Possession

[Fool]

So, daimonic, or spiritual, possession doesn't seem to be limited to a specific religion. In fact, exorcisms are practiced in a number of religions.

Is it possible that this is a type of placebo effect, or is there some factual basis like the incidence with the Convulsionnaires of Saint-Médard

 

[George-ananda]

I have read or heard about enough cases to believe it is a real phenomena.

This universe succeeds again in not being boring. There was a time when I thought this impossible. To quote from the Bob Dylan song:

Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

 

[idav]

Is it possible that this is a type of placebo effect, or is there some factual basis like the incidence with the Convulsionnaires of Saint-Médard

A person going into convulsions is having a seizure, why should that constitute possession, are objects involuntarily flying around them or anything cool, speaking in Latin?

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

A person going into convulsions is having a seizure, why should that constitute possession, are objects involuntarily flying around them or anything cool, speaking in Latin?

Yeah, as a nurse, I need at LEAST levitation to impress.

 

[Grandliseur]

possession doesn't seem to be limited to a specific religion

Are rats limited to any specific religion? If rats don't care about your being religious or atheist, why should demons, or fallen angels.
Atheists brush off their sleep paralysis as being an illness or something to that effect; instead, it seems a manifestation of demons at play, having fun. So, demons do not care who or what you are as long as they get to inflict pain.

 

[Sunstone]

It's astonishing how many demons respond to treatment with modern medications.

 

[Jedster]

Hmmm, I thought possession is 9/10ths of the law....

 

[Muslim-UK]

It's astonishing how many demons respond to treatment with modern medications.

Not in the case of genuine possession, in fact there is NOTHING modern medicine can do in such cases, which is why they are open to input from genuine faith healers.

"Dr Angela Byrne of the East London NHS Foundation Trust says: ‘Therapists often feel anxious and unskilled when patients talk about their spirituality. We get asked a lot about ruqyah and had a prejudice towards it – we saw them as charlatans. It’s been an incredible journey working with them, and quite mind-blowing for someone like me with a secular framework.’ She was struck by some similarities between ruqyah counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – an emphasis on a person’s values, beliefs, attitudes, meaning, on hope, equanimity, endurance."

Connecting NHS mental health with Islamic ruqyah healing in East London | The History of Emotions Blog

 

[Fool]

Yeah, as a nurse, I need at LEAST levitation to impress.

While the first recorded case of convulsions at the tomb of Pâris occurred in July 1731, one of the best recorded early cases is that of l'abbé de Bescherand, who made two daily pilgrimages to the cemetery: During these visits, Strayer writes, "his body was wracked by convulsions that lifted him into the air, his face was contorted by grimaces, and foaming at the mouth, he yelled and screamed for hours on end."

 

[Fool]

A person going into convulsions is having a seizure, why should that constitute possession, are objects involuntarily flying around them or anything cool, speaking in Latin?

evidently it was more like firing weapons into persons torso, stabbing them with sharp objects, etc., etc., etc.

 

[Srivijaya]

I once witnessed Shamanic possession (a Tibetan holy man). As someone who was initially 100% skeptical about it, I quickly changed my mind as it happened. To say I was scared would be an understatement and everyone I was with was deeply affected. There was nothing 'fake' about it and I found it difficult to cope with; I just laughed like an idiot.

 

[idav]

evidently it was more like firing weapons into persons torso, stabbing them with sharp objects, etc., etc., etc.

I swear appeal to suffering has to be some sort of logical fallacy. I would never imply seizures sound fun at all.

 

[Fool]

I swear appeal to suffering has to be some sort of logical fallacy. I would never imply seizures sound fun at all.

or like the buddhist, hindu mystic, shaman the mind, spirit, will increase it's force upon the body.

 

[idav]

or like the buddhist, hindu mystic, shaman the mind, spirit, will increase it's force upon the body.

Do you believe that your body is possessed by your soul?

 

[Fool]

Do you believe that your body is possessed by your soul?

my understanding is that there are three parts, the mind, the spirit(action verb), and the body. the mind acts upon the body creating eustress or distress. so the mind acts as a catalyst and the result is the body.

the body without the mind present; is simply inanimate material.

so a soul is a body, a vehicle with a spirit, mind as the driver.

 

[Quintessence]

It's a map of territory. That is to say, utilizing the narrative of "possession" is a way of telling a story surrounding unusual behavioral events observed in humans. More contemporary narratives are also still narratives and ways of telling the story. I don't think it's related to "placebo effect" in the manner described.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

It's astonishing how many demons respond to treatment with modern medications.

Well, I guess it's like a fetus or something: drug the womb, drug the fetus. If you're Pazuzu and you need a human brain, you will also have to deal with whatever the brain is dealing with. Heck, the Gemini Killer spent ... was it fifteen years? ... anyway, spent ages trying to heal up poor Father Karras' liquified noggin before he could even do the cool stuff.

A little traumatized, true. I mean, after all, his brain were jelly. Lack of oxygen, and all that sort of thing. You understand? It took a maximum effort that at last got me out of that cheap little coffin. Vow of poverty, disgusting. Never mind. Toward the end, a slapstick comic relief. When that old Brother Faine, who was tending the bodies, saw me climbing from the coffin. [laughs] It's the smiles that keep us going. Don't you think? The little giggles and bits of good cheer.

While the first recorded case of convulsions at the tomb of Pâris occurred in July 1731, one of the best recorded early cases is that of l'abbé de Bescherand, who made two daily pilgrimages to the cemetery: During these visits, Strayer writes, "his body was wracked by convulsions that lifted him into the air, his face was contorted by grimaces, and foaming at the mouth, he yelled and screamed for hours on end."

While I haven't seen convulsions like that, my brother and I both work in nursing homes that tend to have really, REALLY messed up old people. Imagine having to work 8 hours a day hearing that. It gives you a severe headache.

My brother, who is also a nurse, once worked in a state facility. One person wanted cigarettes. She was in a wheelchair. While still belted into said wheelchair, she crawled up over the nurses' station counter to grab the cigarettes.

He's also seen people strapped tightly into beds, walking down the hallway with the beds still attached to them.

*inhales* Ahhhh, psych patients ... the "fun" never ends.

Incidentally, I believe in possession, though I think most cases are BS. The more theatrical it is, the sillier it is.