May have just opened can of worms - posted on a spirit world forum

feenx

As I'm sure many of us ex dubs do I have had tremendous fear, anxiety, curiosity and overall need for answers about spirits. We all learned the same shite. Any spirits are demons. Well that's all fine and convenient, but the older I get and the more I try to piece together the puzzle of my childhood, it just doesn't make sense. Yet my fear remains.

I fear that if there is a spirit world if I try to learn about it I will somehow be exposed to and caught up in some kind of "evil." I fear that my grandfather who was/is involved in ritual abuse and who knows what else somehow put some kind of mark on me and therefore any spirit world door that I open will be flooded with ill intentioned spirits.

And quite frankly, I'm f*cking TIRED of being afraid of something. It drives me nuts and it's simply no way to go about life.

Sooo....I figured an interesting and hopefully helpful start would be to ask people that are "in the know" about such things. I posted a question on a paranormal forum about such things, including that I was raised a dub and what my lovely ol' grandaddy was into. I am in curious anticipation for responses...

hubert

I don't believe in spirits.

It's all in the mind.

Hubert

AlmostAtheist

Whether you believe in spirits or not, you should at least be able to take comfort in the fact that there is not a single documented case of anyone being harmed by a spirit. Plenty of people dabble in spirit-world stuff, lots of people have seen lots of stuff, but nobody has "killed by a ghost" on their death certificate.

Would it help at all if you precisely identify what you're afraid of? What do you think the ill-intentioned spirits might do?

Dave

hubert

My daughter told me of a person I know who was a little out of control. She told me she has "evil spirits".

I told her, "No, she has bi-polar". (Which she has).

But, my daughter is a j.w., and that's how they think when someone is not acting "normal".

I hope no one here thinks I am knocking bi-polar people, because this is not my intention at all. Bi-polar is a sickness, not an "evil spirit" induced problem.

Hubert

feenx

I suppose that is a really good question Dave...hmm...

I honestly don't know what I am afraid they would do. I guess perhaps change my behavior, cause me to do things I did not want to do. That's probably the key thing right there. See my grandfather wanted me to follow in his sadistic footsteps. It's like he was grooming me for it or some BS. So I suppose my fear is based on that, and that I would be fighting something trying to get me to do such things.

It's kind of like if someone escaped the military and when they were found they were forcibly encouraged to re-commit themselves to the government. That's what I fear.

And I also think part of it is simply fear of the unknown. That which we conceive ourselves is usually worse than the actual reality.

Hermano

I have no answers, but like you, I am very curious. So please let me know what you find out.

R.Crusoe

The big mistake is the Bible evil! Many spiritual people dont believe your concept of devil even exists! The idea churches past gave it to wipe out witches!

Ritual abuse you talk about - what was it and was it explained to you?

Many believe in forces in nature as spirits of life that you must tune into and sense to invigorate yourself! Like the Moon pulls the oceans and all fluid things and it definitely goes around Earth 13 times a year and always has where we're concerned. Why argue with that? Spiritualists try to work as a part of life with it!

Me personally have never seen or had bad things from a ghost stood in my living room saying ,'Come on buster give me what you got!'

But I have felt energies deplete from my core when in certain groups or settings or even alone!

And I have felt energised by certain events or rare individuals!

So some of these people just try to teach others how to draw positive energy in order to work it so you don't get down as often.

Some you will find are judgemental - Mincan did an ace post on a self assess site for that so beware of certain types who judge and make you feel a fear or negaative inside you. Draw a mental energy circle round you when you feel energy flowing away! Wiccans do a personal (yoga type) ritual where you feel energy from Earth below charge up your body and use it mentally to form a shield for your mind against negative feelings from outside influences! I do this and also completely relax deflecting others ideas straight over my head and away whenever I wish - if it feels negative deflect it from your core!

The above sums up my few interactions with forums like the one you went to - and if it doesn't help me I move on just exactly like here! I do what feels ok for me and deflect or leave out what does not when I am focused enough to take my own advice!

It's a simple exercise in self help - period - and using resources all around that have existed forever! A try it and see on your terms with no comebacks! No way will I ever do a WT sell myself job again for pimps who rule your life!!

Hope this helps you do whatever you do totally chilled without fear - which is usually yourself whose been trained to think that way by others - your whole life!

AlmostAtheist

>>I guess perhaps change my behavior, cause me to do things I did not want to do. That's probably the key thing right there. See my grandfather wanted me to follow in his sadistic footsteps. It's like he was grooming me for it or some BS. So I suppose my fear is based on that, and that I would be fighting something trying to get me to do such things.

I can understand why that would frighten you! There isn't much that's more personal than our own thoughts and motivations.

I assume you don't wish to do whatever it was that your grandfather did? Why did HE do it?

Is there some part of you that wants to do whatever it was?

What if you assumed there was no such thing as "influences"? Assume for a moment that every single thought comes about only from within your own brain. How then would you reconcile a desire to do something, with the knowledge that you don't approve of it?

I do that. I see something I'd like to have and I'd very much like to just take it. That's one piece of me. There's another piece of me that knows I would feel bad for taking something from someone else. And yet another that says it's fundamentally wrong. All of these voices come together to shape my behavior. They are all collectively "me".

I COULD look at the final decision -- don't steal it -- and decide that the desire to steal was an outside evil influence. *I* wouldn't steal, so where would such an idea even come from? But it's much more likely that the goal-seeking part of me suggested that I could stroll off with what I want, and the risk/reward part of me explained that while I COULD, I'd regret it later.

Consider this: If outside influences could plant thoughts and desires in you, and they wished to do so, they just would. Why would they ever fail? They could just keep influencing and influencing until they finally drove you out of your mind. But that hasn't happened. The likelihood is that no such influence exists.

Dave

VoidEater

Feenx: As always (as far as I've seen!) AA gives great comments that I can't say better.

I'll give another perspective, as well. In my time I have travelled to a lot of places people might call the "spirit world". I've had a variety of experiences that some would call being in contact with "spirits". I have been in shamanic communities and participated in indigenous rituals for close to 20 years.

In every single personal experience and in every case I know of, no "spirit" ever caused anyone to do anything. This goes back, in living community memory, for decades.

Many people have confronted aspects of themselves that they had to come to terms with. Within the context of some rituals, people have faced off against their own fears and the parts of themselves that AA refers to.

But for those experiences that people insist were with other entities, none of these entities were "satanic".

I language it in this way: I have walked with "God" many times, but never seen a devil.

jeanV

I don't believe in spirits.
It's all in the mind.

same.

I recommend to read the book "why we believe what we believe".

May have just opened can of worms - posted on a spirit world forum

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