levitation, the ability to speak ancient languages, aversion to religious symbols, inhuman strength.
Yes, I'm pretty sure it's just the temporal lobe.
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MisterLove Wrote:Levitation, the ability to speak ancient languages, aversion to religious symbols, inhuman strength.
Yes, I'm pretty sure it's just the temporal lobe.
I'm not saying that it's necessarily fake, but it's best to rule out all of the more down-to-earth explanations before jumping to the supernatural. If you jump straight there, you're willing to believe anything that you're told. There can be a number of things causing your entire list there before you even touch on the supernatural. Get through those first. And no, I'm not an expert. Don't be asking me to explain anything to you. And don't think that just because I can't explain anything, it means that there is no normal explanation.
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Geminize Wrote:[...] The unexplained universe is much smaller than it was a hundred years ago and more, and keeps shrinking by the decade. It will never shrink out of existence, however. That's a good thing, as we are much better defined by our curiosity and ability to learn than we are by our superstitions and fears.
With all due respect, I think it's extremely arrogant and naive to:
a) Believe that mankind is closer to unveil the secrets of the universe
b) Believe that science is the only legitimate form of knowledge
c) Describe all non scientific knowledge as 'superstition'
I love science, but science works on a purely material level. Scientists have improved our conditions of life but not our spirits.
And because our society has become so materialistic and greedy, everyone tends to favour science over religion. So much so, that we seem to be evolving towards a new sort of rationalist or scientific intolerance: 'it's not scientific', they say.
To me, what I hear and feel every Sunday on church is just as real and palpable as the latest iPad or iPhone. With one difference, though: Sunday mass can make you a better person, the iPad can't.
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VileKyle Wrote:I'm not saying that it's necessarily fake, but it's best to rule out all of the more down-to-earth explanations [....]
Sweetie, I couldn't agree more. The problem in cases like these is that the explanations provided by many of the so-called 'scientists' are not scientific at all. Die hard skeptics come up with all sorts of far fetched explanations and complicated words that don't actually mean anything. In the case of ouija boards, for example, there's the infamous 'ideomotor effect' explanation that doesn't explain or prove anything.
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MisterLove Wrote:Levitation, the ability to speak ancient languages, aversion to religious symbols, inhuman strength.
Yes, I'm pretty sure it's just the temporal lobe.
Ok, dont know if you mean that as fact, or a slam......but I will say this.....
Levitation - charlatans, con artists, contortionists, and magicians have been pulling this off for centuries....so why not a few priests who want notariaty?
Ability to speak other languages/ancient languages - most ancient languages are based on each other. Slurring or "speaking" a word that sounds like an ancient spoken word could mean many different things in many different languages. Even though I have never learned other languages, Ive pretty much heard plenty of them...and enough of them to fake my way through a "possession". And who's to say these people did NOT learn these ancient/other languages to begin with? Anybody can pick up a book and learn something....as well as lie about it.....without others knowing whats going on. A lot of linguists have said that most people can learn a language by just understanding a few words of it. Who's to say these people did not do that?
Aversion to religious symbols - Hell, I have that!!!! And given the fact there are MANY people out there who are allergic to all kinds of metals..........well, Im sure you can figure that one out.
Super Strength/Inhuman Strength - it has been proven that if a person truly has the will to do something seemingly "impossible", they will do it. Its been documented in may psychology books about people pulling stuck car doors apart to get to a child, or run into a burning building without getting burned, or lifting a large tree off someone to get them to safety, etc......
These are not "supernaturally evil" occurrences, they are tricks and gimmicks made to entice weaker minded people into believing such things exist.
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MisterLove Wrote:Sweetie, I couldn't agree more. The problem in cases like these is that the explanations provided by many of the so-called 'scientists' are not scientific at all. Die hard skeptics come up with all sorts of far fetched explanations and complicated words that don't actually mean anything. In the case of ouija boards, for example, there's the infamous 'ideomotor effect' explanation that doesn't explain or prove anything.
Even with something like a ouija board, you are using outright faith to explain the supernatural end of it. While I have no big issue with faith, I don't personally use it as an explanation for everything out there right away. Maybe there is something supernatural going on with a ouija board, but why put all of your trust into that unknown explanation without trying to figure out what else might be going on first? I'd look into it further before jumping to conclusions.
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Possession
