Possession theories?

fathersymes

Number one; I was always lead to believe that in order for a person to become possessed one had to issue an invitation for entities to interact, although there seem to have been some cases of demonic possession whereby the victim has simply been attacked without invitation?

Number two; The entities are spirits which have never been carnate and maybe good or evil, so when an opportunity presents itself they jump at the idea of inhabiting an earth bound body/spirit. If the entity is evil it will attempt to destroy the person/soul? If the entity is good, it may still create havoc by simply irresponsibly experimenting with a person on this plane?

Number three; Some of these entities have powers way beyond our comprehension?

Just wondering what opinions some of you may have?

6th

I just tend to think of it like a virus, you have abetter chance of catching it in a weakened state.

Oryx

I have no personal experience of any of that. I have heard just a little about trance mediumship where you allow possession in a limited way. Its very controlled.

I know someone who claimed to be acting under the influence of demonic possession, but I never felt that it was something this person truly did not want. They allowed it to happen because of the power it gave them. Which would relate to your first point. My belief is someone cannot be 'possessed' without on some level allowing it to happen. But I am open to opinion as its not something I have much experience of.

Point two I dont really want to comment on, but point three, well, everything in the spirit realm behaves and operates in a way we, as physical beings, cannot comprehend. Calling it 'powers' makes it sound more scary. Its behaviour.

kshiel

I dont think we know enough about such cases to really understand what happens.

I tend to agree with KtK I think the person always has the option to say no but maybe on some level they dont or maybe some people are just easly swayed.. or subsceptable to the energy

I wouldn't put it down to power either, its more a vast range of personalities and behaviour just as we have here but with a bigger understand or maybe just less limitations but of course we really cannot fully understand how it all works.

6th

I dont think spirits have a better understanding of things, putting it bluntly I've come across some dumb ass ghosts. Bar the physicalities I dont think its that much different to this life. We tend to put spirits up on a pedestal because we dont understand them and presume they are great - much like ancient civilisations might have worshipped toaster if they had found one in the jungle.

hiorta

This is a huge area of the Natural World yet to be examined and considered.

Remember the Natural Law of Like attracting Like, so although 'possession' may be food & drink to the film industry, holding as it does, some level of fascination for many, there seems to be a logical basis for it, entirely governed by ourselves.

What we think, attracts others - birds of a feather, etc., whether in our present world or any other. What we aim to do, will also attract others to assist us. What we do, will have a similar outcome.

'Possession' is always raised by those who would control and exploit us, as frightening, terrifying even and there may indeed be the rare occasion of such.

Perhaps a more accurate term would be 'influence' rather than 'possession' as many folk like you and I, having died, continue to take an interest in those they left behind, trying to mentally encourage and influence their determination to succeed in their chosen tasks. Like the young man or woman studying hard to become a doctor.
Such influence is never mentioned, especially as benign, helpful or uplifting, yet how many times has a 'brilliant idea' popped into the heads of those struggling with difficult tasks?
Where does the policeman get his 'hunch'?
Where do ground-breaking thoughts come from - indeed where do any creative thoughts come from?

It is said that any effort for the general good will be supported by the like minded in the Spirit World, that their influence and energies will be available to help.

This aspect of 'possession' is either ignored or dismissed, it seems.

stevenmu

That's a good post Hiorta. I was just thinking as I read through this that the common perception of 'possesion' is that some entity enters a person and takes control of them. But in any accounts I have read of 'possesion' it has really sounded more like somebody was recieving influence or suggestion. I don't know if actual posessions do ever occur or not, but it seems to me that what is usually termed possesion is in fact not. The example of trance mediumship mentioned by Ktk is probably the closest thing I've ever heard of.

I think probably for cultural and religious reasons we have come to associate a negative influence with posession and a positive one with guardian angels etc.

Nevyn

That depends on the culture and relgion.

kshiel

6th wrote: »

I dont think spirits have a better understanding of things, putting it bluntly I've come across some dumb ass ghosts. Bar the physicalities I dont think its that much different to this life. We tend to put spirits up on a pedestal because we dont understand them and presume they are great - much like ancient civilisations might have worshipped toaster if they had found one in the jungle.

I suppose that would come down to your experience with them or your beliefs but i dont believe anyone deserves to be on a peadstal. I would imagine though those capable of possesion be it through trance or other forms would have a pretty good understanding of how to enter or control or infulence someone one elses mind, which would bring me to a question if we are just as much capable and understand just as much on this level or plane would it be possible then for a living person to control or influence or posess another person in the same way as we imagine a spirit does, we tend always to say or they tend always to say "I was under some form of negitaive influence" So if we are to have the same capabilities as the spirit people why is it we dont hear of people been taken over by other living people in this plane? Ok so we would have the whole pyschial body but what about periodiocal prosession through maybe astral.


Ok my mind is gone off the scale........ will stop now.

fathersymes

Ok, interesting replies. What I'm getting at is, and I shall divide spirits into 'entities'(non-human) and 'spirits'(human). Both may influence our moods and actions, but entities may either influence(positively or negatively) and/or fully possess which would generally be negative unless of course if you have religious beliefs we are all possessed by the "Holy Spirit".

Demonic possession according to the Catholic church is identified by the ability to speak languages unknown to the person, unfeasable physical strength, knowledge of past events which could be not know by the possessed. The first and last of these symptoms would seem to prove full possession or perhaps just influence?

And, yes I agree that if a person is stupid, bad, good etc.. through life, they will carry these traits through to the next.

6th

fathersymes wrote: »

And, yes I agree that if a person is stupid, bad, good etc.. through life, they will carry these traits through to the next.

I want this guy on my team!

Nevyn

fathersymes wrote: »

Ok, interesting replies. What I'm getting at is, and I shall divide spirits into 'entities'(non-human) and 'spirits'(human). Both may influence our moods and actions, but entities may either influence(positively or negatively) and/or fully possess which would generally be negative unless of course if you have religious beliefs we are all possessed by the "Holy Spirit".

Not just the holy spirit.

As part of my religious beliefs there are many ways to commune with spirits and with entities/diety to the extent of the deliberate drawing down of the divine into a willing and trained vessel for a certain period of time.
This can range from being a channel to being allowed acess information to full on possession.

hiorta

I would agree entirely with that, Thaedydal.

We are all open to influence all the time from: TV, books, advertisers, weather and barometric pressures, lunar influences and voluntarily so from hypnotism.
Not everyone is influenced, though. They do have a choice.