Interested in seeing the results

[Melissa in Australia]

I reckon you need to redo the poll as just about all of us were thinking supernatural not magical and wish we could re-vote.

[Wheres Toto]

Oh. I assumed you meant supernatural, not "Hollywood-for-ratings-spectacular". To me they are different things.

:iagree:

[SailorMom]

I have to say - I am kinda floored by the number of people who believe in this stuff.... no offense, I don't think it's an intelligence or judgement issue - more cultural. But considering how many people are from the US here..... Seems odd. Especially the demons thing.

[Parrothead]

To update if anyone is interested. The person at the other end of the discussion agreed that what that person is calling magic, magical powers, sorcery, is what I would call supernatural. And that was were we left it last night.

 

I'm still finding the poll results interesting. Thanks for taking the time to vote.

[Trish]

I have to say - I am kinda floored by the number of people who believe in this stuff.... no offense, I don't think it's an intelligence or judgement issue - more cultural. But considering how many people are from the US here..... Seems odd. Especially the demons thing.

 

:confused:

 

Demons are biblical. Although you do have a point about the U.S., here we seem to pride ourselves on not taking demons/satan/hell serioulsly.

 

Bible Teaching About Demons

[SailorMom]

:confused:

 

Demons are biblical. Although you do have a point about the U.S., here we seem to pride ourselves on not taking demons/satan/hell serioulsly.

 

Bible Teaching About Demons

 

Yeah - but lots of things are Biblical..... that doesn't necessarily mean that people take it literally, or whatever. I'm not Christian, so obviously I'm not a believer, but my mother-in-law is a UMC pastor, and she doesn't believe in them either....

[Parrothead]

I reckon you need to redo the poll as just about all of us were thinking supernatural not magical and wish we could re-vote.

Yeah, I suppose it just goes to show how fluid language is. To me magic and supernatural are decidedly two different things. But for others they could interchangeable.

 

When I think magic I think HP style. When I think sorcery I think Merlin or the sorcerer from the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

[justasque]

Was the chocolate question there as a kind of control?

 

'Cause 30% against chocolate makes me skeptical of the validity of the rest of the answers.

 

Who *are* you anti-chocolate people? :D

 

(When my kid took the driver's license test, one of the multiple choice questions asked what state he was in. Seriously. We figured it was a sanity question or something.)

(Also, "driver's" or "drivers"?)

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Well, chocolate is really good for you after a Dementor attack, so I'm guessing it helps in other magical/demon situations, too. :D

 

I think some type of magical/supernatural power exists. There are things I have witnessed that cannot be explained otherwise. I think you can cast evil thoughts at someone in the same way that you can lift them up in prayer or send positive energy their way.

 

And ever since I read The Mists of Avalon, I'm convinced I can stumble into the world of the faery if I just find the right spot! ;)

[Walking-Iris]

Well, chocolate is really good for you after a Dementor attack, so I'm guessing it helps in other magical/demon situations, too. :D

 

 

Yeah I voted chocolate for everyone. Seriously though if I found myself in this kind of conversation I'd probably just laugh, especially if they were being serious. (Coming from the only girl in my intro to psych class that a visiting hypnotist analyst could not hypnotize)

 

It's all in the particular person's cognitive thinking. Believe it and it will likely be real to you. Our mind is so sensitive to suggestions. More or less for different people. And you may begin to act accordingly. Believe that Friday the 13th is bad luck for example and you'll find it. Believe in the principles of feng shui and it may work. Believe in the power of prayer and you'll see results. Believe in demons and other supernatural occurrences and you'll experience them. Believe in "witchcraft" and you'll either be terrified of it or it may be your spirituality. It works the opposite way too. It takes as much cognitive belief to be an atheist and to not believe.

 

I don't know whether my realistic, pragmatic nature is a blessing or a curse but personally I don't believe in any form of spells, sorcery, witchcraft, voodoo etc (although I enjoy those aspects in fiction and folklore). But I do believe in a highly sensitive and suggestible human brain. Believe a person has any kind of power over you and they already do.

