Satan's effect on physical brain

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adgloriam said:
In your reason, your emotion, your thoughts, your feelings, your perceptions, your imagination, your desires.
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YES I KNOW! But these are all brain functions so Satan must affect our PHYSICAL brain. How else would he affect our thoughts, feelings etc.? Please no more platitudes.
 
KevinK said:
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adgloriam:
In your reason, your emotion, your thoughts, your feelings, your perceptions, your imagination, your desires.
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YES I KNOW! But these are all brain functions so Satan must affect our PHYSICAL brain. How else would he affect our thoughts, feelings etc.? Please no more platitudes.
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Read the second half…The answer you are looking for lies in the contemplation and practice of the second part.
 
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KevinK said:
I put it in quotes because I’m thinking about the mechanism of temptation. Are our brains physically affected. Saying “a temptation is just that” has no content in terms of my question. And modern science has proven that not all acts of the will are voluntary.
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My post meant that a temptation is not an act of will.
 
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TheLittleLady said:
Possession is a rare, very serious spiritual condition where a person is in a state of grave sin and they have given license to Satan. It is not simply “the devil jumping inside your body”.
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Have a read of this The Devil in the Ordinary you may change your mind on the rarity of possession.

I am sure most of us has seen this in some point in our life time, I sure have.
 
KevinK said:
Science has shown that stimulating the brain in certain regions can bring about predictable responses.
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Electrical stimulation of the brain can (if done correctly) bring about immediate physical responses. No one has been able to effect a volitional act by means of brain stimulation.
 
KevinK said:
If it is possible for Satan to “tempt” us, he must be able to physically affect our brain by planting thoughts and ideas. Otherwise how would this temptation manifest? If Satan has the power to affect our physical brains (seems clear he can if you believe in possession and exorcism), then I wonder what agency and responsibility we have in sinning when our physical brain is affected. Science has shown that stimulating the brain in certain regions can bring about predictable responses. So if Satan has the same ability to physically affect our brains I would think this has a great affect on our free will and culpability. Thoughts?
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The OP is spot on. Satan can tempt us. He must cause a thought. A thought has to have electronic activity. Therefore; Satan has physical influence on our brains.

The temptations do not effect our free will, but may effect culpability. Part of the purpose of the General Judgment is to shed light on all of the factors that lead us to sin. The demons will be called to testify to their roles in our lives.
 
If one half of one percent of the world is possessed, that is 38 million people.

When we are dealing with large numbers, as in the world’s population, millions of people can still be rare.

Christ said to resist the devil and he will flee. It is easy to feel we are powerless and that Satan can grab us unawares at any time, like catching the flu off of a shopping cart handle at the grocery. We need to remind those who do live in fear of such that Christ has overcome the world, that frequent reception of the Sacraments is guaranteed “possession repellent” and that we don’t give Satan more credit than is due.
 
Hi, It is known that THC or Marijuana use by young ppl
CAN affect their left brain development, I don’t know about
OTHER illegal drugs, but cannibis can certainly invite
satanic influence later on in life.

That said, I think that the Word of God is the Best defense
against temptations see Matt. 4, when Jesus was tempted
in the wilderness, He used Scripture to counter the devils
attacks. Yes, satan does tempt us, God cannot tempt any-
one. He only can ALLOW us to be tempted. See 1 Cor. 10:13
 
TheLittleLady said:
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GLam1761:
cannibis can certainly invite

satanic influence later on in life.
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Would you please show me in the Catechism or other official teachings of the Church where this is supported?
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Direct association is unwarranted in this case, bad company and foolish conversations can incite behaviors causing “damages”. Why not blame stress, eating, and overworking? Stress is the leading cause of premature death in the world…We could blame secularization or mass media the same way.
 
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MtnDwellar said:
A thought has to have electronic activity.
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Modern neurology including all EEG and Neuroimaging techniques won’t add to living the faith. What would be the difference? Provide proof to faith? The evil spirit is defined as dogma, hence real.

The question in the OP has to be rephrased to allow a meaningful answer.

Let’s turn it around, neurological effects of prolonged prayer life have been verified (any prolonged life style will leave a neurological mark). Did this contribute to the faith? Or to increased prayer? No…

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns - PubMed

The main goal of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to identify the neural correlates of a mystical experience. The brain activity of Carmelite nuns was measured while they were subjectively in a state of union with God. This state was associated with significant loci of...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: a preliminary SPECT study - PubMed

Glossolalia (or "speaking in tongues") is an unusual mental state that has great personal and religious meaning. Glossolalia is experienced as a normal and expected behavior in religious prayer groups in which the individual appears to be speaking in an incomprehensible language. This is the...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The neuroscientific study of spiritual practices

The purpose of this paper will be to provide a perspective on the current state of the research evaluating the neurobiological correlates of spiritual practices and review the methodological issues that confront this research field. There are many types ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
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We have to give our fiat to the temptations. Our yes creates the physical connections that are destructive to orderly thinking. Satan tempted Jesus too but I wouldn’t say that Satan rewired His brain
 
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Yes, but Christ promised to those of us who partake of the Sacraments “no weapon formed against you shall stand”.

Just like cigarettes, sugar, alcohol, one can abuse cannabis. For those in the US it is illegal as well. That does not mean it is diabolical.
 
Yeah but taking a hallucinogenic drug for the purposes of getting high involves a disregard for one’s body and societal laws. Also the very nature of hallucinogenic drugs rewires the brain. And in order to do drugs often the user must be vain enough to do them
 
TheLittleLady said:
If one half of one percent of the world is possessed, that is 38 million people.

When we are dealing with large numbers, as in the world’s population, millions of people can still be rare.

Christ said to resist the devil and he will flee. It is easy to feel we are powerless and that Satan can grab us unawares at any time, like catching the flu off of a shopping cart handle at the grocery. We need to remind those who do live in fear of such that Christ has overcome the world, that frequent reception of the Sacraments is guaranteed “possession repellent” and that we don’t give Satan more credit than is du
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It was an article I wanted to share, please do not make me feel that I should not have shared this article with the forum. Sharing the was not intentional in scare mongering, nor to belittle.

The experience of the writer, it is what it is especially in this secular world. The article does touch on Discernment of Spirit
 
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