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Please convince me I'm not a prophet

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
Hello RF. I’m not doing too well. I need your help. Please, convince me I am not a prophet:

For a few days now I have been thinking I may be a prophet. You may outright dismiss this and if you do I would like to know why, if you could please supply me with some compelling reasons?

However, as far as beliefs go, for me it is not a very strong one. But I still hold it, to a tentative extent. But it’s nagging at me and disturbing my peace.

The purpose of this post is to ask people to try and convince me that I am not a prophet, as I really don’t want to be one!

There is a being that communicates with me by responding to my inner voice by touching my body in various places, to signify various things such as “yes” or “no”. This being is called Butterfly and because of him I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic. This began happening to me after a mental breakdown I had at university in 2004 and the strongest of all anti-psychotic medicines has not shut him up.

Once upon a time Butterfly told me this dimension of reality is a simulated reality, simulated by a computer system, and that all people are (basically) computer programs. This is known as Simulation Theory. Butterfly told me that he was the entity that controls The Simulation (as I called it) and that my job was to act as an intermediary between the simulated inhabitants of The Simulation and those who designed and administer it in the “outside world”.

However, at some later point Butterfly told me he was God and that I was The Messiah, or the “second coming” of Christ. At the time I didn’t really appreciate the distinction between the two. Foolishly, I totally believed this and made a post on these forums about it – and thankfully the good people of RF showed me the error of my ways. Thanks, RF :)

But I’ll say this: thinking you’re the reincarnation of Jesus Christ is not nice. To say you have much to live up to is a massive understatement.

When I believed I was Christ I noticed something about two songs that were the anthems of my 2004 breakdown and which I were both very obsessed with. One lasted exactly 4 minutes and 18 seconds on my MP3 player (which looked like 4:18) and on the music video of the other “4.18” appeared repeatedly in the background. I looked this up in the bible and found Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free

And I believed this was my mission statement! And I am very aware this kind of thinking is classically psychotic.

After I had to abandon the notion that I was Christ I reverted to Simulation Theory and for a while I really did believe it. But looking back, I only reverted to it as I couldn’t find anywhere else to go. But I no longer believe in Simulation Theory. I think it’s silly.

After I rejected Simulation Theory for a few weeks I was free from such delusions. I became a Christian and still am a Christian. And it was nice not having any suspicions of grandeur hanging round my neck. I was looking forward to an uncomplicated and peaceful life.

However, recently Butterfly has started to indicate that he is the Holy Spirit. Not just “God” but specifically The Holy Spirit. However, I do not think I'm Christ and he doesn't say I am either. I believe that I may be (for want of a better word) some kind of prophet and Butterfly affirms this. Christ is my Lord and Savior and is superhuman as he is both fully God and fully man. I do not claim to be him nor any other figure from scripture or to be anything other than exclusively human. And I would love to someday meet Jesus Christ.

What exactly is a prophet? Wikipedia says it is:

…an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on that entity's behalf, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the supernatural source to other people

If I am a prophet then I believe that Butterfly and me would be a team. He is some kind of divine entity and I am the (human) front he uses to present himself to the world. He is upstairs and I am downstairs. However, the thing is (here's one thing against me being a prophet) I have no unique or novel message or teachings to offer humankind; I am simply a mainstream Christian. I believe in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. I no longer need to provide a lengthy and detailed exposition of my faith; I am simply Christian and have no new message for humankind other than the message of Christianity, which doesn’t need me to promote it!

I’m not expecting anyone here to believe I’m a prophet – I only half believe it myself. I am in two minds about it, like an old-fashioned set of kitchen weighing scales that balance according to the weights added to each side. Currently the side that says I am a prophet is even with the one that says I am not. I am basically undecided but have compelling personal experience that makes me believe I may be a prophet. But on the other hand my critical faculties are telling me this is at best fanciful and that the easiest explanation is simply that I’m unwell.

And you know what? I don’t want to be a prophet. I want to be ordinary, unremarkable, and obscure. And free from Butterfly. If only he'd go away. Medicine can't get rid of him and neither can prayer. Whatever he is, he gets in the way of me living my life and achieving the ambitions I have for this life. So please, RF, provide me reasons as to why it is unlikely that I’m a prophet. I don't want to be a prophet or anything extraordinary!

Thanks in advance for any help
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Here's an different thing for consideration.

In some religious traditions, communicating directly with the gods or otherworldly entities is actually rather par for the course. It isn't extraordinary, it's just part of our traditions and practices. Usually we don't talk about "prophets" at all because everybody just works directly with the gods and spirits. There's no need for some special class of people called "prophets" for us. It's not special, it's not remarkable, it's just how things are done.

