Exorcisms

[Warren Clark]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

 

[Storm]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?

More likely than not.

Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

Doubtful.

 

[Warren Clark]

More likely than not.


Doubtful.

Out of pure curiousity what makes you believe in paranormals?

I've always wanted to play with a ouji but everyone else is too scared.

 

[Storm]

Out of pure curiousity what makes you believe in paranormals?

It's not any one thing. It just makes perfect sense in the context of my theology.

 

[Draka]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

Don't believe in demons, but do believe in ghosts. Some of those spirits may be disturbed/trapped/malevolent, but they are still spirits just the same. As to possession...I'm not entirely convinced but will allow for the rare possibility. In regards to needing a priest, as I believe that we are all just as able to communicate and access the Divine then we are all priests and priestesses. It's only the matter of asserting that.

 

[bain-druie]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

No and no. I believe in spirits based on subjective experience, but I don't believe any of them have any need or desire to inhabit and take over someone else's body. At least, I've never seen any evidence of such.

And based on history, a priest would be completely useless for doing anything but terrorizing someone who is either mentally ill or suffering a seizure.

 

[Warren Clark]

It's not any one thing. It just makes perfect sense in the context of my theology.

that makes sense.

 

[Warren Clark]

I am personally a skeptic. I would like to believe but I don't really believe everything I see on tv or what I am told. I would love to experience a spirit for myself.
It would be cool to see another dimension of the universe.

I mean i have alsways wanted to try using a ouji bored but every one is too scared by superstition.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

No for the first one.

Absolutely no for the second.

 

[Twig pentagram]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

I don't think so would be my answer to both questions.

 

[LoveDistribution]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

:no: and :no:

But I would like to know your views about those who think they are possessed by demons, what kind of psychological problem do they have?

 

[Warren Clark]

Like I said before.
I am a skeptic. I have never seen these ghosts and possessions my self.
However like stories from The Haunting on the discovery channel intrigues me.
The Haunting is supposedly real accounts of contact with the supernatural.

My first thought on possession is that it is that some of the details are exaggerated and made up. Such as the multi-voices being the demon.
Monks have been known to be able to channel these "voices" on their own.
As for a normal person I think there is a possible scientific explanation.
I cannot rule out the possibility of possession for myself, because there isn't much scientific research on it that I have found.

As for ghosts, every TV show there has been on ghost hunting has actually only strengthened the possibilty that ghosts do not exist.
It doesn't however present a case to completely discredit anyone that claims to have seen or "felt" a ghost.

 

[kai]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

No and No

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Do you believe that there are demons or ghosts that can possess people?
Do you believe a priest is needed for an exorcism?

Yes, if you also consider demons and ghosts to be nothing but ideas/memes.

For some, but it's best to exorcise them on your own.

 

[Erebus]

If possession exists I've never witnessed it, I'm of the opinion that so called possessions are psychological. For this reason an exorcism ritual could potentially work as a placebo, but also runs the risk of reinforcing the delusion of possession.

I do believe that people can be influenced by spirits, but I doubt they could taken over entirely without consent.

 

[Storm]

I do believe that people can be influenced by spirits, but I doubt they could taken over entirely without consent.

May I ask why?

 

[Otherright]

I think that possession can be explained by psychology. So a shrink would probably be the most appropriate person to handle it. That doesn't say anything about our psychological attachment to such things. We are wired to believe such things.

Even as skeptical as I am, I watched The Rite the other night, and still found it to be creepy. Even though I don't believe in such things, it was easy to get emotion and psychology caught up in a temporary suspension of reason.

 

[Erebus]

May I ask why?

Of course

In my experience, spirits interact with us predominantly on a mental level, guiding and goading our actions through subtle influences. In order to be receptive to this we have to be able to allow some of this influence through, loosen our defences so to speak. A similar analogy would be how some people simply aren't responsive to hypnotism.
Now a spirit can worm its way through our defences to an extent, but only enough to whisper to us. In order for a spirit to take control of something so fundamental to us as motor function would require our complete surrender, something I'm not convinced we would be able to do. Perhaps consent was the wrong word to use in retrospect.
I would consider the delusion of being possessed due to spiritual influence to be a possibility, though this would not be true possession (as in a spirit controlling the person's body entirely). If there is a spirit capable of completely breaking down a person's defences I either haven't encountered one or they haven't been inclined to do it.

I'm sorry this is a bit clunky and vague, I'm a little distracted by a film at the moment (drag me to hell ironically) I can try to explain a little clearer another time if you like.

 

[Storm]

Of course

In my experience, spirits interact with us predominantly on a mental level, guiding and goading our actions through subtle influences. In order to be receptive to this we have to be able to allow some of this influence through, loosen our defences so to speak. A similar analogy would be how some people simply aren't responsive to hypnotism.
Now a spirit can worm its way through our defences to an extent, but only enough to whisper to us. In order for a spirit to take control of something so fundamental to us as motor function would require our complete surrender, something I'm not convinced we would be able to do. Perhaps consent was the wrong word to use in retrospect.
I would consider the delusion of being possessed due to spiritual influence to be a possibility, though this would not be true possession (as in a spirit controlling the person's body entirely). If there is a spirit capable of completely breaking down a person's defences I either haven't encountered one or they haven't been inclined to do it.

I'm sorry this is a bit clunky and vague, I'm a little distracted by a film at the moment (drag me to hell ironically) I can try to explain a little clearer another time if you like.

Makes sense to me.

It wouldn't surprise me, though, if there were entities strong enough to overpower us. Might surprise me if they cared enough to do so!

 

[Erebus]

Makes sense to me.

It wouldn't surprise me, though, if there were entities strong enough to overpower us. Might surprise me if they cared enough to do so!

Hmmm yes I agree with that. I can't imagine what somebody would have to do to attract that kind of attention.