Possession

[stvdv]

Personally no belief in it. AFAIK Hinduism as a whole doesn’t hold with it either. In Hindu ontology and theology it doesn’t make sense, actually, it’s contradictory.

Well, considering the mahāvākyam aham brahmāsmi and the other mahāvākyāni it’s impossible for anything other than “God” to reside within the body.

Yes, from POV of Advaita only Consciousness is real, everything else is created, hence an illusion, superimposed on Consciousness, like a movie is superimposed on the white screen. While watching it looks very real, and my girlfriend got scared watching some hitchcock movies, to which I remarked "but it's not real, it's just a movie", but that is the power of maya (at other times maya 'got me').

Those mahāvākyams are powerful reminders of 'reality'. And from the POV of those mahāvākyams even our bodies and minds are unreal

So, I agree, then also possession is just another illusion, similar like having hunger. So, if you consider hunger real, then also possessions are real (for others). Maya easily fools us, some are fooled by possessions others with addictions etc.etc.

Of course, this is my POV and I could be missing something.

#MeToo

The worst I could miss is Consciousness, all else is just maya ... the more I miss out on maya the better, I would think

 

[stvdv]

Personally no belief in it. AFAIK Hinduism as a whole doesn’t hold with it either. In Hindu ontology and theology it doesn’t make sense, actually, it’s contradictory.

Well, considering the mahāvākyam aham brahmāsmi and the other mahāvākyāni it’s impossible for anything other than “God” to reside within the body.

Yes, from POV of Advaita only Consciousness is real, everything else is created, hence an illusion, superimposed on Consciousness, like a movie is superimposed on the white screen. While watching it looks very real, and my girlfriend got scared watching some hitchcock movies, to which I remarked "but it's not real, it's just a movie", but that is the power of maya (at other times maya 'got me').

Those mahāvākyams are powerful reminders of 'reality'. And from the POV of those mahāvākyams even our bodies and minds are unreal

So, I agree, then also possession is just another illusion, similar like having hunger. So, if you consider hunger real, then also possessions are real (for others). Maya easily fools us, some are fooled by possessions others with addictions etc.etc.

Of course, this is my POV and I could be missing something.

#MeToo

The worst I could miss is Consciousness, all else is just maya ... the more I miss out on maya the better, I would think

 

[Shadow Wolf]

After studying psychology and working with people, I firmly believe people are just people. No demons or other supernatural entities needed. We're just a weird critter.

 

[Revoltingest]

I believe that possession is 9/10ths of the law.
One might quibble about this fraction, but it
really does matter in court.

 

[Harel13]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession?

I do, though I'm not sure it still exists today.

What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

Both demonic possession and mental illnesses are described in traditional Jewish sources as separate ailments. I don't know how people were able to tell them apart, though. I haven't looked into the subject.

 

[Spiderman]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

I would say many of my problems growing up were more Demonic because I was drawn to dark, morbid, sadistic, demonic ways of entertaining myself. I often had to be physically restrained, and I was full of blasphemies.

I didn't respond to therapy and mental health treatment, facilities, or medication.

I did respond to spiritual interventions, prayers, avoiding sin, exorcisms, meeting regularly with very spiritual people, and having spiritual interventions from Spirit-beings on the other side.

I think if my problems were just mental illness, I would have responded to medications and all the Psychiatric help I received.

I think mentally ill people often respond well to medication. A person influenced by unlcean spirits won't respond very well to medication I don't think, because the real problem isn't being treated.

 

[Irate State]

Yes... I do believe. Differentiating it between physical vs spiritual can sometimes be tricky. Sometimes it is pretty easy to see.

When a woman in my wife's family house (years ago) would fall to the ground and speak in a man's voice and it took 4 to 5 men to hold her down... it is a pretty slam dunk "possession".

Lester Sumrall (when he was alive) in the Philippines with a well documented case:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_of_Clarita_Villanueva

When our assistant pastor went to Cuba and was preaching, a man came to him and said, "I want to be delivered from this devil that is in me". Lee asked "How do you know you have a devil"? and the man said "Because he is here and when he lifted his shirt his belly unnaturally undulated back and forth.

Before Lee knew what he was doing, he grabbed the man, cast the devil out and the man fell backwards.

When he got up he jumped on Lee and in tears cried "thank you, thank you, thank you" - got saved and filled with God's presence.

So.. I guess you have to be led by the Holy Spirit of God to know one way or the other unless it is obvious.