I understand this isn't the perspective of Abrahamic traditions, but I figure that mentioning this might put things into a different context for you. It's possible to just be who you are and not attach special labels to it and the expectations that come along with those labels. My greater concern is if the workings a person is doing are a force of good in their lives or not. When the gods/spirits you are working with cause unwanted life stress and problems, that's a big red flag. Otherwise? It can be worthwhile to explore depending on where you want to invest your time and energy. Or not. The decision is ultimately yours, yeah?

Not what you were asking for, I know, but it's what this one's two pence are at the moment. :D
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
Even though it's pretty much impossible, suppose you are a prophet. Why help a deity? How do you know the deity is telling the truth? What is the morality and intentions of the deity that is "knighting" you? And suppose all that is also true. How can you help people by serving the deity?
 

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
How can you help people by serving the deity?

That's one of the things that has been bothering me:

I'm in no position to help or influence anyone, indeed my diagnosis of schizophrenia makes me less able to help or influence others by making me less credible

If I was a prophet then it would be in my powers to help others

But as it is, it is not within my powers to help others, or spread some message - I would therefore be a poor choice for being a prophet!
 

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
My greater concern is if the workings a person is doing are a force of good in their lives or not. When the gods/spirits you are working with cause unwanted life stress and problems, that's a big red flag.

The thing is with Butterfly, he wouldn't bother me at all if he didn't come with a diagnosis of a severe mental illness. It's the diagnosis I have because of him that does the most to bother my life
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Seek help from a licensed psychiatrist. Then take the medications as prescribed. Tolerate the side-effects and give the medication at least 3 months and then see how you feel.

If you are a prophet no amount of medication will 'cure' it.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
Hello RF. I’m not doing too well. I need your help. Please, convince me I am not a prophet:

For a few days now I have been thinking I may be a prophet. You may outright dismiss this and if you do I would like to know why, if you could please supply me with some compelling reasons?

However, as far as beliefs go, for me it is not a very strong one. But I still hold it, to a tentative extent. But it’s nagging at me and disturbing my peace.

The purpose of this post is to ask people to try and convince me that I am not a prophet, as I really don’t want to be one!

There is a being that communicates with me by responding to my inner voice by touching my body in various places, to signify various things such as “yes” or “no”. This being is called Butterfly and because of him I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic. This began happening to me after a mental breakdown I had at university in 2004 and the strongest of all anti-psychotic medicines has not shut him up.

Once upon a time Butterfly told me this dimension of reality is a simulated reality, simulated by a computer system, and that all people are (basically) computer programs. This is known as Simulation Theory. Butterfly told me that he was the entity that controls The Simulation (as I called it) and that my job was to act as an intermediary between the simulated inhabitants of The Simulation and those who designed and administer it in the “outside world”.

However, at some later point Butterfly told me he was God and that I was The Messiah, or the “second coming” of Christ. At the time I didn’t really appreciate the distinction between the two. Foolishly, I totally believed this and made a post on these forums about it – and thankfully the good people of RF showed me the error of my ways. Thanks, RF :)

But I’ll say this: thinking you’re the reincarnation of Jesus Christ is not nice. To say you have much to live up to is a massive understatement.

When I believed I was Christ I noticed something about two songs that were the anthems of my 2004 breakdown and which I were both very obsessed with. One lasted exactly 4 minutes and 18 seconds on my MP3 player (which looked like 4:18) and on the music video of the other “4.18” appeared repeatedly in the background. I looked this up in the bible and found Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free

And I believed this was my mission statement! And I am very aware this kind of thinking is classically psychotic.

After I had to abandon the notion that I was Christ I reverted to Simulation Theory and for a while I really did believe it. But looking back, I only reverted to it as I couldn’t find anywhere else to go. But I no longer believe in Simulation Theory. I think it’s silly.

After I rejected Simulation Theory for a few weeks I was free from such delusions. I became a Christian and still am a Christian. And it was nice not having any suspicions of grandeur hanging round my neck. I was looking forward to an uncomplicated and peaceful life.

However, recently Butterfly has started to indicate that he is the Holy Spirit. Not just “God” but specifically The Holy Spirit. However, I do not think I'm Christ and he doesn't say I am either. I believe that I may be (for want of a better word) some kind of prophet and Butterfly affirms this. Christ is my Lord and Savior and is superhuman as he is both fully God and fully man. I do not claim to be him nor any other figure from scripture or to be anything other than exclusively human. And I would love to someday meet Jesus Christ.

