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Posted in another tribe, but also relevant to this tribe (ghosts, UFOs, etc):
I was listening to an interview on NPR with ex-nun Karen Armstrong (www.npr.org/features/feature.php last night and in it, there was mention of a rare and newly diagnosed form of epilepsy that doesn't cause seizures, but instead causes the brain to misfire. Some of this misfiring can take the form of dread, paranoia, feeling like someone is looking over your shoulder, evil... or it can take the form of euphoria, seeing bright lights, light shows... and seeing God. Her comment was that a lot of people with this type of epilepsy end up going into the Church because they believe they see God or or feel the presence of evil."
"Makes me wonder how much of religion can be attributed to people with this disorder?"
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Could possibly explain some "sightings".
I was listening to an interview on NPR with ex-nun Karen Armstrong (www.npr.org/features/feature.php last night and in it, there was mention of a rare and newly diagnosed form of epilepsy that doesn't cause seizures, but instead causes the brain to misfire. Some of this misfiring can take the form of dread, paranoia, feeling like someone is looking over your shoulder, evil... or it can take the form of euphoria, seeing bright lights, light shows... and seeing God. Her comment was that a lot of people with this type of epilepsy end up going into the Church because they believe they see God or or feel the presence of evil."
"Makes me wonder how much of religion can be attributed to people with this disorder?"
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Could possibly explain some "sightings".
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Unsu...
Re: epilepsy
Mon, March 15, 2004 - 5:27 PMi've read synesthesia (light shows, colored hearing, etc) sometimes precedes limbic epileptic seizures.
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Re: epilepsy
Thu, July 1, 2004 - 1:14 PMIs it that epilepsy caused these experiences, or that that is the name that has been given to the unique firing inteh brain which opens us to experiences beyond our meager 10-15% (standard) brain usage?
it seems to be forceful science to place every brainwave that is not in the median into the realm of pathology. -
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Re: epilepsy
Mon, October 25, 2004 - 10:43 PMexactly. we shouldn't pigeonhole religious experiences into our meager scientific understanding of things we can only directly observe with our limited senses. perhaps religious experiences change brainwaves and cause seizures simply because they are changing/overloading our normal functioning. but science only sees the physical effect thus assumes that it is the cause of the perceived effect. -
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Re: epilepsy
Fri, February 25, 2005 - 2:41 PMIsn't this Temporal Lobe Epilepsy? There's some speculation that such figures as Jesus Christ and Leonardo da Vinci were temporal lobe epileptics...
Seeing visions, angels, God, etc. are common effects, supposedly. -
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Re: epilepsy
Sun, April 30, 2006 - 10:38 PMNikola Tesla experienced "strange flashes of light combined with inshight".
It's only speculation but I would say he was a prime candidate.
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Re: epilepsy
Mon, May 1, 2006 - 2:18 AMall of mysticism can be conveniently 'rationalized away' with modern psychiatric labels ~ but if you look just slightly under these labels you will find that the medical 'experts' know very little about these phenomenon despite the labels of pathology that they attach to them ~ mysticism itself will not conveniently go away & much social good is derived from mystics, no matter how they are labelled, supressed and/or abused
love all-ways,
mem -
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Re: epilepsy
Mon, May 1, 2006 - 4:31 PMDemystification is an integral part of the process of comprehension. It doesn't feel good it isn't fun, thats why mostly, people prefer to remain in the dark.
But I like tho think there are a few who prefer the mature joy of letting the old way of loving a thing (through it's mystery) go and recieving in return the new joy of loving a thing for what it is (through understanding). Besides, you have to do this if you ever want to see any new mysteries.
also...there is no end to mysticism...it's a state of mind, looking at things as being mystical.
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Unsu...
Re: epilepsy
Thu, January 17, 2008 - 12:43 AMI always wonder if the nature of an examiner inherently limits his/her extend of discovery or comprehension.
Is the brain a good tool to examine brains?