Are there any cases of possessed non believers?

 

[rational experiences]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

All humans exist equal.

Then you use human observed science medical observation.

The real status human not enabled to function physically or consciously in natural exact same balances.

As light is natural.in vacuum. Cold clear night time sky natural. Water bio high percentile body mass human oxygenated.

Two imbalanced titled possession witnessed. By his man's who claim self sane. Mentally observant. Want to heal and assist human suffering.

Correctly balanced observation two statuses wrong.

Hence biology is natural.
Bio chemistry brain mind natural.

The history who or what changed.

Relevant.

Advice a natural body is human balanced DNA owner thought for an artificial practice. Science machine.

Theist quotes I know in science what I discuss in natural status. Natural science is not a creator is only an observer.

Why you misquote human scientific egotism.

Fallout. Irradiated.

Fallout anywhere. Irradiated human DNA life body harmed mutated changes biology. Human sex passes on mutation to new born baby.

Why we said sex owned sin. Human choice.

Natural humans anyway get body attacked by radiation cooling fallout constantly changing

Attacks biology differently. Attacks mind differently.

Cause and effect. Why it was difficult to explain as science is a coercive human liar.

Holy brothers always knew it was life in variations of an attack by natural mass causes. Not controlled but witnessed.

 

[an anarchist]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

(My understanding is a mixture of my own thoughts and what I was taught in Baptist church growing up)
The Holy Spirit protects you from possession. If you have the Holy Spirit in you, through the blood of Jesus, then you are possessed by the Holy Spirit. But if you’re not possessed by the Holy Spirit, then you are susceptible to be possessed by demons, you are unguarded. Being unsaved isn’t a guarantee that you will be possessed, but demons can use you at will to further their purposes. On the other hand, even if you have the Holy Spirit, you can be influenced by demonic forces, but they cannot possess you.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

Whatever be the myths about it, educated Hindus today will not generally differentiate it from mental states of psychosis.

 

[Clara Tea]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

When accusing someone of being possessed, the trick is to seem to always be right (even though you are always wrong).

7 Bizarre Witch Trial Tests

History teaches us (according to the link above) that there were several tests to see if someone was a witch. If they die, they weren't a witch. Or, sometimes they died if they were a witch (which they never were in the first place).

Accusing someone of being possessed is handy for getting their money, getting their land, ruining them politically, or just getting your way. It's fun to tell lies and watch someone suffer as a result (though God, as we well know, frowns on telling lies, and insists that we do not bear false witness against our neighbors). Hmm....fun vs. obeying God.......fun always wins out.

Sometimes getting stoned on alcohol or narcotics makes one think that one sees demons. Perhaps the invention of beer had something to do with the origin of religion? But, one can get accidentally stoned. For example, one could eat ergot (a grain fungus), and get stoned.

A statistical analysis of the Salem witch trial showed that the rich were targeted.

Yet, ergot poisoning was also possible in Salem.

Sometimes some sleazy old man wants to have sex with a pretty young woman, so he accuses her of witchcraft or possession by the devil. It seems to me that the pretty, but innocent, young lady is far less evil than the accuser. In fact, the accusers always seem quite evil.

In the middle ages, people would periodically claim that they have seen or slain dragons. Some were rewarded for their lies.

Religion has often been a powerful weapon to unfairly gain an advantage. It's chief power has been a lack of proof (so necessary in proper court systems). Thus, with no proof, lies are accepted as reality. I repeat....God doesn't like lies.

 

[Clara Tea]

(My understanding is a mixture of my own thoughts and what I was taught in Baptist church growing up)
The Holy Spirit protects you from possession. If you have the Holy Spirit in you, through the blood of Jesus, then you are possessed by the Holy Spirit. But if you’re not possessed by the Holy Spirit, then you are susceptible to be possessed by demons, you are unguarded. Being unsaved isn’t a guarantee that you will be possessed, but demons can use you at will to further their purposes. On the other hand, even if you have the Holy Spirit, you can be influenced by demonic forces, but they cannot possess you.

Unproven demons with unproven powers are powerful incentives to convert people to an unproven religion, and keep them from straying. Fear subjugates. Fear was used by Father Junipero Serra, to build his many missions in California. Using fear, Father Serra enslaved Native Americans, and many were put to death or beaten severely (all in the name of the Lord and in the name of goodness....of course).

 

[Kenny]

Are there any cases of possessed non believers?

