Why Christians Should Accept Psychic Phenomena

[greylorn]

If you expect to survive your body’s death in soul-form, meaning as a spirit-being, you will have none of the senses you currently enjoy, and no brain to interpret their (name removed by moderator)ut. Nor will you possess a mouth and vocal chords, or a body to implement your will.

How then will you communicate, if not by telepathy? How will you act, if not via telekinesis? How will you see, if not by the same mechanisms used by out-of-body travelers— or those which Nostradamus employed to perceive events before they occurred?

(Quoted from “Digital Universe, Analog Soul,” with permission of the author.)

 

[Heuchler]

Well we actually are to have bodies in Heaven since there will be a ressurrection of the body. I know we can be contacted by God in our thoughts but I think we have been restrained by our bodies or that our souls don’t have this ability. I actually am a magician and I will be the first to tell you that all psychics are frauds. If you can show me someone who can actually do these things in a scientific setting, then I would believe. Unfortunately for them, I know how they appear to do it and will not fall for it. Besides, if there were real psychics they would take Jame Randi’s challenge and make a million dollars. They would win the lottery. They would be millionaires.

 

[Benadam]

Those phenomena are not outside the catholic experience. We differ in what those phenomena mean to us respectively.

Like during the Transfiguration the apostles knew that the two men with Jesus were Elijah and Moses. How could they possibly identify two men they had never seen? telepathy? In the account it say’s they could tell the two men and Jesus were discussing His Passion but couldn’t hear them.

We have some experience with bilocation, levitation and such but we see them from a different perspective so to speak.

Really, the Church has been dealing with metaphysical phenomena for two thousand years.

What does accept mean ?

 

[GEddie]

Well we actually are to have bodies in Heaven since there will be a ressurrection of the body. I know we can be contacted by God in our thoughts but I think we have been restrained by our bodies or that our souls don’t have this ability. I actually am a magician and I will be the first to tell you that all psychics are frauds. If you can show me someone who can actually do these things in a scientific setting, then I would believe. Unfortunately for them, I know how they appear to do it and will not fall for it. Besides, if there were real psychics they would take Jame Randi’s challenge and make a million dollars. They would win the lottery. They would be millionaires.

Our bodies do not restrain us, they enable us. Even “soulish” or “interior” experiences are not registered or interpreted until they are filtered through a functioning human head.

The fact that we will lose the “human body” is beside the point. What we know as the human body is an entropic mechanism designed for this world and the time sequence. You will receive a body suitable for Heavenly life: pneumatikon soma.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Cryptic1]

There are many recent documentations of people who have been diagnosed as clinically dead and who have gone to heaven (and returned ) with their physical bodies intact. If one is to believe their stories, these people had to have used their senses in order to interpret their heavenly surroundings and to be able to share their experiences with us.

As far as communicating, I believe that our psychic senses as we understand them now will be enhanced. I would not be surprised if telepathic communication is part of the normal heavenly experience, as I expect many amazing surprises awaiting us in the next life. Since God is a spirit, it seems reasonable that our psychic gifts were given to us so as to be able to communicate with Him, even while on earth. But the trap that many psychics fall into is in the not knowing where their source of power lies. The devil has been called the “great deceiver” and when our eyes are opened upon death, we will see whether we have done the work of the Father or been deceived by satan. There is only God who is good and if it is not of Him, then it is of the evil one.

God Rocks

 

[tdgesq]

Hi Greylorn,

While it is true that Christians believe in the resurrection of the body (I think this is scientifically possible), it is also true that we believe souls are now extant apart from their bodies. We also believe these souls are able to communicate with the living, although the precise mode of communication is unknown.

 

[greylorn]

Well we actually are to have bodies in Heaven since there will be a ressurrection of the body. I know we can be contacted by God in our thoughts but I think we have been restrained by our bodies or that our souls don’t have this ability. I actually am a magician and I will be the first to tell you that all psychics are frauds. If you can show me someone who can actually do these things in a scientific setting, then I would believe. Unfortunately for them, I know how they appear to do it and will not fall for it. Besides, if there were real psychics they would take Jame Randi’s challenge and make a million dollars. They would win the lottery. They would be millionaires.

