Does paranormal exist or do we create it in our minds. The human mind is an amazing part of all of us. Exploration and study of the human mind is ongoing, yet still in its infancy. The human mind is broken down into sectors and we have ideas what the basics are for each section.
Sounds: We now know that sound waves are pitched so low that the human ear can't hear them. But some experiments have shown that they can be perceived in some subconscious way and cause feelings of nervousness and sensed presences. In one recorded case, a fan in an apparently haunted house was found to be producing a low frequency sound wave. After the fan was fixed, the experiences of haunting disappeared.
Chemicals in your brain: As far as brain chemistry goes, they correlate with some chemical changes like increase in a hormone called CRF. Remarkably, there's also a well established link to slight alterations in global geomagnetic activity. The association has been reported since the 1930s, and increased geomagnetic activity can even be used, quite accurately as a predictor of sleep disruption and paranormal experiences. Unsurprisingly perhaps, there is also an increase in the incidence of epileptic seizures. The shifts in magnetic field strength may decrease night time levels of a sleep hormone called melatonin, and increase CRF, all of which may help set the stage for seizures or paranormal experiences in people with sensitive temporal lobes. Some researchers have measured unusually strong or fluctuating magnetic fields in places that are said to be haunted, and this has been proposed as a rational explanation for ghosts.
So overall, the neuropsychologists seem to think that the temporal lobe of the brain is a key player in paranormal experiences. Even if you're not epileptic, the more sensitive your temporal lobe is, the more likely you are to experience the paranormal.
Demons or your brain: An individual who appears to be possessed and claims to be a demon may be viewed as suffering from a delusion of grandeur. Family members and friends caring for possessed individuals can become extremely disturbed by the state in which the individuals present themselves and often request an exorcism as a last resort. One might think of this as an example of Folie à Deux, in which one individual develops a delusion while in a close relationship with another person who already has an established delusion; the delusion is of the same content for each individual. It is possible that the possessed individual initially suffers from a delusion and eventually convinces loved ones that the possession is real.
Schizophrenia, or
any form of psychosis, is currently thought to be the result of a
malfunctioning dopaminergic system, either a system which is too active or a
system which is too sensitive. The dopamine system has been implicated in
movement and coordination, emotional response, and the ability to experience
pleasure and pain. It would then seem quite likely that many purported cases of
demonic possession are merely instances of dopamine systems failing to work
properly, given the aforementioned abnormal motor and affect behavior. It also
seems quite plausible that individuals who believe themselves to be possessed
are in a state of severe ahedonia.
Multiple Personality Disorder:
Another disorder which has frequently been misdiagnosed as demonic possession
is dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality
disorder. The criteria for this disorder is the presence of two or more distinct
identities or personality states, each with its own way of perceiving, relating
to, and thinking about the environment and the self; at least two of these
personalities or identities recurrently take control of the individual's
behavior; and an inability to recall important personal information that is too
extensive to be dismissed as ordinary forgetfulness. The separate identities
involved in this disorder and the physical changes that denote dissociation
could certainly reflect the abrupt change in personality manifested by those
who appear to be victims of demonic possession.
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Here are some supposed examples of demonic attack or demonic influence.
(This is from a demonologist web site)
Thinking thoughts which are “not like you” or which “seem to come from somewhere else” or which “come out of the blue”.
- Sudden depression. Sometimes the depression is severe, sometimes it is very subtle.
- Feeling like suicide, like life is not worth living or wondering why you are here.
- Having severe arguments with your spouse or friends.
- Feeling like someone or something else is controlling you. You may feel controlled all the time or only some of the time.
- Feeling like someone or something is pressuring you to do certain acts.
- Hearing one or multiple voices in your head that are negative, persuasive, or commanding you to do something. For example, hearing a voice persuade you that a certain friend should be avoided, or asking you to let them “in” to your life in some way.
- Deep personality changes. For example, someone stays at home all the time when they used to be very gregarious.
- Creepy feelings.
- An area of your house or your neighborhood which feels negative or oppressive.
- Feeling attacked when others do not see or experience anything. Sometimes this feeling of being attacked may come with physical pain that is medically inexplicable. Usually it will come with psychological pain of some sort - terror or anguish for example.
- Feelings of hopelessness.
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Schizophrenia: There are several types of schizophrenia, so signs and symptoms vary. In general, schizophrenia symptoms include:
- Beliefs not based on reality (delusions), such as the belief that there's a conspiracy against you
- Seeing or hearing things that don't exist (hallucinations), especially voices
- Incoherent speech
- Neglect of personal hygiene
- Lack of emotions
- Emotions inappropriate to the situation
- Angry outbursts
- Catatonic behavior
- A persistent feeling of being watched
- Trouble functioning at school and work
- Social isolation
- Clumsy, uncoordinated movements
Epilepsy and the Paranormal
A type of epileptic fit called a complex partial seizure occurs as a result of abnormal electrical activity in a brain region called the temporal lobe. It's been known for decades that people who suffer from this type of epilepsy also report paranormal experiences more frequently than most
window.google_render_ad(); Modern researchers have discovered that there are correlations between these century old results and the circadian distribution of reports of sensed presences. So overall, the neuropsychologists seem to think that the temporal lobe of the brain is a key player in paranormal experiences. Even if you're not epileptic, the more sensitive your temporal lobe is, the more likely you are to experience the paranormal. If you've got a lot of electrical activity going on in a part of the temporal lobe called the amygdale, then you're most likely to infuse sensory experience with enhanced meaning.
Geomagnetism and the Paranormal
Bereavement apparitions tend to occur as a disruption to dream sleep about 3 days after the death of a loved one. As far as brain chemistry goes, they correlate with some chemical changes like increase in a hormone called CRF (corticotrophin releasing factor.). Remarkably, there's also a well established link to slight alterations in global geomagnetic activity. The association has been reported since the 1930s, and increased geomagnetic activity can even be used, quite accurately as a predictor of sleep disruption and paranormal experiences. Unsurprisingly perhaps, there is also an increase in the incidence of epileptic seizures. The shifts in magnetic field strength may decrease night time levels of a sleep hormone called melatonin, and increase CRF, all of which may help set the stage for seizures or paranormal experiences in people with sensitive temporal lobes. Some researchers have measured unusually strong or fluctuating magnetic fields in places that are said to be haunted, and this has been proposed as a rational explanation for ghosts.
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So with this said, do we create our own paranormal?
