Half of Americans believe that people can be possessed by the Devil.

The results show that half of Americans believe in possession although most say it happens infrequently.

Do you personally believe in the existence of the Devil or not?
Yes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 57%
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 28%
Don’t know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15%


Do you believe someone can be possessed by the devil or some other evil spirit?
Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51%
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28%
Don’t know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%

Theres basically two types of people.

There are people with real mental disorders or chemical imbalances, who probably exhibit some odd behavior.

Then there are others who are just jerks.

We also know that prescription meds, especially SSRI drugs, can affect people's behavior.

"Satan" is not possessing anyone and this idea that Americans believe that its possible, is a but frightening.

What say you, religious folks of ATS?

reply to post by gladtobehere

"Satan" is not possessing anyone and this idea that Americans believe that its possible, is a but frightening.

Just out of curiosity, why would that be any more frightening than knowing that any unbalanced human being could potentially come up to you and murder you at any given moment?

I just want to toss in here that I agree with your assessment on 95% of them. 5% of them ARE real and actually do happen to human beings. Is it some guy named Lucifer and sporting a red suit? Nope... That's kinda silly and I don't even pretend to understand what IS taking some people over ..and frankly has since recorded time has existed to note such occurrences.

They're exceedingly rare, for legitimate cases (Fluency in dead or distant languages.. Telekinesis on open display... exceptional strength displayed not once as a fluke, but at will...etc). They happen though. One of the better ones is, oddly enough, the inspiration for the original Exorcist movie. The REAL case happened in St Louis, Missouri in 1949. Father Raymond J. Bishop was among those directly involved and he kept a detailed running diary of events as they faced and fought whatever it is that finds humans fun to 'take' sometimes. That's not the only fully documented case or decent movie to come from one.

On the other hand, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is a rather fanciful tale by the time Hollywood got done with it, but based on an actual even that got right into open Courtrooms and sworn testimony for how it tragically ended. (Guilty verdicts too) Her actual name was Anneliese Michel and it was a case more tragic than the movie did justice for, but also one with documentation to the original cause. This one fits into your 95% loony category as medical evidence on top of psychiatry becoming a real profession and not the quackery of times past, pretty well showed Anneliese died of neglect and horribly misdiagnosed mental illness. Ignorance at a lethal level.

I'd say the line between the very rare occurrence of possession and mental illness can be a fine one as well as a fatal one to cross.

I wish I knew what it was...(as millions of others have surely said those same words over time), but the fact it occasionally happens? That seems as self evident as it is hard to believe, IMO.

Deetermined
reply to post by gladtobehere

 

"Satan" is not possessing anyone and this idea that Americans believe that its possible, is a but frightening.

Just out of curiosity, why would that be any more frightening than knowing that any unbalanced human being could potentially come up to you and murder you at any given moment?

Because 57% of them think it's ok to believe that.

Oo

57% holy buckets.

oO

reply to post by gladtobehere


Well Op, I wonder why there are sooo many people who believe in it?

Is there any science behind it?

A typical investigation is essentially a process of elimination: Does the subject exhibit the telltale signs of demonic possession? Is there any other way to explain the subject's behavior besides demonic possession?
Often, the priest will consult a psychiatrist in his investigation in order to determine whether the "possessed" person's symptoms can be fully explained by mental illness. According to Michael Cuneo's "American Exorcism," there are about a dozen psychiatrists in the United States who evaluate potentially possessed subjects for the Catholic Church. The subject will also undergo a medical examination to find out if the symptoms can be attributed to a physical disorder or illness. The priest may consult a Church-approved expert on the paranormal for additional input. Another possibility the investigator must consider is plain old fraud.

science.howstuffworks.com...

For an Exorcism to take place there has to be steps followed to decipher whether it is warranted.

Then the link I provided above goes on to say this..

Psychology vs. Religion
Where one person sees possession and pulls out his rite of exorcism, another sees mental illness and pulls out the DSM IV. This is probably the greatest debate surrounding the practice of exorcism: there may be earthly explanations for behavior the Church considers evidence of diabolical possession.
Several psychological disorders, including Tourette syndrome and schizophrenia, can produce the types of effects seen in "possessed" people. People with epilepsy can suddenly go into convulsions when having a seizure; Tourette syndrome causes involuntary movements and vocal outbursts; schizophrenia involves auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, delusions and sometimes violent behavior. Psychological issues like low self-esteem and narcissism can cause a person to act out the role of "possessed person" in order to gain attention. In a case where the subject is in fact suffering from mental illness, the Church is doing harm by labeling the person possessed if this prevents the person from seeking out the medical treatment he or she requires.
Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez, introducing the New Rite for Exorcisms to the press in 1999, responds to the conflict this way [ref]:
... exorcism is one thing, and psychoanalysis is another. If the exorcist has any doubt about the mental health of the possessed, he should consult an expert ... It often happens that simple people confuse somatic problems with diabolical influence, but not everything can be attributed to the devil.

