The link between religion and the paranormal? I have a question

I hope somebody can shed some light on this issue for me. Why is it that during a possession religious means are often taken to get rid of the spirit? (aka crosses, reading passages from the bible, and in non-western religions I've heard other passages being read aloud). Why do you think there is a link between religion and spirits? Is there no link? For example, why would an "atheist spirit" respond to a religious exorcism if it means nothing to them?

There must be something in common between all our religions that "works" in getting rid of spirits, but what is it? It's not calling upon Jesus and it's not reading Bible passages that's necessarily effective...because every culture achieves it differently. What do you think the common link is between our world religions and the paranormal world?

Satan uses false religion to lure people away from the truth. So the link is Satan. But people will call me nuts and Satan isn't real. That's fine. But I believe what I said.

Hmmm interesting point of view, but I don't believe in true or false religions especially when spirits possess and visit all types of people from various religions--if it is Satan then the question still remains. Why are many religions able to rid a body of evil spirits if only one religion is the true religion?

The "spirits" you refer to are demons IMO. One of the biggest tools Satan uses is deception. Satan couldn't lure a lot of people if he didn't deceive. A lot of the excorcisms don't neccessarily work. They are made to appear like they are working.

Instead, the "spirits" leave when they feel they have accomplished their mission. Which is to make it look like (your choice of "world religion") works.

Because all religions operate on the same principals of human psychology. They fulfill universal human needs, perform certain functions, and integrate or coexist with culture and society. "Evil spirits" may or may not be real, but the affect that possession and exorcism has on the witnesses is real. It is material evidence for their convictions. A strengthening of faith or belief follows from the experience. Religion and the supernatural fulfill parallel roles, playing off one to make the other real.

I think "evil spirits" are just a superstitious attempt to blame something invisible instead of accepting personal responsibility for mistakes.

Ya. The devil made me do it.

All these rituals to get rid of evil spirits are an attempt at placating the superstitious people. The church encourages superstitions and then offers the solutions.

It is the church's way of practicing medicine.

Instead of counseling a person about bad attitude, or seeing a need for psychotherapy, the church practices the medicine of encouraging superstition so they can become the "remedy".


When the priest becomes the wizard that can dispel the haints, that gives him a magical power, doesn't it?

Don't the ignorant and superstitious revere this magic they have been conditioned to believe?


How many preachers have told their congregants "You are not healed because you are not believing! God has healed you, but you have a lack of faith." (Maybe you can try again at the next healing convention.$$$)

And thus, many of these charlatans absolve responsibility for their evil teachings.


Churches make money on the evil spirit stories. There are house blessings, exorcisms, candles, rituals, etc. etc. Each requiring some church committment from the participant which in turn assures the livlihood of the priest.

Like blueracer said earlier, Satan is the link between all of it. He does not care what religion you follow, he hates humans period. Even if you are not a Christian he will torment you just because. I think that too many people get caught up in the fairy tale catholic exorcisms. Jesus and the desciples never carried holy water or repeated worthless phrases.

As to other religions successfully ridding someone of a demon, who's to say that the spirit is actually leaving the person possesed, or won't soon return?

Mat 12:43

43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first

To me, religion is used during exorcism as a way to use the exorcist's power.
I mean, the guy who is fighting the evil spirit has the power to defeat it withing himself. But he needs to believe he has this power. So, he'll believe that God or whoever he thinks of is giving him this power. Like a placebo. If you made someone believe hard enough that the god of the half diaper is able to chase away evil spirits, evil spirits will be chased away, because the guy had a faith strong enough to defeat it.
It's like miracles. People believe the miracles will happen, so they happen. If they knew that the power of making such miracles and even greater ones was within themselves, they could have done so much more. But it's easier to believe in something else than in yourself. Let's say religion is but a step on the long way to mankind's evolution. A hard yet necessary step.

reply to post by semidiablan

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The healer that would want to perfect one's art, should have cloaks of every religion in closet, and also a doctor's jacket. Then, making a quick pre-inquiry to the patient's beliefs, one could choose right 'uniform' to wear and do the tricks to drive away the 'evil' spirits. If patient is atheist, then one could dress up as psychologian and tell the patient that there's a problem with his/hers psyche and act accordingly.

Faith can be a trendemous weapon (or cure, in this case).

-v

Demons (fallen angels) must obey the word of god. That is why the bible/scripture is used during exorcisims. Its is not the priest that has the power directly, its the words that give him the power.

Thats why people say that if you run into an evil spirit to call out to god. There mere mention of his name will drive it away.

Many of the anthropological studies of demon or spirit possession would seem to point to it being misunderstood mental illness. The one thing that religions have in common is that people believe in them enough to have their own faith heal them. However, it is also this faith that gave this certain shape to the mental illness itself.

I'm not saying that there are not spirits and what you refer to as demons (I dislike the derogatory undertones of that word).
There are.
But they don't go around possessing you.

How about this for an answer...you can't posses a physical body that already has a soul...therefor there is no such thing as possession, only crazy people...