Edited May 31, 2012 by Walking-Iris

[Bluegoat]

I have to say - I am kinda floored by the number of people who believe in this stuff.... no offense, I don't think it's an intelligence or judgement issue - more cultural. But considering how many people are from the US here..... Seems odd. Especially the demons thing.

 

Do you find it surprising that people believe in angels? Because that is all a demon is, a kind of angel that has turned its back on God.

 

I can see not believing in both, but I always find it odd when people believe in angels but say demons don't or can't exist. If there are bad people, why could there not be bad angels? If angels can do things that seem amazing because of their particular attributes, why not demons?

 

For some reason believing in demons is seen as kooky to a much greater degree than believing in angels.

[HSMom2One]

I wasn't one of the original 5 but I forgot to hit chocolate:auto:

 

Oooops! My bad also.

 

:D

 

Lucinda

[HSMom2One]

I have to say - I am kinda floored by the number of people who believe in this stuff.... no offense, I don't think it's an intelligence or judgement issue - more cultural. But considering how many people are from the US here..... Seems odd. Especially the demons thing.

 

No offense taken. Actually, it's not cultural at all. Those of us that say a spiritual realm exists are the ones that believe that the Bible is authentically from God, and therefore we believe what it says.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[gardening momma]

I hit the wrong button. Oops.

[Ellie]

Harry Potter-type magic/sorcery/witches/wizards does not exist.

 

Real demonic power does. If it were not so, the Bible wouldn't warn against it.

 

Chocolate for everyone. :-)

[SailorMom]

Do you find it surprising that people believe in angels? Because that is all a demon is, a kind of angel that has turned its back on God.

 

I can see not believing in both, but I always find it odd when people believe in angels but say demons don't or can't exist. If there are bad people, why could there not be bad angels? If angels can do things that seem amazing because of their particular attributes, why not demons?

 

For some reason believing in demons is seen as kooky to a much greater degree than believing in angels.

 

 

Yeah - belief in angels seems the same to me as belief in demons. I also think it is strange to believe in one but not the other.....

[SailorMom]

No offense taken. Actually, it's not cultural at all. Those of us that say a spiritual realm exists are the ones that believe that the Bible is authentically from God, and therefore we believe what it says.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

I don't want to be hijacking the thread - but I didn't say I was an atheist, just not Christian. I do believe in a God and souls, some kind of afterlife, but that doesn't mean I believe in angels, demons, etc.

[misidawnrn]

I voted Chocolate. I believe the mind is a powerful thing. I believe that you can believe anything you want to including thinking some put a spell on you. I do believe the devil exists to tempt us but Chocolate for everyone is much better than thinking about the devil!

[Lady Florida.]

I don't believe in anything supernatural, whether it's HP style or religion. No gods, no daemons or angels, no fairies, no sorcery, etc.

 

Well, except for this:

Chocolate has magical powers. :D

 

 

Which I forgot to vote for.

I wasn't one of the original 5 but I forgot to hit chocolate

[nmoira]

I don't believe in anything supernatural, whether it's HP style or religion. No gods, no daemons or angels, no fairies, no sorcery, etc.

Not even pixies? :eek:

[AuntieM]

Is this like Jeopardy, where we eventually hear the question?

 

If so, isn't the buzzer ready to sound on this round? Curiosity and all that....

[MissKNG]

Chocolate magically makes my hips bigger.

[SnowWhite]

Now that i know what you mean by your questions, I answered incorrectly. I do believe there is real sorcery being practiced today (not HP type stuff) and I do believe there are demons with supernatural powers. I had assumed that's what you meant by magical powers. Don't believe in HP type stuff. There are certainly people who cast spells, but I'm not sure whether that has real effect.

 

Chocolate answer still stands.