I have often wondered IF people do get possessed or is it something to do with a certain type of disorder in their brain.

I do believe in energy forces that can influence land, houses, people, and so on.... so to my knowledge it is indeed possible and not something to throw our the window because it sounds too far out there.

reply to post by winofiend

Because 57% of them think it's ok to believe that.

I'm not understanding your point. What's wrong with believing it?

reply to post by gladtobehere


Lol.. no they don't. However that graphic is hilarious. Do you think Jesus could be petty enough o be drawn into an arm wrestling match with the devil (rhetorical)?

reply to post by gladtobehere

What I think is disturbing is that the Church of the Secular Humanists also believe it, they just think that they are the god who will save us.

"We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality."

-Albert Einstein

reply to post by gladtobehere


15% of people said they don't know if the devil exists, so in reality it is 72% of America that considers the possibility of a "devil" or "evil spirits".


It's very interesting, but my preference is this: People take responsibility even if it's "the devil" possessing people. If they are "criticized" by fellow believers and asked "how did the devil get access to possess YOU specificially?" that will make people take responsibility even if they do "blame it on the devil", maybe.

Well, if you take into account that the overwhelming majority of Americans are Christian leaning, and also very superstitious. That explains why so many believe in spirit possession of a human being.

Wrabbit mentioned the case in St. Louis. I grew up there, and have a close family member who knew the family well. So I have no doubt the case is legitimate. I just have no idea what the actual cause was. Demon possession? Probably not. But can you blame people with religious backgrounds for believing such a thing when something that horrifying happens to a loved one?

When I was a Christian, and an elder in the church. I had some incidents myself that were hair raising. They certainly weren't anything I would want to repeat. But at this point, I don't think I was dealing with demons, as much as I was the human psyche. Which, in and of itself is a powerful force. Able to do incredible things. Especially when fear is the motivator.

Just my two shillings. For all we know, maybe Archons are real after all.

Actually belief in spirit possession is a worldwide phenomena, and it dates back historically through just about any culture we look at in some context or another.

Show me a culture, and I will show you their spirit possession beliefs.

The only reason folks think it's mostly Christians, is because they are ignorant of the world and it's traditions.

Now is it true/false that spirits exist and can possess people?
That's the real question.

I personally don't know, and am open to all possibilities currently.

reply to post by gladtobehere


I'm not religious, but I'm gonna post anyway. I guess no one wants to believe that the most intelligent lifeform on this planet turned out to be a bunch of sadistic bullies with less heart than the dogs they keep as pets. More to the point, they would hate to think we evolved to this, because that would reflect poorly upon the nature of life in general. We entertain a romanticized understanding of what life is all about, but just a quick review of the other animals that share this world with us completely obliterates that understanding. Like, life has gotten along for millions of years under the simple presumption that you eat or be eaten. Why else would you want to live? You were born and now you play the game. Humans come along and in less than a millennia, life has been redefined to contradict every known principle in the animal kingdom. Morals are just one example.

I keep saying that morals are only as effective a survival technique as the society that uses them. Since the majority of our species clearly doesn't give two craps about morals, and the rest can't even agree on what our morals should be, we're just fighting to maintain an illusion because we're too weak to accept our animal nature.

muzzleflash
Actually belief in spirit possession is a worldwide phenomena, and it dates back historically through just about any culture we look at in some context or another.

Show me a culture, and I will show you their spirit possession beliefs.

The only reason folks think it's mostly Christians, is because they are ignorant of the world and it's traditions.

Now is it true/false that spirits exist and can possess people?
That's the real question.

I personally don't know, and am open to all possibilities currently.

I can show one from another religion....

gladtobehere
"Satan" is not possessing anyone and this idea that Americans believe that its possible, is a but frightening.

Evil spirits exist and this idea that you don't think it's possible, is but frightening.

I've encountered evil spirits. They are real. So is mental illness. So are other physical problems that people through the years have claimed to be 'evil spirits'. All three exist. It doesn't have to be one or the other ... either evil spirits or mental illness. Both exist.

I am generally not of the belief that this can happen, and yet when one reads into the behaviour of someone like H.H. Holmes, one can't help but wonder. Is it simply a mental disorder that allows a person to murder hundreds of people for personal gain, or is Holmes an example of real evil, come into this world?