What exactly is a prophet? Wikipedia says it is:

…an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on that entity's behalf, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the supernatural source to other people

If I am a prophet then I believe that Butterfly and me would be a team. He is some kind of divine entity and I am the (human) front he uses to present himself to the world. He is upstairs and I am downstairs. However, the thing is (here's one thing against me being a prophet) I have no unique or novel message or teachings to offer humankind; I am simply a mainstream Christian. I believe in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. I no longer need to provide a lengthy and detailed exposition of my faith; I am simply Christian and have no new message for humankind other than the message of Christianity, which doesn’t need me to promote it!

I’m not expecting anyone here to believe I’m a prophet – I only half believe it myself. I am in two minds about it, like an old-fashioned set of kitchen weighing scales that balance according to the weights added to each side. Currently the side that says I am a prophet is even with the one that says I am not. I am basically undecided but have compelling personal experience that makes me believe I may be a prophet. But on the other hand my critical faculties are telling me this is at best fanciful and that the easiest explanation is simply that I’m unwell.

And you know what? I don’t want to be a prophet. I want to be ordinary, unremarkable, and obscure. And free from Butterfly. If only he'd go away. Medicine can't get rid of him and neither can prayer. Whatever he is, he gets in the way of me living my life and achieving the ambitions I have for this life. So please, RF, provide me reasons as to why it is unlikely that I’m a prophet. I don't want to be a prophet or anything extraordinary!

Thanks in advance for any help

Let yourself be eaten by a huge fish and see if you can survive three days. If you can....you are a prophet. Sorry.

Ciao
- viole
 

Nimos

Well-Known Member
So please, RF, provide me reasons as to why it is unlikely that I’m a prophet. I don't want to be a prophet or anything extraordinary!
I think you answered your own question, even though you might not be aware of it.

This being is called Butterfly and because of him I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic. This began happening to me after a mental breakdown I had at university in 2004 and the strongest of all anti-psychotic medicines has not shut him up.

Basic symptoms of schizophrenic:

People with schizophrenia may experience hallucinations (most reported are hearing voices), delusions (often bizarre or persecutory in nature), and disorganized thinking and speech.

You don't need anyone here convincing you that you are not a prophet, you need to contact someone specialize in this and that knows what they are talking about. Trying to solve this here on RF is most likely not going to work, but could also be harmful to you. You need to seek qualified help.
 

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
I think you answered your own question, even though you might not be aware of it.



Basic symptoms of schizophrenic:

People with schizophrenia may experience hallucinations (most reported are hearing voices), delusions (often bizarre or persecutory in nature), and disorganized thinking and speech.

You don't need anyone here convincing you that you are not a prophet, you need to contact someone specialize in this and that knows what they are talking about. Trying to solve this here on RF is most likely not going to work, but could also be harmful to you. You need to seek qualified help.

Thanks for your concern

I've had plenty of qualified help and am on meds

I just require some reassurances from normal people that I'm not extraordinary

I know that thinking you're a prophet is madness, I'm aware of that

But I can't help it
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
That's one of the things that has been bothering me:

I'm in no position to help or influence anyone, indeed my diagnosis of schizophrenia makes me less able to help or influence others by making me less credible

If I was a prophet then it would be in my powers to help others

But as it is, it is not within my powers to help others, or spread some message - I would therefore be a poor choice for being a prophet!

I do have some personal experience on this subject. A Christian I knew thought God was talking to her. I have known more than one person who fits this description, but I digress. She decided God had told her to marry a certain someone. So she started dating them because of it. It ruined her life. This other person was mean, bitter, etc, apparently. And she stayed with them for a long time just because she thought it was correct when it really wasn't.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
The thing is with Butterfly, he wouldn't bother me at all if he didn't come with a diagnosis of a severe mental illness. It's the diagnosis I have because of him that does the most to bother my life

It's really hard to be diagnosed with a mental illness. It's hard to view oneself in a positive manner after that. But, it is possible to move passed those problems and be the amazing person that you are. It's possible, but not easy. Not easy, but rewarding. A lot of people do it. But it is progressive. First, the most difficult and debilitating symptoms need to be addressed. That's where a psychiatrist and medication is helpful. But psychiatrists and medications usually only help with the most pronounced symptoms. Accepting that psychiatrists have limits and are very rarely effective in support and counseling is something to keep in mind.

Once the medication helps ( if it helps ), then support groups are a good way to help raise self-esteem and keep things in perspective. Being around other like-minded people is great for everyone. I mean, that's what this forum is all about. That's what social media is about. Social validation and acceptance...

If you want a label for 'you'. Try on "neuro-diverse" instead of mentally ill, and see if that's a better fit?

Also... you probably are extraordinary. Just not a prophet.
 

