Catholic Teaching and the Paranormal

[nickybr38]

I think the concept itself has been well-established in stories of the saints. The questions are how common it is, for what purposes it occurs, and who it may affect.

Not common.
The purpose it to helps souls in purgatory who have no one to pray for them.

Maybe the real question would be how do you TRULY differentiate between a soul begging for prayers and an encounter of another kind? Do demonic encounters ALWAYS carry signifying marks OR does the devil sometimes play games with us just to try and shake our faith?

 

[NihilObstatINRI]

Not common.
The purpose it to helps souls in purgatory who have no one to pray for them.

Maybe the real question would be how do you TRULY differentiate between a soul begging for prayers and an encounter of another kind? Do demonic encounters ALWAYS carry signifying marks OR does the devil sometimes play games with us just to try and shake our faith?

Well we’re changing subjects then. I can refer you back to the discernment of spirits that I talked about, based on St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. I don’t find it to be that complicated, really.

 

[nickybr38]

Well we’re changing subjects then. I can refer you back to the discernment of spirits that I talked about, based on St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. I don’t find it to be that complicated, really.

Have you had experiences in this realm? Sorry for the switching topics. I’m just having a lot of difficulty figuring this all out. And it’s not that simple to me.

 

[NihilObstatINRI]

Have you had experiences in this realm? Sorry for the switching topics. I’m just having a lot of difficulty figuring this all out. And it’s not that simple to me.

Personal experience no, but academic experience, yes. Did you read the part I cited in my blog post about the discernment of spirits?

 

[nickybr38]

Personal experience no, but academic experience, yes. Did you read the part I cited in my blog post about the discernment of spirits?

I actually didn’t find it helpful. :\

How do you discern if a spirit is sowing discord when the natural reaction to such an event IS fear. Wouldn’t fear automatically be called discord? What kind of discord do they mean? Physical, emotional, spiritual? How do you discern spiritual discord when you aren’t Christian during the time of the events, OR already fallen away from the church during the time of the events?

 

[NihilObstatINRI]

I actually didn’t find it helpful. :\

How do you discern if a spirit is sowing discord when the natural reaction to such an event IS fear. Wouldn’t fear automatically be called discord? What kind of discord do they mean? Physical, emotional, spiritual? How do you discern spiritual discord when you aren’t Christian during the time of the events, OR already fallen away from the church during the time of the events?

What is fear? It’s just an emotion. It may or may not be reasonable, it may or may not point to real danger. A Protestant might be afraid of the Catholic Mass. I’ve found many Catholics to be afraid of the SSPX. To what extent are these fears reasonable?
Fear is subjective, and if we respond to something with fear, that reaction may very well be affected by flaws within ourselves.
Remember that souls in Purgatory are human, just like you and me. They have most of the same limitations as you and me, and one part of that may very well be that they can frighten us by accident. They aren’t angelic or Divine, and they’re not perfected in Christ yet.

 

[nickybr38]

What is fear? It’s just an emotion. It may or may not be reasonable, it may or may not point to real danger. A Protestant might be afraid of the Catholic Mass. I’ve found many Catholics to be afraid of the SSPX. To what extent are these fears reasonable?
Fear is subjective, and if we respond to something with fear, that reaction may very well be affected by flaws within ourselves.
Remember that souls in Purgatory are human, just like you and me. They have most of the same limitations as you and me, and one part of that may very well be that they can frighten us by accident. They aren’t angelic or Divine, and they’re not perfected in Christ yet.

Good. So then let’s discuss discord. When we speak of a spirit causing discord do we mean purely spiritual, physical or both? How do you determine if a spirit is causing spiritual discord when one is ALREADY in a state of physical discord?

 

[NihilObstatINRI]

Good. So then let’s discuss discord. When we speak of a spirit causing discord do we mean purely spiritual, physical or both? How do you determine if a spirit is causing spiritual discord when one is ALREADY in a state of physical discord?

Does it, in the long run, cause a better or worse understanding of God? Does it draw one, again in the long term, towards, or away from God?
I have to emphasize long term, because in the short term it’s quite unpredictable. That person should look back, maybe in ten years. Ask themselves what influence that frightening event had on their spiritual life. Have they since converted from Protestantism or Catholicism? Maybe that was a factor. Or did they fall away in that time? Maybe it was a demon who introduced doubts or further disorder.

 

[nickybr38]

Does it, in the long run, cause a better or worse understanding of God? Does it draw one, again in the long term, towards, or away from God?
I have to emphasize long term, because in the short term it’s quite unpredictable. That person should look back, maybe in ten years. Ask themselves what influence that frightening event had on their spiritual life. Have they since converted from Protestantism or Catholicism? Maybe that was a factor. Or did they fall away in that time? Maybe it was a demon who introduced doubts or further disorder.

And just like that you’ve helped me discern.

Thank you for putting up with all my questions and apparent thick headedness. It really does take me awhile to understand some things and sometimes I have to hash it out in real time conversation.

I really hope you haven’t said all this already. I have a bad case of reading in situations where I shouldn’t be reading so I miss a lot of stuff. Sorry!!!

 

[NihilObstatINRI]

And just like that you’ve helped me discern.

Thank you for putting up with all my questions and apparent thick headedness. It really does take me awhile to understand some things and sometimes I have to hash it out in real time conversation.

I really hope you haven’t said all this already. I have a bad case of reading in situations where I shouldn’t be reading so I miss a lot of stuff. Sorry!!!

If I’ve helped you to understand something, then all my time here is worthwhile.