 

:iagree:

 

As far as the people casting spells, I don't think that always works because I think God is ultimately in control. If it is a person who believes in that kind of thing on the receiving end and they believe it will work, while the one on the casting end also believes it, it's likely the spell will "work". I'm not talking about turning people into toady frogs, though, KWIM?

[Ibbygirl]

Chocolate magically makes my hips bigger.

 

:lol::lol: mine too!

[Lady Florida.]

Not even pixies? :eek:

 

No, sorry. ;)

 

I do wish HP style magic did exist. I just love the world Rowling created.

[oasis]

I'm curious to see how those who do not believe in spirits (angels/demons and/or ghosts) would take this situation:

 

A three-year-old wakes from a normal sleep every morning, screaming at exactly 3 a.m., and pointing to a "man" in the room (in different areas of the room, not always in the same place.)

 

A three-year-old wouldn't have preconceived notions about spirits, wouldn't know how to tell it's 3 a.m. on-the-dot each morning, etc. Would you think the child is mentally disturbed?

 

What would you think if you knew the episodes stopped as soon as the child was moved out of that particular house?

 

I hope this post doesn't come across as snarky; I'm genuinely interested to see how those who don't believe in spirits would rationalize the situation.

 

:)

Edited June 1, 2012 by oasis

[Ipsey]

I'm curious to see how those who do not believe in spirits (angels/demons and/or ghosts) would take this situation:

 

A three-year-old wakes from a normal sleep every morning, screaming at exactly 3 a.m., and pointing to a "man" in the room (in different areas of the room, not always in the same place.)

 

A three-year-old wouldn't have preconceived notions about spirits, wouldn't know how to tell it's 3 a.m. on-the-dot each morning, etc. Would you think the child is mentally disturbed?

 

What would you think if you knew the episodes stopped as soon as the child was moved out of that particular house?

 

I hope this post doesn't come across as snarky; I'm genuinely interested to see how those who don't believe in spirits would rationalize the situation.

 

:)

 

I would attribute this to a couple of things.

1. the body creating a wake/sleep pattern, based on. . .

2. night terrors

3. active imagination/recurring dreams

 

A sudden change of setting might be enough to change that wake-sleep cycle or to remove whatever stimulus has been helping to create the sensation/fear/terror.

 

I have no way of proving this, of course, but it's far more likely than ghosts, super-natural phenomena, demons, fairies, malevolent unicorns, pod people, etc. ;) Occam's razor

[SailorMom]

I'm curious to see how those who do not believe in spirits (angels/demons and/or ghosts) would take this situation:

 

A three-year-old wakes from a normal sleep every morning, screaming at exactly 3 a.m., and pointing to a "man" in the room (in different areas of the room, not always in the same place.)

 

A three-year-old wouldn't have preconceived notions about spirits, wouldn't know how to tell it's 3 a.m. on-the-dot each morning, etc. Would you think the child is mentally disturbed?

 

What would you think if you knew the episodes stopped as soon as the child was moved out of that particular house?

 

I hope this post doesn't come across as snarky; I'm genuinely interested to see how those who don't believe in spirits would rationalize the situation.

 

:)

 

 

There are so many options, but I think one could be that a neighbor's sprinklers came on at 3am, hitting his window, or he could hear them going off (or some other sort of timed occurrence, making noise). Then - he has night terrors - and once you start having them a certain way, they tend to be repeat dreams.

I wake up at 3am almost every night. Within 5 minutes of 3am. I don't know why, but it's the way my clock ticks.

[Dory]

I'm curious to see how those who do not believe in spirits (angels/demons and/or ghosts) would take this situation:

 

A three-year-old wakes from a normal sleep every morning, screaming at exactly 3 a.m., and pointing to a "man" in the room (in different areas of the room, not always in the same place.)

 

A three-year-old wouldn't have preconceived notions about spirits, wouldn't know how to tell it's 3 a.m. on-the-dot each morning, etc. Would you think the child is mentally disturbed?

 

What would you think if you knew the episodes stopped as soon as the child was moved out of that particular house?

