ValentineMary:

Historically, exorcisms have been used to
treat a wide variety of symptoms that are
now associated with mental issues. People
with schizophrenia, personality issues,
delusions, hallucinations, or severe depression
might all have been considered candidates for
exorcisms in generations past. Each of these
issues can, in some cases, cause unusual or
frightening behavior.
In a culture where many believe certain
behaviors may be caused by demonic
possession, the manifestations of mental
health issues may conform to popular
mythology. A person with schizophrenia
might, for example, believe he or she hears
the voice of Satan, or that he or she is in fact
Satan, because he or she grew up amid
culturally ingrained messages that this is
possible.
Even in contemporary times, people with
mental issues may be subject to exorcisms,
particularly in devoutly religious communities
and developing countries. Epilepsy, which can
cause severe seizures, may lead to exorcism
being performed. Substance abuse, head
injuries, and brain tumors can also
dramatically alter behavior, leading someone
to appear possessed.

Mental issues can cause strange behavior,
and people tend to conform to expectations.
This means a person experiencing an
exorcism is more likely to act in ways he or
she has heard of others behaving during
exorcisms. Exorcisms sometimes also involve
the use of potions, drugs, or fasting, each of
which can induce violent illness and strange
behavior. Starvation can affect brain function,
and the stress of an exorcism may radically
alter behavior.

Pdizzle:


Thanks Val, nice submission but i think we can't really put it that people don't get possessed, considering that this method of reading few words to the victim by the priest is effective most of the time.
Another angle I'll like you to look is thunderbolt, the yorubas call it magun.
I think juju is both physical and spiritual and has different level of complexities.

ValentineMary:

This reminds me of when early religious people thought that lightening was a form of God's anger until we discovered we could stop lightening from hitting our houses by simply putting an object with sharp edge on ur roof and that could stop God's punishment. Have u seen this magun happen firsthand or u just hear stories?

Pdizzle:


Not witnessed it first hand, but I've witnessed the one called 'Ata', where a seed of pepper is thrown on the victims shadow, and the person see this mysterious injury on his /her body. Only treated traditionally and people even die from wrong treatment.
I've heard about first hand experiences of magun, and it even kills the host if she doesn't sleep with anyone after sometime.
Are you willing to try these things on yourself?

It's just clever tricks. The more u look the less u see I once treated a course on pharmacology anf I can tell u that those things are not spiritual just physical stuffs that has been kept a family or cult secret. You would also notice that under controlled conditions, those shit don't work. Why because they are just tricks.

ValentineMary:

It's just clever tricks. The more u look the less u see I once treated a course on pharmacology anf I can tell u that those things are not spiritual just physical stuffs that has been kept a family or cult secret. You would also notice that under controlled conditions, those shit don't work. Why because they are just tricks.

GrizzlyBear:


Thanks for your contributions, sir. I have few more questions.

How is it that christians are able to counter these "juju" by calling on their God? Why do some powers fall at the foot of certain religions when these religions draw power from their god? Christianity for instance?

Can this theory still be used to explain the existence of ghosts?

What about "demonic activity" and exorcism? How is exorcism effective?

Cc
Sarassin, immorttal, Loj, brigance, seun, sirwere, braithe, zoharariel, davien, johnydon22, neocortex, sidL, platteon, valentinemary.

ifenes:


Calling on gods to solve a problem is a "Permission Slip" It is not different if it is being used to destroy Juju or using juju to destroy god.

Every ritual, every tool, every technique is simply a permission slip that allows yourself to give you permission to be more of who you are.

You don’t really need them. But, because you are full, in a sense, of belief systems within your personality structure, oftentimes a particular tool that you are attracted to can make it seem easier for you to circumvent some of the belief systems you may think are holding you back. In a way it’s like giving yourself a free pass.

So using god to nullify juju can be very effective. But it’s actually you that’s making the changes, not the technique itself per se

Example;

Imagine giving yourself a slip of paper. And on that slip of paper is written “I give myself permission to…”. That’s a permission slip.

We can hand ourselves permission slips in various ways. Some examples would be - by doing a process to clear limiting beliefs, breathing exercises to release stuck energy, discovering answer through meditation/contemplation/introspection. By reading a book, attending a workshop, hiring a coach.

Or it may be as simple as somebody telling us exactly what we need to hear - summing up and expressing our inner knowingness that we have arrived at through our own life experiences, but we don’t trust ourselves enough, so it’s more supportive to hear it from somebody else.

Permission to do what? To change!

Same can be applied to Exorcisms and so called demonic activities.

