Hearing voices is considered a cross-cultural phenomenon. A Shaman can use psychoactive drugs to communicate with the spirit realm or a schizophrenic individual may hear voices that command them to commit transgressions towards themselves or against other people. I suggest that it is no longer accurate to only think of voices as either part of a supernatural occurrence or mental disease, instead certain instances of hearing voices should be regarded as psychologically valid events that can communicate to the person metaphorically, about their lives, emotions and environment to help them deal with the harsh realities of living. For instance, people hearing abusive or commanding voices often recognize their voices as those of their actual abusers attacking their sense of self-esteem and worth. Sometimes, people experience helpful and guiding voices that also arise from periods of trauma and stress. In these situations, people tend to use auditory hallucinations and delusions as literal voices of reason in situations where normality is subjective and what is normal is dependent on the community’s pre-established status quo.
DIVINE COMMUNICATION
Many people claim to have spoken to God, but just who is God? After consulting the dictionaries, this is the definition of God that I found:
"A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions."
Although I don’t attempt to define anyone’s experience as invalid, I personally find it hard to believe that someone could actually be speaking with the omnipotent, omniscient character aforementioned. At least two major religions, Islam and Christianity, are based on what most ration...
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...us)As science turns toward an understanding of the primacy of consciousness, I think there is one area where both society and science can agree: the use of entheogens is a very effective tool for both exploring consciousness and for reappraising mystical states. The problem I have trusting anything my mental experience tells me is that these instances are just neurological representations of reality. Most would believe that anyone who can make decisions on the basis of the reality of the situation has a considerable advantage over the individual who must also measure his/her actions against some mythical code of behavior that restricts his/her options. In fact, we can never truly "see" reality, all we see, feel, and think are just external stimuli being translated into neural networks which our brain somehow translates into a perception that our mind can experience.
As David Hufford said, in Beings Without Bodies, much of folk belief about spirits is found to be reasonable. This account is reported under his experience-centered theory. Hufford said much of the belief of spirits is reasonable as it is established on logical understanding from a person’s own experience. However, Hufford said not all beliefs are backed up by experience or even evidence. Some beliefs are made purely on faith. (Hufford p.11)
They have been called "gods." These almighty, powerful beings that are far too superior for us to understand; or so most of us have been made to believe. Some may say he is a Great Examiner, others could say he is the Creator. Some could even say he doesn't exist. Frankly, what I want to emphasize is how such beliefs could reduce even the bravest and strongest of us all to a whimpering child. Something that we ar...
... philosopher reviewed the history of brain, mind, soul, and body. What these things were and how they were perceived through the ages and now through science. His research indicates, that through certain stimuli on the brain any number of things may be experienced. Also, that in the cases of brain damage the mind suffers, which returns to the point of ASCs being real or not. No doubt people have had experiences, but science tells us those can only occur in the brain (perhaps beyond the rational portion), and that ASCs may occur from trauma. To that end, whatever a person experiences is their own, it cannot be rationalized beyond their own mind, for it is an experience of which only their mind may have. Otherworldly journeys are themselves a characteristic of the human mind, but more than that is that in many cases they are deliberately caused by some form of trauma.
is the idea of a divine being or, in other words, god. Early humans were
God Term: God terms which fall under the branch of ultimate terms carry the greatest blessing in a culture and demand sacrifice or obedience.
God is the man that has no match he perfect and he big enough that we could never find to describe him. God id perfect because God is different in
The true nature of God (if He does exist) is constantly argued amongst Christians; and indeed many other religions, however there are a few things that they agree on universally: God is entirely unique, holy and extraordinary. Also, the general consensus is that God is omnipotent and omniscient.
“As an institutionalized system of belief and values shared by a group and grounded in faith and the worship of a supreme transcendent being(s).” (Boss, 134)
God is the great I am. He is holy and the creator of all things. He provided the ten commandments (Exodus 20) with the first one that started out as “I am the Lord your God” (Iozzio, 2006). He created mankind and
In the book Seeing Voices, the author describes the world of the deaf, which he explores with extreme passion. The book begins with the history of deaf people in the United States of America, the horrible ways in which they had been seen and treated, and their continuing struggle to gain hospitality in the hearing world. Seeing Voices also examines the visual language of the deaf, sign language, which is as expressive and as rich as any spoken language. This book covers a variety of topics in deaf studies, which includes sign language, the neurology of deafness, the treatment of Deaf American citizens in history, and the linguistic and social challenges that the deaf community face. In this book, Oliver Sacks does not view the deaf as people having a condition that can be treated, instead he sees the deaf more like a racial group. This book is divided into three parts. In the first part, Oliver Sacks states a strong case for sign language, saying it is in fact a complete language and that it is as comprehensive as English, French, Chinese, and any other spoken language. He also describes the unhappy story of oralism (this is the education of deaf students through oral language by using lip reading, speech, and mimicking the mouth shapes and breathing patterns of speech)) in deaf children’s education. In addition, the first part is about the history of deaf people as well as information about deafness. It also includes the author’s own introduction to the world of the deaf.
For Carl Jung, his view on religious experience was based on all experiences being a psychological phenomenon. He differed from James in his view that a personal or individual experience with a God was indistinguishable from a communication with one’s unconscious mind. He ...
This God is the sole origin of reality, creating what is good, and a world of order
God is a word sent forth without the support of God’s will; hence, revealing the individuals position; a place outside of God’s government. This is important to understand because it is by the Word of God being spoken and properly exercised in your life that will prepare you for the great things the Lord has in store for you. Not one ounce, portion, or part of the Word of God can be omitted if the individual is to walk in harmony with the Lord.
Today, faith is the cornerstone of all major religious knowledge claims because there is no definitive way of...
"Who Is God To Me" God means many different things to many different people. There are a lot of people who believe that there is no such thing as a God. There are people who believe that there is no God because no one has ever seen him. I personally believe that there is a God because of my faith. I have faith in God and I feel that God is real. I have many reasons why I believe in God and who God is to me. But I have three reasons that stand out for me about who God is to me. They are the following: God is always there for me, God is my friend, and God is my creator. These are my three most important reasons of who God is and what God means to me. God has never let me down in my life. Sometimes I feel that God has let me down or that He did not answer my prayers in times that I most needed Him. But I have to realize that everything that God does is for a reason. God has taken a few friends of mine from this Earth at a very young age. I have prayed to God and asked Him why? But I have never seemed to fully understand why. I have come to the conclusion that God works in mysterious ways. I do not think that anyone can fully understand why God does what He does. So for this, I do not feel that God has ever let me down. He just does these things for a reason and if you believe in Him, He will never let you down either. God is the longest lasting friend I have ever had in my life. He was there for me before I was born and He will be there for me after I leave this Earth. God is the best listener also. I can talk to God anywhere at anytime. Every time I want to talk to Him or ask Him a question, He is there for me. Most of my other friends are at least a phone call away, but not God. He has always been there in time of need, even though sometimes I feel like He is not. Even when I do something wrong, He is there to forgive me and set me straight.