Supernatural, Ghosts, Demons Thread

[Skidoosh]

Good observation Dr. Snubnose.
I believe in the spirit world, I've seen and experienced to many things to think otherwise. What I find interesting is that the modern Western World is the first to begin to reject the concept of the hereafter. I see this corresponding to separation from death in modern times. We don't have to care for our dead relatives, washing and preparing them for burial. We don't slaughter animals and get blood on our hands. All of these things are sourced out to someone else who will do it for us. Our parlors, where we placed our dead, are now "living rooms." I talked to an undertaker who observed that Americans would like to forget death existed if they could. There are no longer funerals but instead "life celebrations."
And yet when I look around in the media we can't avoid a fascination with ghosts, demons, and the supernatural. I think there is something inherently within us that won't allow us to let it go.

[Bloke]

I've been reading here since the first post with great interest, particularly because I've been spooked a few times both indoors and outdoors, but I'm inclined to think I probably spooked myself. :eek:

Here's something to ponder though! I've had many similar experiences to the one I'm about to share going back to early childhood and this is the latest from a few weeks ago.

I don't recall which night it was other than it was towards the end of the working week, but in a dream or nightmare my wife and daughter calmly informed me that our darling granddaughter had broken her leg, but it was OK and nothing to worry about. I'm not sure I've loved anyone more than I love our little ones! I added the last sentence in the hope you may understand how I may have felt and I was enraged at their casual stance and the fact the child was without her mother in hospital, but they calmed me down a little and that's all I remember. If I woke, I don't recall!
The next morning I had no recollection when I woke till I was about to get in the shower a few minutes later. It rattled me and put a set on my day but the day passed and I spoke to both our kids and our parents that evening and all was well, but as I wrote earlier this wasn't my first ride and I still felt a little uneasy. I should have payed more attention to dates I s'pose but a couple of days passed and on Sunday I went to visit my mum and dad who told me that my 13yrs old nephew, my brothers son had broken a finger and required surgery! That dear friends is how it's been for me through out my life. I can recount numerous such instances!

On religion, I was born to kind, benevolent, loving and forgiving Christian parents. My spritely 82yrs young mother is still highly active in the local Church and community activities as is dad, though he'd rather hang out with his mates than go to church but goes when mum asks him.

I don't have a religion but I remember all the basic teachings of my childhood and I try to live my life in such a way that may please God. I pray daily but only to give thanks for all the priceless blessings in my life and to apologise for my daily sins and I never to ask anything for myself lest God sees me as greedy or worse still ungrateful. I ask for knowledge of Gods will for me and I ask him to do with me as he sees fit. It works well for me and saves me worrying. I do however ask His protection of all my loved ones and I ask him to forgive their sins and to love them.

Surely it must be easier to live your life as though God exists and find out later that he doesn't, than it is to live your life as though God doesn't exist only to learn he actually does? :)

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Which Spyderco knife would be best in cutting into an evil snarling spirit?

[clovisc]

If people believe it is real, take the same actions as if it were real, and cause the same outcomes as if it were real, then it is almost irrelevant whether or not it is real or not; the results and consequences are the same as if it was real.

[tvenuto]

I talked to an undertaker who observed that Americans would like to forget death existed if they could. There are no longer funerals but instead "life celebrations."
And yet when I look around in the media we can't avoid a fascination with ghosts, demons, and the supernatural. I think there is something inherently within us that won't allow us to let it go.

Interesting points. We definitely have some very ingrained needs that, when they're no longer being met in the traditional way, we watch them on TV. Michael Pollan pointed this out about cooking. The packaged food industry has taken over much of our cooking, and yet we love cooking TV shows. We used to weave cloth, but we don't watch people weave on TV. His argument that there was some primal need for it--the actual act of cooking, that is--that we are no longer getting. Now, I cook plenty and still love cutthroat kitchen!

I don't have a religion but I remember all the basic teachings of my childhood and I try to live my life in such a way that may please God. I pray daily but only to give thanks for all the priceless blessings in my life and to apologise for my daily sins and I never to ask anything for myself lest God sees me as greedy or worse still ungrateful. I ask for knowledge of Gods will for me and I ask him to do with me as he sees fit. It works well for me and saves me worrying. I do however ask His protection of all my loved ones and I ask him to forgive their sins and to love them.