Scary, either way.

reply to post by adjensen


It's called survivalism. You do whatever gives you the best odds of surviving. That's why the human species is so ass backwards, as I explained in my previous post.

adjensen
I am generally not of the belief that this can happen, and yet when one reads into the behaviour of someone like H.H. Holmes, one can't help but wonder. Is it simply a mental disorder that allows a person to murder hundreds of people for personal gain, or is Holmes an example of real evil, come into this world?

Scary, either way.

The one important mark of a possessed person is that they are not in their right mind. Which means their mind has been taken over so completely that the possession takes over the rest of their body.

I would have to say that a child who normally sounds like a child, but when possessed speaks in a completely different voice as though they were a man talking, that's something to take note of.

It's very easy to think someone might be able to imitate the voice of another person, but it's very difficult for a woman that speaks Soprano to suddenly be Baritone...womens' larnyxs just can't accommodate for that. With the cases of possession, you actually do see a physical change in them.

H.H. Holmes was most likely just mentally ill.

I've seen both mentally ill and possessed people. There is a difference. And possessed people don't generally care if you know they are, the evil spirit thinks it has power over everyone, including the people who witness it.

I knew a woman that was possessed and she always talked in third person until you forced her into conversation, of which she would then speak once or twice in her normal voice, then go back to third person and talk about people she knew, in third person. But in her moments of possession, she would threaten people with the most graphic images of violence. She asked someone else if they had ever been shot in the head or cut in half with a chainsaw. This woman also was able to tell you who was standing behind her that she didn't see. Schizophrenics usually can't do that, they are just paranoid about people behind them.

I have seen a child possessed, and believe me it breaks your heart when you see a sleeping child's head suddenly yanked up and then slammed into the floor over and over again. This same child informed me later, with a man's voice, that I needed to get the *f* out of her house and cursed at her grandmother across town. This child, a four year-old little girl, spoke with as much clarity as a grown man, cursing. That's no mental illness. The only mental illness was her parents doing nothing about it while their little girl was tormented and her head rammed into the floor. I saw it myself, never want to see it again.

Here is one interesting thing to keep in mind... Electro-Magnetic Weaponry (EM Frequencies, Psychotronics, etc.) can actually pass as paranormal, creating the illusion of paranormal events and occurrences.

I might state that many people suffering from demonic attacks or paranormal phenomenon, are actually being electronically harassed, and monitored. The EM Weapons are real and very powerful. It takes a while though, to figure out that paranormal activity is actually being psychotronically induced.

Scary.

muzzleflash
Actually belief in spirit possession is a worldwide phenomena, and it dates back historically through just about any culture we look at in some context or another.

Show me a culture, and I will show you their spirit possession beliefs.

The only reason folks think it's mostly Christians, is because they are ignorant of the world and it's traditions.

Now is it true/false that spirits exist and can possess people?
That's the real question.

I personally don't know, and am open to all possibilities currently.

Interesting. I didn't know there was anyone who thought that only Christians believe in spirit possession. Like you, I always thought it was a world-wide belief, held by many cultures. And that most people understood that. Guess I was giving people too much credit.

reply to post by AfterInfinity

I keep saying that morals are only as effective a survival technique as the society that uses them. Since the majority of our species clearly doesn't give two craps about morals, and the rest can't even agree on what our morals should be, we're just fighting to maintain an illusion because we're too weak to accept our animal nature.

I like the bolded part. Mind if I borrow that sometime? lol

I would disagree that the majority of our species doesn't care about "morals"(right and wrong). I would agree that there is much debate on the finer points of what our morals as a species should be. We each have our own ideas on that, I suppose.
Yes, I suppose we are fighting to maintain the illusion of "consensus reality". But is our true nature that of an animal? Does a dog look at the sky at night, and wonder if there are other dogs out there?
Would a family of humans raised in the wild, never having contact with other humans, ever rise above their instincts without intervention?

Interesting to ponder.

tony9802
Here is one interesting thing to keep in mind... Electro-Magnetic Weaponry (EM Frequencies, Psychotronics, etc.) can actually pass as paranormal, creating the illusion of paranormal events and occurrences.

I might state that many people suffering from demonic attacks or paranormal phenomenon, are actually being electronically harassed, and monitored. The EM Weapons are real and very powerful. It takes a while though, to figure out that paranormal activity is actually being psychotronically induced.

Scary.

A four year-old little girl in the hills of Perry County, Kentucky? But I can tell you that her mother had been involved in a local satan worshiping cult. I can tell you the paranormal activity surrounding that house. But a four year-old little girl as the victim of EM Frequencies?

I don't think you quite grasp yet what we are saying. In the cases of possession, a visually observed physical change occurs. There is no EM Frequency that can physically change the larynx of a person so they speak completely differently.