do you think its the mind playing tricks like your hallucinating... maybe you ate something or ingested something that made you hallucinate or see stuff in your dreams that you interpret as visions... or is it really a visit from those who await us after our death?
2007-03-23 18:50:05 · 17 answers · asked by nickname 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If the person has not taken drugs and is not having a psychotic episode it is real in some form. Let me explain. If they see a vision they are projecting from their subconscious mind, usually the deepest level of the mind where God actually is. Usually an experience of God is not a visual experience, but it can be for some and it is real as I explained above.
As to experiences of demons,etc. these things can happen as visions, but not often. Just because someone has such a vision does not atomically mean that they are psychotic. It can be many things, and it can be real as well. Making what mental health people call a 'differential diagnosis' involves looking at all aspects of the person's life. If they function well in the rest of their life, have not had a recent tragic event, etc,. they many be having a genuine religious experience.
2007-03-23 18:56:48 · answer #1 · answered by tonks_op 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some innocent people are taught to expect such things, and are thus predisposed to "experiencing" them. When a dream, or an inspiration comes to them, they may really believe that God or some other supernatural being has visited them, spoken to them, or shown them a vision. Some people very much need this kind of assurance.
That does not mean that they have not had a religious or spiritual experience. If it is real to them, comforts them, helps to make them a better person, then it can be considered a valid spiritual epiphany.
Some people do experience visions due to drugs, lack of food, or bad food (rarely), or because of psychological problems. This is why fasting is used in many religions... not just Christianity; some native American cultures and others used a combination of fasting, drugs and sleep deprevation to induce visions (look up "vision quest"). This may also have played a part in the Salem witch trials.
Far more sinister are those who pretend to hear God speaking to them personally, to have visions, to "see" demons, etc. for the purpose of manipulating others. This is often done by "gospel preachers" and televangelists to demonstrate their own "great faith" and "power" and to validate their supposed spiritual authority. Two very obvious examples are Jimmy Swaggart and Pat Robertson.
2007-03-24 02:12:38 · answer #2 · answered by Don P 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If there is a history of schizophrenia, delusions, drugs, and such, I would say possibly. After having been convinced that my experiences were real, I would say that there are times when they are real.
But no one can make up someone elses mind, unless they were too somehow a part of it.
So are dreams and visions of demons, God, or any other supernatural being or thing metal instability? Sometimes. And sometimes, they are not.
2007-03-24 01:59:02 · answer #3 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um NO! I hate talking about this but when I was 11 my brothers had a sleep-out in the back yard. They and a few high school friends thought it would be fun to play with a weegie board. ( I don't know how to spell that obviously) (and no it didn't belong to my family) Anyway later that night "naughty guys" (i still call them that) visited our house in the middle of the night. it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. So my answer is no--- IT WAS NOT A HALLUCINATION! That being said to any non-believer's reading this- to every positive there is a negative so I have no doubt God is real for I have seen Demons with mine own eyes. Now I will never talk about this again.. never....never....ever..ever...ever...ever!!!
2007-03-24 01:59:54 · answer #4 · answered by Amy 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think occasionally it is hallucination. But for the most part they just feel the need to be visited by a supernatural being because they are not getting the attention they need from Earthly beings and it gets them that attention. When people tend to believe them they begin to believe themselves. The mind is a strange thing. But there are no talking, burning, bushes. Sorry, no one awaits you after your death.
2007-03-24 02:02:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most of what people say is to get attention or reverence from others,,,, they formulate beliefs to feel special, often from having nothing else going for them,,,, but dreams and visions do happen often and are life changing,,,,, all you have to do is ask for a vision and make a sacrifice for it.... sacrifice like giving a charity money and then state its purpose,,, then go camping,,the farther away the better..., then just sit and listen,,,,,,, nature will help also......
2007-03-24 02:02:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
2 Words Paranoid Delusions
2007-03-24 01:55:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
its a mix between religion and science. people who are said to be "possessed" are the same as people with "seizures". i no longer critisize the believers because i know people have a need for outside support and such.
2007-03-24 01:59:47 · answer #8 · answered by Aomi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Recent research seem to indicate it might be related to epilepsy. This lends credence to many stories of the prophets falling down and having fits.
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/Eguae.html/10000779
http://www.religioustolerance.org/vis_brain.htm
2007-03-24 01:57:19 · answer #9 · answered by U-98 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's an aspect of schizophrenia.
People with this mental disease often hear voices or have hallucinations.
2007-03-24 02:44:15 · answer #10 · answered by brainstorm 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