EDIT: Why do they act all whacked out anyway, what's the point of that? That just solidifies my opinion...if they were really evil spirits or demons...I'm guessing they'd have better things to do than act like a total fool...

[edit on 16/10/09 by CHA0S]

reply to post by semidiablan

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What really saddens me on ATS, is the often held philosophy of many members, that if you can't see something; then it doesn't exist. Then because you can't see it, you never bother to investigate it. Because you don't bother to investigate it, then you ridicule those who have found out that the invisible does exist.

Fortunately, there are scientists who have researched this over a long period of time, and one notable one was Sir Oliver Lodge, fellow of the Royal Society for Science, and inventer of the Automobile Spark Plug (Lodge Plugs). He was so distrought when his son Raymond was killed in the 1st World War, that he decided to find out if life existed in some form beyond the grave; and it does. The evidence is out there, and you just have to look for it.

If somebody was very unpleasant just before they 'died', then they will be just the same when their spirit leaves their body. Just imagine for a moment you've just died. You are still in the room, but looking at your own body, and you speak to the other people there, but they don't answer you. So what do you do, you try and attract their attention, but to no avail, because life after death doesn't exist, does it? Well, that's what you've been taught; if it's invisible you can't see it.

Some incredibly strong willed people hang around where they 'died' for generations, even centuries. They have been summoned to safety by a person from higher dimensions, but they are afraid and don't understand; they are souls in turmoil.

Basically, clearing a room or building of the unwelcome presence of a person who now exists in their spirit body and not in the material one, is to persuade them to go to the person who wants to help them to safety. This can be done by a religious person, or by a person who has no religion, but who has a understanding of these matters.

The stronger the deceased, the harder the task; and when you are in that situation, trying to stop someone being grabbed by an extremely unpleasant spirit person, it gets very tough. It's like being in a war zone at its worst, on some occasions. (I speak from experience).

I hope this may provide an answer to the OP.

I don't necessary think that's true. I half agree that Satan is messing with the humans however... I also think that the various religions are just repeats of the same thing except they change it to look like its a different religion. For example Buddha speaks of kindness and the evilness of greed, jealousy, etc. Jesus speaks of also kindness and how power, greed, and jealousy corrupts a person. They're basically speaking of the same thing. Except that Jesus eats meat (i think) and Buddha forbids the eating of meat. There are slight differences in religions but when you look at the big picture its the same one so there really isn't any false religion. Unless you count voodoo and all that stuff.... now that I will say is the Satan's own religion.

reply to post by semidiablan

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Religion and the supernatural are normally tied together because religious people talk about reincarnation and stuff like that. Religion isn't really just about being kind or stuff like that. It doesn't really ONLY talk about God, Jesus, Buddha, Moses, or anything like that. I don't really know much about other religions that are not really popular. However I do know that many religions speak of reincarnations and the Karma in doing things in one life that leads to the next.

For example the Buddhist religion speaks mostly about Cause and Effect. It says that if one does something real bad in his life, like a crime, then that person is likely to suffer in his next life. And sometimes it goes on saying that one person might be doomed to be living forever as a ghost or going down to hell to pay for his wrong doings. It ties together with the supernatural as a punishment for humanity.

Most religions view the supernatural as a punishment from God and look down on them. Once they see something as a supernatural like a ghost then they'll immediately freak and try to get away as soon as possible. Its not that their afraid of him its beacuse they're afraid of what might become of them if they associated with someone who was punished by God. They start to look down on them and soon begin to view them as non existent paranormals.

A lot of religions have gone astray in the modern age. To truly understand them, you gotta look in the early years of the religion. The beginning of it all.

reply to post by CHA0S

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An evil spirit can possess a body that has a soul. I'm saying this cause I believe it. The people who claim that some one is possess and is acting crazy because once the evil spirit possesses the body it starts fighting the actual soul. Most people think the evil spirit is always stronger then the soul because its evil however that's not necessary true. A soul can be stronger then the evil spirit. And when it is, it starts an all out war inside the physical shell. Therefore causing the person to be crazy acting. There's two spirits inside fighting for control. One physical shell can only take one consciousness. If the evil spirit and the actual soul is fighting then the physical shell will go astray and start acting crazy.

However if the evil spirit won the fight and the actual soul is pushed aside then the person is bound to change. He might act differently or do things differently. Some evil spirits just want a physical shell to feel the living world again. They're not necessary evil. Some are but some aren't. They just want another feel at the living for being dead so long.

It's wrong to take what's not theirs but the desire just becomes too much and when they see a chance they latch on. It's not like they want to make the person look crazy. It's because they latched onto a strong soul and started an all out war inside. They can't just leave because of the desire and the actual soul won't let them take control.

If there is an actual evil spirit taking over then that's not good news but over all some of them just want a feel at the living world. They mean no harm. But it doesn't mean that you can just step aside and let them have your body. You gotta fight for what's yours!

I agree that the link is Satan like many of the other posters, but I think that exorcisms from many different religions only work because all of them have one simple base: a Savior. I think that if a religion has at least some sort of idolic, Christ-like Savior, they can repel evil spirits.