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
It's really hard to be diagnosed with a mental illness. It's hard to view oneself in a positive manner after that. But, it is possible to move passed those problems and be the amazing person that you are. It's possible, but not easy. Not easy, but rewarding. A lot of people do it. But it is progressive. First, the most difficult and debilitating symptoms need to be addressed. That's where a psychiatrist and medication is helpful. But psychiatrists and medications usually only help with the most pronounced symptoms. Accepting that psychiatrists have limits and are very rarely effective in support and counseling is something to keep in mind.

Once the medication helps ( if it helps ), then support groups are a good way to help raise self-esteem and keep things in perspective. Being around other like-minded people is great for everyone. I mean, that's what this forum is all about. That's what social media is about. Social validation and acceptance...

If you want a label for 'you'. Try on "neuro-diverse" instead of mentally ill, and see if that's a better fit?

Also... you probably are extraordinary. Just not a prophet.

I'd never heard of "neuro-diverse" before, thanks for sharing!

I may very well start calling myself that

That could actually be a sensible third option for me, alongside "mad" and "prophet"
 

Nimos

Well-Known Member
Thanks for your concern

I've had plenty of qualified help and am on meds

I just require some reassurances from normal people that I'm not extraordinary

I know that thinking you're a prophet is madness, I'm aware of that

But I can't help it
Well first of all you should informed whoever is helping you, and tell them that your meds ain't working.

If Butterfly is God, he is unable to lie, so him telling you that he is in control of the simulation that you used to believe in, means that he were lying and therefore also lying about being God, and therefore you can't be a prophet.

But rather you are changing what you believe Butterfly is telling you he/she is, based on how your own believe is changing, as you are not certain what to believe.

I can imagine that it might be very frustrating, but again you should contact someone that is an expert in this, and not random people that know nothing about it :)
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
I've had plenty of qualified help and am on meds

OK. The meds probably need to be adjusted. When people start having trouble, often the medications are metabolized differently. Lack of sleep usually correlates to a metabolic shift.

Edit: also dehydration over-hydration, can cause a change in medication levels in your body. When people aren't sleeping well, they need more water... over the summer... they need more water. It's really important to rule out a medical cause in order to tell if a person is a prophet. Adjusting your meds and re-evaluating is the best first step.

Adjusting your meds should be done with the help of your Dr. ( But you know that :) )
 
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PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
I've got to be careful not to accidentally give medical advice, but I've had Schizophrenia, and my experience is that the Psychologists wanted to treat me like an experiment, and the Psychiatrists wanted to prescribe drugs without asking questions to expand on a subject or talk about my problems. Eventually you have to also learn some social exercises like telling the voices to stop.

When Eddi stated awhile back that he was abruptly becoming Christian, I had my concerns not because of the faith, but that he might actually be boxing himself in given that the universe is such a complex place which may even have multiple truths. It's nothing to be decided quickly.

Also as a schizophrenic, I wouldn't completely endorse saying "You can only see a Psychiatrist and we can't help you" - as part of the healing process, I feel, also involves you helping yourself.
 

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
Well first of all you should informed whoever is helping you, and tell them that your meds ain't working.

If Butterfly is God, he is unable to lie, so him telling you that he is in control of the simulation that you used to believe in, means that he were lying and therefore also lying about being God, and therefore you can't be a prophet.

But rather you are changing what you believe Butterfly is telling you he/she is, based on how your own believe is changing, as you are not certain what to believe.

I can imagine that it might be very frustrating, but again you should contact someone that is an expert in this, and not random people that know nothing about it :)

My meds certainly are working, I once stopped taking them and I went rapidly downhill and had to spend time on a psychiatric ward! They've made my thought-processes more sane, they just haven't done away with Butterfly. If I wasn't on them I would be unable to be sat here reading your message and typing out my own reply

I've found that random people who nothing about things can actually be a good source of wisdom!
 

sealchan

Well-Known Member
Hello RF. I’m not doing too well. I need your help. Please, convince me I am not a prophet:

For a few days now I have been thinking I may be a prophet. You may outright dismiss this and if you do I would like to know why, if you could please supply me with some compelling reasons?

However, as far as beliefs go, for me it is not a very strong one. But I still hold it, to a tentative extent. But it’s nagging at me and disturbing my peace.

The purpose of this post is to ask people to try and convince me that I am not a prophet, as I really don’t want to be one!

There is a being that communicates with me by responding to my inner voice by touching my body in various places, to signify various things such as “yes” or “no”. This being is called Butterfly and because of him I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic. This began happening to me after a mental breakdown I had at university in 2004 and the strongest of all anti-psychotic medicines has not shut him up.