You might consider doing some personal investigation, rather than reading third party comments (such as mine) before forming a hard opinion on this. Your skills as a magician can serve you very well. Telepathy is an easy starting point. Get a small group of intelligent people together after a dinner party that includes wine, then introduce telepathy as a party game, with a nice prize for the winner. You’ll need blank sheets of paper and drawing pencils. Get a stack of magazines. The sender chooses one and thumbs through it until finding a picture, even an advertisement, that grabs his/her attention, (Advise the selection of striking but simple images with geometric shapes, no words. No landscapes— too much data.) whereupon he alerts the others and tries to send. They try to reproduce the image. Do this only twice per sender so that no one gets bored. Judge the reproductions after each sender is finished, using a 1-5 scale. Give everyone a chance to send— some are better at sending, others at receiving.

As a magician you will know how to provide suitable experimental controls. If you try this, I guarantee that you will find unmistakable instances of telepathy.

Randi’s challenge will never be met. Haven’t you been around people you could not stand to be around for long, or someone you cannot work with? Have you ever been in environments too noisy to work in because they destroyed your concentration? Randi is a master at creating such environments (e.g. Uri Geller on the (I think) Carson show). Moreover, he is a powerful telepath himself, and a mind muddler. If you tried to perform in front of him, and he wished you to fail, you would fail.

Psychic work is a mental process which is related to and integrated with thought. You’ll notice that thought cannot necessarily be called up upon demand. If you attempted a “controlled” experiment intended to demonstrate imaginative thought on someone known for his imaginative genius, it would likely fail. You probably have invented new magic tricks— or, so you might claim. Do you think for a minute that you could show up before a skeptical audience and invent another on the spot, to prove your claim?

 

[greylorn]

Hi Greylorn,

While it is true that Christians believe in the resurrection of the body (I think this is scientifically possible), it is also true that we believe souls are now extant apart from their bodies. We also believe these souls are able to communicate with the living, although the precise mode of communication is unknown.

Good to hear from you again, TD.

Although you’ve not explicitly said so, it would seem that you might agree with the proposition that the psi experiences occasionally manifested by incorporated souls come from the same mechanism a soul would use in the absence of a body. ??

If so, the implications are interesting. Psi experiments are soul-level experiments, and might elucidate the currently mysterious mechanisms and modes of communication.

Comments?

 

[NeedImprovement]

If you expect to survive your body’s death in soul-form, meaning as a spirit-being, you will have none of the senses you currently enjoy, and no brain to interpret their (name removed by moderator)ut. Nor will you possess a mouth and vocal chords, or a body to implement your will.

… How will you act, if not via telekinesis? …

I’m not exactly sure what is being expressed here.

Maybe I’m missing something in the definition of telekenesis. Among several interpretations, it is defined as:

• The movement of objects by scientifically inexplicable means, as by the exercise of an occult power. (American Heritage Dictionary)
• 1. movement of an object produced without contact.

1. the ability to produce such movement (The Free Dictionary)

• The supposed ability to move objects at a distance by mental power or other non physical means ( and I note that the Concise Oxford Dictionary in this definition ,uses the word “supposed ability”)

Movement of objects involves the corporeal . The human soul , separated from the body at death, involves the spiritual.

Even more central to the matter at hand,several posts have already alluded to the Catholic belief that after the particular judgement, we shall , by the general judgement “take up our bodies again”(CCC 1023-1025).

It would appear that the corresponding part of the argument then, either isn’t complete or it is incongruent with what is proposed for our belief by the Church.

I think the best example we have to substantiate the aforementioned is our Blessed Lord after the Resurrection :

[Luke 24:41-43 ; NAB]

While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.

Considering another example from scripture, we see that , with our glorified body, any need for telekenesis would be minute if not non-existent. It is why Jesus didn’t “unlock and open the doors” - they did not restrain in any way His glorified body, just as they won’t restrain our own glorified bodies :

[John 20:19 ; NAB]

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you

Further scrutinization of all Gospel accounts of the Resurrection will reveal that the tomb was already empty when the stone was rolled away .

For the longest time, I used to think that the human body was simply something to be discarded after death … only to discover later that it isn’t straight thinking.

While it is true that Christ came first to save our souls, His own Resurrection testifies that He also came not only to restore the dignity of our human bodies , but to raise the degree of that dignity far beyond that which we originally enjoyed before the fall.

In the resurrection of the body, body and soul become one again and our glorified bodies do not submit to the laws of nature as we know them here… unless we will them to.

 

[roselily]

I’m not exactly sure what is being expressed here.