Seun:
Resist the urge to replace your faith with other concepts that are equally imaginary.

ValentineMary:

It's just clever tricks. The more u look the less u see I once treated a course on pharmacology anf I can tell u that those things are not spiritual just physical stuffs that has been kept a family or cult secret. You would also notice that under controlled conditions, those shit don't work. Why because they are just tricks.

neihzar:
As an atheist, what is your own concept of life after death?

Seun:
The most rational answer is that it will be quite similar to life before birth. Just as we didn't exist before birth, we'll stop existing after death. Is that depressing? Maybe. So should we choose to believe in life after death? No, because choosing to believe something doesn't make it true.

neihzar:


As an atheist, what is your own concept of life after death?

UyiIredia:


Even though we have testimonies of people who have seen an afterlife in near death experiences.

UyiIredia:
Even though we have testimonies of people who have seen an afterlife in near death experiences.

Seun:
Those are probably just hallucinations. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it starts misfiring. We know the experiences are not real because they are not consistent with each other. People's afterlife experiences tend to match the religions they have been exposed to, and we know that the religions can't all be true.

Seun:
Those are probably just hallucinations. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it starts misfiring. We know the experiences are not real because they are not consistent with each other. People's afterlife experiences tend to match the religions they have been exposed to, and we know that the religions can't all be true.

Seun:
Those are probably just hallucinations. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it starts misfiring. We know the experiences are not real because they are not consistent with each other. People's afterlife experiences tend to match the religions they have been exposed to, and we know that the religions can't all be true.

johnydon22:


It is a neurological misfire surely, the brain in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation...

UyiIredia:
People's brain are deprived of oxygen and they go unconscious and experience exactly nothing. You won't say their brain was misfiring. Someone comes back and tells you he/she experienced something and you suddenly blanket all such experiences as misfiring neurons. It's disingenuous, isn't it.

UyiIredia:


But you know that the brain is incapable of contriving such experiences.

The closest thing would be some drugs even then they of lack the depth of detail as NDEs. Besides there is some degree of consistency in experiences across board. Stories of seeing a bright light, experiencing a life review etc are common.

johnydon22:


says who? you are the one that determines limits for the brain, this is outrightly absurd.

the brain is fully capable and in fact is doing it.

johnydon22:

Stories always going in coincide with their religious background or experiences, an illusionary projection that cannot be detached from the confines of the neurological anomalies.

UyiIredia:


It isn't. Just because you say so doesn't make it true.

There are common themes though which goes to cement the actuality of such experiences.

johnydon22:
It is a total misfire, any experience outside the brain cannot be recalled by the brain.

johnydon22:

If you had an experience independent of the neurological system, there is no way same system will remember of such experience cus it was never part of it.

johnydon22:

Such a person telling you of experiences outside the brain that somehow need the brain for recurrence is outrightly nonsensical.

A memory card can never play a music that never was downloaded or copied into it.

The brain cannot recall experiences it never had [only imagine]... so for someone to recall an unconscious experience, they need the brain and that is proof that such experiences are not independent from the brain.

They are all illusionary projections just like hallucinations, imaginations, dreams; these are all neurological imageries.

johnydon22:
Just like you coining out a limit for the brain is blatantly ridiculous

johnydon22:

It breaks the experience to shambles, every religion in this world is similar in their themes of life after death and for the fact the experiences of the subject is always in coincide with their own convictions rubbishes such a story.

One cannot see a woman God today, another sees a man God the next day and another sees thousands of Gods and heavens.

these have shown to be fundamentally based on their own convictions therefore not independent of the brain.

Again NDE is almost certainly mainly prevalent in heart attack patients which study has shown at such situation there is a bombardment of information to the heart from the brain in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.

Try all you possibly can, one truth stands out you cannot chiefly severe the relationship of the neurological system with every illusionary and even realistic experience.

Give it a shot

Seun:
Those are probably just hallucinations. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it starts misfiring. We know the experiences are not real because they are not consistent with each other. People's "afterlife" experiences tend to match the religions they have been exposed to, and we know that the religions can't all be true.

Seun:
The most rational answer is that it will be quite similar to life before birth. Just as we didn't exist before birth, we'll stop existing after death. Is that depressing? Maybe. So should we choose to believe in life after death? No, because choosing to believe something doesn't make it true.

Seun:
Those are [size=14pt]probably[/size] just hallucinations. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it starts misfiring. We know the experiences are not real because they are not consistent with each other. People's "afterlife" experiences tend to match the religions they have been exposed to, and we know that the religions can't all be true.