 

I hope this post doesn't come across as snarky; I'm genuinely interested to see how those who don't believe in spirits would rationalize the situation.

 

:)

 

I have psychologist friends who would automatically be calling in Child Welfare over that child because they would be sure that she has experienced some sort of abuse by a man in her household.

[Cassy]

Yeah I voted chocolate for everyone. Seriously though if I found myself in this kind of conversation I'd probably just laugh, especially if they were being serious. (Coming from the only girl in my intro to psych class that a visiting hypnotist analyst could not hypnotize)

 

It's all in the particular person's cognitive thinking. Believe it and it will likely be real to you. Our mind is so sensitive to suggestions. More or less for different people. And you may begin to act accordingly. Believe that Friday the 13th is bad luck for example and you'll find it. Believe in the principles of feng shui and it may work. Believe in the power of prayer and you'll see results. Believe in demons and other supernatural occurrences and you'll experience them. Believe in "witchcraft" and you'll either be terrified of it or it may be your spirituality. It works the opposite way too. It takes as much cognitive belief to be an atheist and to not believe.

 

I don't know whether my realistic, pragmatic nature is a blessing or a curse but personally I don't believe in any form of spells, sorcery, witchcraft, voodoo etc (although I enjoy those aspects in fiction and folklore). But I do believe in a highly sensitive and suggestible human brain. Believe a person has any kind of power over you and they already do.

 

:iagree: Or at least my rational mind agrees. I do have a more primitive mind though, that rather craves something supernatural, unexplained and unexplainable. I am not religious, so maybe it's some deep, repressed spiritual need.

[oasis]

Thanks for your answers!

 

The child was me... As far as I know, I didn't have any other night terrors after moving from that particular house.

 

I vividly remember audibly hearing it (whatever thing I was seeing) one time. My bedroom door was open, and the hallway light was on. I saw the thing standing by my closet, and screamed for mom. A deep voice said, "Shut up." I screamed for mom again, and it said, "SHUT UP." That particular night, my mom didn't wake up, and I hid under the covers until I went back to sleep. :D

 

I believe I was seeing an evil spirit; I remember the horrific feeling of seeing/hearing that thing. It felt very real; I'd never seen any horror movies before, so my mind wouldn't have created the terrors by suggestion. (Mom and Dad didn't own a television when I was growing up - they still don't have one, even now!)

 

We moved eventually moved to a new house, and I did not see anything freaky again (nor did I wake up at 3 a.m.)

Edited June 1, 2012 by oasis

[black_midori]

I think that a lot of what we do today would have been perceived as "magic & sorcery" long ago - therefore, it stands to reason that a long time in the future they might do things that today we would consider "magic & sorcery".

 

I also agree with a PP about people casting "spells" - that can often be the sort of thing that you can be convinced actually happened because person A & person B both think that it did, IYKWIM. Just like squash can magically make my 8yo throw up just because it is squash, a result it magically does NOT have if he doesn't know it is squash...

 

Yum - chocolate!! :D

[oasis]

I have psychologist friends who would automatically be calling in Child Welfare over that child because they would be sure that she has experienced some sort of abuse by a man in her household.

 

That child was me; I was definitely never abused by a man in my house, though. My dad was the only man living there, and he's never been abusive. :001_smile:

[Lady Florida.]

I would attribute this to a couple of things.

1. the body creating a wake/sleep pattern, based on. . .

2. night terrors

3. active imagination/recurring dreams

 

A sudden change of setting might be enough to change that wake-sleep cycle or to remove whatever stimulus has been helping to create the sensation/fear/terror.

 

I have no way of proving this, of course, but it's far more likely than ghosts, super-natural phenomena, demons, fairies, malevolent unicorns, pod people, etc. ;) Occam's razor

 

I started to post my own response, but this is what I would have said anyway. If I don't understand something, it simply means I don't understand it. It doesn't mean there are supernatural forces involved. That's just the way my mind works.