Seances?

[rocala]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead? Are there any religions which accept this?

 

[Quintessence]

There are tons of religions that accept calling upon or honoring the ancestors - it's extremely commonplace in Paganisms, and there are oodles of religions within that overarching term. Seances are specifically a thing that arose within the context of a Christian-dominated culture, though, which generally demonizes practices of spellcraft in general. Personally, I'd call seances a pale substitute for the practices of indigenous/historical Paganisms with shamanistic practices, and "similar" only in the loosest sense of being forms of necromancy... the perchance for fraud and novelty act with seances is not something you'd see in the context of Paganisms. It's unfortunate that the sketchy reputation of seances has tarnished that of the practice as a whole.

 

[rocala]

Personally, I'd call seances a pale substitute for the practices of indigenous/historical Paganisms with shamanistic practices,

Yes, to be fair that is one of the reasons that I stated "similar methods"

 

[Mycroft]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead?

No.

 

[David1967]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead? Are there any religions which accept this?

I am curious. What is the Buddhist stance on this subject?

 

[rocala]

I for one do not have any problems with this. Buddhism accepts that something survives death and that secondly that which survives is not always earthly.

 

[George-ananda]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead?

I am quite certain of it from many cases and well-studied cases.

Are there any religions which accept this?

Actually Spiritualism is a religion pretty much based around séances and the wisdom learned.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I for one do not have any problems with this. Buddhism accepts that something survives death and that secondly that which survives is not always earthly.

How would I respectfully ask a question about that in the Buddhism forum? I really have a hard time believing that Buddhists believe that. Is there a scripture or something to read about it? Thanks.

 

[rocala]

How would I respectfully ask a question about that in the Buddhism forum? I really have a hard time believing that Buddhists believe that. Is there a scripture or something to read about it? Thanks.[/

I first saw this question posed in a Buddhist context some years ago. I cannot recall the forum but I do recall that there were no serious arguments against it. Those who accepted the bardo state or similar were particularly in favour as I recall.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead? Are there any religions which accept this?

In my opinion the dead are not gone; but they are in the past. They are unchangeable. They are safe from change. We can communicate with them but only in the sense that we communicate with other unchangeable objects. We observe, learn new things, and that enables us to ask new questions and make new observations. I guess they are like statues to us, but to them they are still there in the past living their lives. They don't know they are dead. We are the same. We are in someone's past, and we don't know we are dead.

 

[David1967]

In my opinion the dead are not gone; but they are in the past. They are unchangeable. They are safe from change. We can communicate with them but only in the sense that we communicate with other unchangeable objects. We observe, learn new things, and that enables us to ask new questions and make new observations. I guess they are like statues to us, but to them they are still there in the past living their lives. They don't know they are dead. We are the same. We are in someone's past, and we don't know we are dead.

Now I'm depressed.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Now I'm depressed.

*sigh*
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." (Psalm 90:14)

 

[Draka]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead? Are there any religions which accept this?

Yes...and...yes.

 

[rocala]

In my opinion the dead are not gone; but they are in the past. They are unchangeable. They are safe from change. We can communicate with them but only in the sense that we communicate with other unchangeable objects. We observe, learn new things, and that enables us to ask new questions and make new observations. I guess they are like statues to us, but to them they are still there in the past living their lives. They don't know they are dead. We are the same. We are in someone's past, and we don't know we are dead.

Well if I was not depressed, I am now. None the less Brickjectivity very good post.

 

[buddhist]

How would I respectfully ask a question about that in the Buddhism forum? I really have a hard time believing that Buddhists believe that. Is there a scripture or something to read about it? Thanks.

e.g. "Here, student, some man or woman kills living beings and is murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings ... on the dissolution of the body, after death, he does not reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell, but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is short-lived ... some man or woman, abandoning the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings ... on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world. But if on the dissolution of the body, after death, he does not reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world, but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is long-lived ... etc." (Majjhima Nikaya 135)

 

[Brickjectivity]

e.g. "Here, student, some man or woman kills living beings and is murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings ... on the dissolution of the body, after death, he does not reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell, but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is short-lived ... some man or woman, abandoning the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings ... on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination, even in the heavenly world. But if on the dissolution of the body, after death, he does not reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world, but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is long-lived ... etc." (Majjhima Nikaya 135)

Thanks for the reference!

 

[buddhist]

Thanks for the reference!

No problem!

 

[HonestJoe]

Now I'm depressed.

It’s exactly that which can lead people to make up or imagine a less depressing alternative. The fact something might be depressing is no rational reason to assume it isn’t true though.

 

[David1967]

It’s exactly that which can lead people to make up or imagine a less depressing alternative. The fact something might be depressing is no rational reason to assume it isn’t true though.

No, Im not really depressed. I hope you realize
that post was not serious. Here see?

 

[Mr. Beebe]

Can seances or similar methods make contact with the dead? Are there any religions which accept this?

What does the Bible say?

"The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything...." Ecclesiastes 9:5

"...there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going." Ecclesiastes 9:10

Based on those 2 scriptures, the Bible is clear, the living cannot communicate with the dead.

Seances, crystal balls, palm reading,, tarot cards, leaf deciphering ,astrology, and talking with the dead are not God's way of communicating with people. The Scriptures plainly teach that all who become involved with these practices are an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:12). And even worse, those who continue involvement will be shut out of God's Kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21 ; Revelation 21:8 Revelation 22:14,15).