Once upon a time Butterfly told me this dimension of reality is a simulated reality, simulated by a computer system, and that all people are (basically) computer programs. This is known as Simulation Theory. Butterfly told me that he was the entity that controls The Simulation (as I called it) and that my job was to act as an intermediary between the simulated inhabitants of The Simulation and those who designed and administer it in the “outside world”.

However, at some later point Butterfly told me he was God and that I was The Messiah, or the “second coming” of Christ. At the time I didn’t really appreciate the distinction between the two. Foolishly, I totally believed this and made a post on these forums about it – and thankfully the good people of RF showed me the error of my ways. Thanks, RF :)

But I’ll say this: thinking you’re the reincarnation of Jesus Christ is not nice. To say you have much to live up to is a massive understatement.

When I believed I was Christ I noticed something about two songs that were the anthems of my 2004 breakdown and which I were both very obsessed with. One lasted exactly 4 minutes and 18 seconds on my MP3 player (which looked like 4:18) and on the music video of the other “4.18” appeared repeatedly in the background. I looked this up in the bible and found Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free

And I believed this was my mission statement! And I am very aware this kind of thinking is classically psychotic.

After I had to abandon the notion that I was Christ I reverted to Simulation Theory and for a while I really did believe it. But looking back, I only reverted to it as I couldn’t find anywhere else to go. But I no longer believe in Simulation Theory. I think it’s silly.

After I rejected Simulation Theory for a few weeks I was free from such delusions. I became a Christian and still am a Christian. And it was nice not having any suspicions of grandeur hanging round my neck. I was looking forward to an uncomplicated and peaceful life.

However, recently Butterfly has started to indicate that he is the Holy Spirit. Not just “God” but specifically The Holy Spirit. However, I do not think I'm Christ and he doesn't say I am either. I believe that I may be (for want of a better word) some kind of prophet and Butterfly affirms this. Christ is my Lord and Savior and is superhuman as he is both fully God and fully man. I do not claim to be him nor any other figure from scripture or to be anything other than exclusively human. And I would love to someday meet Jesus Christ.

What exactly is a prophet? Wikipedia says it is:

…an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on that entity's behalf, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the supernatural source to other people

If I am a prophet then I believe that Butterfly and me would be a team. He is some kind of divine entity and I am the (human) front he uses to present himself to the world. He is upstairs and I am downstairs. However, the thing is (here's one thing against me being a prophet) I have no unique or novel message or teachings to offer humankind; I am simply a mainstream Christian. I believe in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. I no longer need to provide a lengthy and detailed exposition of my faith; I am simply Christian and have no new message for humankind other than the message of Christianity, which doesn’t need me to promote it!

I’m not expecting anyone here to believe I’m a prophet – I only half believe it myself. I am in two minds about it, like an old-fashioned set of kitchen weighing scales that balance according to the weights added to each side. Currently the side that says I am a prophet is even with the one that says I am not. I am basically undecided but have compelling personal experience that makes me believe I may be a prophet. But on the other hand my critical faculties are telling me this is at best fanciful and that the easiest explanation is simply that I’m unwell.

And you know what? I don’t want to be a prophet. I want to be ordinary, unremarkable, and obscure. And free from Butterfly. If only he'd go away. Medicine can't get rid of him and neither can prayer. Whatever he is, he gets in the way of me living my life and achieving the ambitions I have for this life. So please, RF, provide me reasons as to why it is unlikely that I’m a prophet. I don't want to be a prophet or anything extraordinary!

Thanks in advance for any help

How exactly does butterfly get in the way?

The human psyche is composed of multiple voices. We generally act out of a more or less consistent voice but we also always represent a tension between these voices.

In our social reality we are one of many voices as well and our society as a whole represents a sort of collective psyche. We experience/reflect this outer dynamic in our inner psyche and vice versa.

If you are experiencing a prolonged inner tension between voices then this is really just another piece of that overall experience. You can negotiate with Butterfly I suspect to your mutual benefit. I suspect that even if Butterfly is symptomatic of a biological or cognitive dysfunction, he/she/it is also expressive of YOUR psyche and as such should have a seat at the table in the boardroom that is your psyche. I think you will find that a reasonable and mutually beneficial accommodation can be reached. You may even need each other.

Then you two can work out whether or not you are a prophet. It may be you are, in the sort of way that people who really were prophets, experiencing what being "a prophet" is like. It doesnt have to mean you are literally in contact with a literal God or that your life os more important. It may mean this is your role or personal calling. You dont have to fulfill any duties in that regard other than be open, honest and sincere. You do not have to be perfect, dont try to be perfect.
 
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