Possessed by Ghosts: Exorcisms in the 21st Century

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a b Bhasvar, Ventriglio & Dinesh (2016), pp.551–559. sfnp error: no target: CITEREFBhasvarVentriglioDinesh2016 ( help) The New Testament indicates that people can be possessed by demons, but that the demons respond and submit to Jesus Christ's authority: Thanks Anders – you have put your finger on something that I have been struggling to clarify! The Journal of Religion and Health can perhaps find some useful and productive ways to bring together religion and health, but this article is not an example of that. The epistemic standards for holding religious beliefs and beliefs about the nature and treatment of diseases are different, as you note. This article is perhaps an example of trying to get the scientists involved in a certain aspect of health research to adopt epistemic standards that are appropriate to religious belief, but not to science. So, whilst the fact that some communities believe in demons might be a reason to take that belief seriously as a religious belief, it is not a reason for scientists to take it seriously. To get scientists to take it seriously, we’d have to do the sort of thing that you describe, and then it seems to become something other than a religious belief … Some have expressed concern that belief in demonic possession can limit access to health care for the mentally ill. [134] Notable examples [ edit ] Purported demonic possessions [ edit ]

Living with ghosts in the Himalayas - BBC News India: Living with ghosts in the Himalayas - BBC News

The concept of jinn-possession is alien to the Quran and derives from pagan notions. [37] It is widespread among Muslims and also accepted by most Islamic scholars. [38] It is part of the aqida (theological doctrines) in the tradition of Ashari, [39] and the Atharis, such as ibn Taimiyya and ibn Qayyim. [40] Among Maturidites it is debated, as some accept it, but it has been challenged since the early years by Maturidite scholars such as al-Rustughfanī. [41] The Mu'tazila are associated with substituting jinn-possession by devilish-whisperings, denying bodily possession altogether. [42]Fernandez Olmos; Paravisini-Gebert (1997). Sacred Possessions Vodou, Santería, Obeah, and the Caribbean. Rutgers University Press. pp.19–22. ISBN 9780813523613. While many Americans think of real exorcisms as relics of the Dark Ages, exorcisms continue to be performed, often on people who are emotionally and mentally disturbed. Whether those undergoing the exorcism are truly possessed by spirits or demons is another matter entirely. Exorcisms are done on people of strong religious faith. To the extent that exorcisms "work," it is due to the power of suggestion and psychology: If you believe you're possessed (and that an exorcism will cure you), then it just might. and its implicit assumption that the peer reviewed literature, has been, since medieval times (!), some sort of homogenous club to which breaches of the rules of entry are a clear cut matter. If you would like to know more about this aspect, refer to the article on the depth of ability to perceive paranormal activity with our sixth sense 6. Percentage of the world population affected by ghosts over the eras Broch, Harald Beyer (1985). " 'Crazy Women are Performing in Sombali': A Possession-Trance Ritual on Bonerate, Indonesia". Ethos. 13 (3): 262–282. doi: 10.1525/eth.1985.13.3.02a00040. JSTOR 640005.

Possessed by Ghosts : Exorcisms in the 21 Century - Goodreads

Possession, the entrance inwardly into an individual to beget uncontrollable fits, induce blasphemies, In both charismatic and evangelical Christianity, exorcisms of demons are often carried out by individuals or groups belong to the deliverance ministries movement. [26] According to these groups, symptoms of such possessions can include chronic fatigue syndrome, homosexuality, addiction to pornography, and alcoholism. [27] The New Testament's description of people who had evil spirits includes a knowledge of future events (Acts 16:16) and great strength (Act 19:13-16), [7] among others, and shows that those with evil spirits can speak of Christ (Mark 3:7-11). [7] Some Evangelical denominations believe that demonic possession is not possible if one has already professed their faith in Christ, because the Holy Spirit already occupies the body and a demon cannot enter. Beyerstein, Barry L. (1995). "Dissociative States: Possession and Exorcism". In Stein, Gordon (ed.). The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal. Prometheus Books. pp.544–552. ISBN 1-57392-021-5. Zebola [59] is a women's spirit possession dance ritual practised by certain ethnic groups of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is believed to have therapeutic qualities and has been noted in the West as a traditional form of psychotherapy.The proper study of religious phenomena in other cultures uses ethnographic techniques. Ethical recruitment to any RCT in a culture in which an RCT is an alien method is highly problematic—what would informed consent look like?—never mind in the domain that my culture taught me to call “mental health.” If you reflect for a moment on the infrastructure necessary to practically conduct an RCT, in many parts of the world this requires a development agenda, which of necessity imports its own ideology and belief system in opposition, or at any rate parallel, with indigenous systems. Influenced by the religion of Islam, among the several spirits in Indonesian belief are demons ( setan), composed of fire, prone to anger and passion. They envy humans for their physical body, and try to gain control of it. When they assault a human, they would intrude their mind, trying to displace the human spirit. The human's mind would adapt to the passions of anger, violence, irrationality and greed, the intruding demon is composed of. The demon is believed to alter the person, giving him supernatural attributes, like strength of many men, ability to appear in more than one place, or assume the form of an animal, such as a tiger or a pig, or to kill without touching. Others become lunatics, resembling epilepsy. In extreme cases, the presence of the demon may alter the condition of the body, matching its own spiritual qualities, turning into a raksasha. [108] Tibetan Buddhist Psychology and Psychotherapy". Tibetan Medicine Education center . Retrieved 12 December 2019.