When you say "non-believers" are you talking about non-Christians? Or simply talking about those who don't believe in possession?

 

[BilliardsBall]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

Interestingly, a Christian should only do an "exorcism" for a Christian plagued by demonic forces. Jesus taught that a demon cast from an unbeliever will come back again.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

Most politicians seem demon-possessed. Angela Merkel once had a sort of weird shaking fit. Almost like something was possessing her, and was struggling.

If we are to use this as a guideline, the difference between people in a mental institution and the demon possessed is that the first are spiritually ill in some way (though I am convinced the schizophrenic CAN actually see things and were put away because Satan fears he might be exposed), while the second "appear normal" yet have grand ambitions for this world that seem to lack empathy for other humans. For example, raising taxes should include the people who voted to raise taxes, but they always seem exempt. Or wars that are likely to wipe out all humanity but they seem unconcerned. There's a sense that if you blotted out the sun to combat so-called climate change, these things and their hosts would do okay because they don't really need high temperatures. The rules don't seem to apply to them, and they are not only inclined to power but at thw expense of humans. Other people have called them lizard people or drawn comparisons to the creatures from They Live or Stephen King's the Dark Tower (those people with ill-fitting skin). Which brings us to the last point. They progressively look like death-warmed over. Terry McAuliffe is a good example. Compare him to Youngkin. Paler skin, eyes are sunken.
Possession Burnout - TV Tropes
Not that these can't look younger and healthier. But like the Ols in Deltora Quest, there's a point where their disguise starts to waver. They begin to shake.

I guess I believe not so much in possession, as in evil spirits, but in demonic creatures wearing humanity as a sort of skin. Soros is a wicked evil man. But when he "dies", he'll probably assume the form of some young female pop star, keeping people distracted while he burrows deeper into control of the masses. You see, these "people" don't have genders. They are high population among those who have had work done, leading me to thing that there's something that can be implanted by consent, rather than naturally being born as a lizard demon thingy. Hence why all these accusations of pedo-rings, what actually happens is making the young their hosts. I also think some of the witch hunts were to root out the demon possessed and burn them. They don't care about damage (borrowed body) or cold (Angela Merkel shook during high temperatures), but fire destroys their bodies. Therefore, all corrupt politicians should be burned at the stake.

Okay, yeah some of that was blending several conspiracies together and some was having fun. Most world leaders suck, though.

 

[Irate State]

When you say "non-believers" are you talking about non-Christians? Or simply talking about those who don't believe in possession?

Believers in god figures, as in major religions gods.

 

[Kenny]

Believers in god figures, as in major religions gods.

Yes... non-Christians can be possessed. At the same time, Christians can be "oppressed" (not the same as possessed) if they give demons enough entrance into their souls. There are different levels of involvement.

The beginning stages is depression ( not all depression is an involvement with s demon). If enough entrance is given, it opens to oppression to eventual possession (in Christian understanding)

The word "devil", in the Greek, is a compound word of 'dia' and 'bolos'. Bolos means to hit again and again until it penetrates (dia)/. To compound it means to hit your mind again and again until it forms an influencing road to your mind.

 

[Irate State]

Yes... non-Christians can be possessed. At the same time, Christians can be "oppressed" (not the same as possessed) if they give demons enough entrance into their souls. There are different levels of involvement.

The beginning stages is depression ( not all depression is an involvement with s demon). If enough entrance is given, it opens to oppression to eventual possession (in Christian understanding)

The word "devil", in the Greek, is a compound word of 'dia' and 'bolos'. Bolos means to hit again and again until it penetrates (dia)/. To compound it means to hit your mind again and again until it forms an influencing road to your mind.

Actually I what I mean is, out of the bulk of purported possession cases, how many possessed were/are believers or religious.
Out the little readings I've done about the subject, demons appear to affect to those who previously believe in that kind of events.
In highly Catholic populations, for example, seems to be accepted, common, I'd even say.
Places with a higher numbers of atheists or non believers in general on the other hand...this what I wonder.

 

[savagewind]

Do you believe in demonic or any other kind of possession? What does your religion say about it? How can it be differentiated from mental illness?

Good questions! Yes, possession of another person or thing is possible.

My former religion which was the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses says that it is a sin. Irony!

I think that it cannot be differentiated from mental illness.

 

[Rival]

My former religion which was the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses says that it is a sin. Irony!

Wat. Lol.