Surely it must be easier to live your life as though God exists and find out later that he doesn't, than it is to live your life as though God doesn't exist only to learn he actually does? :)

To me, all of these things you mention happen internally. They're part of your mental framework for the world, and by all the evidence I have, this framework is serving you well. You are a positive influence to those around you, and you generally make decisions in line with your values, and are thus generally happy. Your concept of a god fills part of this framework, and may very well be a necessary piece for you to operate, even sans an organized religion. However, there are plenty of people incorporating religion/god in broken frameworks, and there are plenty of atheists/agnostics with perfectly functional frameworks. My philosophy is insensitive to the framework you use, I'm merely concerned with the how that framework guides your actions and attitudes. Are you living in line with your values and having a positive influence on the world? Great! You may very well pray to a magic sack of lima beans that you think is guiding your destiny, but hey, I've go no complaints.

I take issue with philosophies that place a value judgement on the cogs and wheels of the framework itself, or list certain cogs as absolutely necessary for success. This is as presumptuous as assuming the color you see as red looks the same to me as it does to you.

I have to think that were you to meet such a perfect god, who created all things, she would be far more interested in the outcomes arising from your framework than whether or not your framework included her. However, I'm not really into speculating about a perfect god, which concept would be rather beyond our understanding. That's my framework though, YMMV.

[Bloke]

Which Spyderco knife would be best in cutting into an evil snarling spirit?

I'm never without a ZDP Manbug I've had blessed by the Pope specifically for the purpose you mention.

Hope this helps! :)

[O,just,O]

In plainest possible terms, my question is: if evil isn't "bad" then what's the point of worrying about or avoiding it,

It is bad but evil is not a power, only a lack of power. What I am saying is that when you say evil you seem to think of it being the end point of very, very bad. Above bad. I am saying , so what ? It is evil & only bad, but we have the tools to be all over that so that it has no power over us. Not a thing to fear or ascribe power to.
O.

[O,just,O]

Which Spyderco knife would be best in cutting into an evil snarling spirit?

Spyderco don't make the knife, but we who believe in Jesus do have it in our collection.
Ephesians 6:17.
O.

[PaloArt]

Very interesting topic and some really great posts here :)

Past few years I was studying psychology at very prestigious University in my country and I was always trying to be more "realistic and reasonable" person, denying things that could not be explained by science or by highly educated approach. I didn´t believe in things like ghost, demons and supernatural powers... or rather I didn´t want to believe in such things.

I was Always looking for the answers and explanations from neurology, from psychiatry and psychology, physics... science should´ve given me answers on such topics. Since I dug deeper and deeper in books and studies I got more and more lost not getting propper explanataions, no answers, nothing!

I wanted to have some insights on topic from other side of spectrum also, made appointment with bishop´s main priest, respectable gentleman. His explanation was on the edge of science, philosphy and psychology as he has three different university degrees and is very educated in other topics apart from religion. Very reasonable man of faith by the way, who is thinking outside of the box actually. Surprising as I always met priests who were too dogmatic and too obsolete in opinions. Still no satisfying answers for me, no peace of mind but at least I had another matter to think about.

After some time I spent trying to solve this issue for me I actually resignated and accepted there are things we can´t explain, things beyond the level of being explained by science right now. Things even very well educated professionals were not able to explain. Why certain things were actually happening around me, why I had these visits of this terrifying, obscene clown like evil figure torturing me in my dreams, telling me all these scary things. Why I heard things and saw things when I was awake, experienced things although I am completely sane and healthy guy (checked and proved). Nobody could explain, and trust me I was trying hard to get these answers :)

I felt hopelesness in my life, trust me. I hit rock bottom and got back but throught all these things I´ve gone through (and it would be whole freaking book) I still don´t have any satysfying answers why certain things do exist and are happening, there are still many dark places we are not allowed to go to or to understand to when we visit them.

Do I believe in God? Angels? Demons? Supernatural powers? I Don´t know how to describe or name what I do believe in. I go to church sometimes as the environment actually calms me down and I still am looking for some answers, I am sometimes talking to god and I don´t hear answers (maybe I am not listnening properly :-) ), fell like an idiot sometimes and asking myself what the **** am I doing. I do believe there is something though, some higher power, I do believe there are things beyond our capabilities to see and to understand.

Well, let´s say I do believe and I don´t want to believe to some things at the same time.

I do definitely believe in casper though :-D one of favorite movies when I was a kid.

Sorry for long post, this was just weirdly well timed topic after another sleepless night and as always it is nice to share something with :spyder: family

Btw. best knife for fighting demons and ghosts would be any spyderco you have with you as you would show this supernatural being your knife and explain it everything about your belowed :spyder: , you would sit and peacefully discuss technologies and trends around knife industry over cup of tea. Then after many hours of conversation you would say bye to each other and you probably converted another "person" to spyderco knives collecting :D