Maybe I’m missing something in the definition of telekenesis. Among several interpretations, it is defined as:

• The movement of objects by scientifically inexplicable means, as by the exercise of an occult power. (American Heritage Dictionary)
• 1. movement of an object produced without contact.

1. the ability to produce such movement (The Free Dictionary)

• The supposed ability to move objects at a distance by mental power or other non physical means ( and I note that the Concise Oxford Dictionary in this definition ,uses the word “supposed ability”)

Movement of objects involves the corporeal . The human soul , separated from the body at death, involves the spiritual.

Even more central to the matter at hand,several posts have already alluded to the Catholic belief that after the particular judgement, we shall , by the general judgement “take up our bodies again”(CCC 1023-1025).

It would appear that the corresponding part of the argument then, either isn’t complete or it is incongruent with what is proposed for our belief by the Church.

I think the best example we have to substantiate the aforementioned is our Blessed Lord after the Resurrection :

[Luke 24:41-43 ; NAB]

While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.

Considering another example from scripture, we see that , with our glorified body, any need for telekenesis would be minute if not non-existent. It is why Jesus didn’t “unlock and open the doors” - they did not restrain in any way His glorified body, just as they won’t restrain our own glorified bodies :

[John 20:19 ; NAB]

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you

Further scrutinization of all Gospel accounts of the Resurrection will reveal that the tomb was already empty when the stone was rolled away .

For the longest time, I used to think that the human body was simply something to be discarded after death … only to discover later that it isn’t straight thinking.

While it is true that Christ came first to save our souls, His own Resurrection testifies that He also came not only to restore the dignity of our human bodies , but to raise the degree of that dignity far beyond that which we originally enjoyed before the fall.

In the resurrection of the body, body and soul become one again and our glorified bodies do not submit to the laws of nature as we know them here… unless we will them to.

How good that would be, Brother!

How good that would be, Brother!
:angel1:
Do you see, how in science very news the movement of objects can chieve friction-less; how that sapphire crystal disk covered with super conductor, locking in space, and levitation?
youtube.com/watch?v=4P68SMsruZs

:angel1:
See! that today I am reading Exodus The Breast plate of judgement, has sapphire in it,
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=563100

and in
Exodus 24
10and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.

that is God; that is our Lord. O Mild! O Merciful! He is Almighty, he brings us salvation, and eternal life.

 

[tdgesq]

Good to hear from you again, TD.

Although you’ve not explicitly said so, it would seem that you might agree with the proposition that the psi experiences occasionally manifested by incorporated souls come from the same mechanism a soul would use in the absence of a body. ??

If so, the implications are interesting. Psi experiments are soul-level experiments, and might elucidate the currently mysterious mechanisms and modes of communication.

Comments?

I don’t know much about the field of psychic phenomena, other than it is largely dismissed as incapable of giving scientifically falsifiable results. It is true that Catholics believe in the ability of souls (without specifying the mechanism by which is possible) to at times communicate with the living. So in that regard, I agree it is possible and has happened in history. That being said, from a Catholic perspective, we are strongly discouraged to engage in attempts to seek active communication from souls. There are reasons for this.

The first reason relates to the ability to confirm the reliability of the communication. Whether a person is really communicating with a deceased soul is, in my opinion, not capable of scientific proof, at least in the sense of objective and repeatable testing leading to falsifiable result. It seems to be more of a subjective recounting of personal experience, which may or may not be reliable.

The second and more important reason is that in the case of a true communication with a “deceased” soul, we do not necessarily know with whom we are dealing. While the term “demon” is much demonized by society today, it can still be accepted by most (who believe such communication is possible) that we may be communicating with an agent of malice and discord. One who does not communicate the truth, but exactly the opposite.

For these reasons, I do not believe that psychic experiments are useful or desirable. From a Catholic point of view, attempts at such communication are prohibited.

 

[greylorn]

I don’t know much about the field of psychic phenomena, other than it is largely dismissed as incapable of giving scientifically falsifiable results.

The “scientifically falsifiable” results objection does not bother Darwinists in the least. Their beliefs have been falsified hundreds of times, most recently and effectively by Michael Behe, and when my book is published they will be challenged rigorously, if not authoritatively, by me. Falsifiability objections are totally phony.

The real problem is that there is no effective paradigm into which psi phenomena fits, except perhaps that of the Church. Certainly none which will satisfy “scientists” and their camp followers. After I provide one, things may change about forty years later.

It is true that Catholics believe in the ability of souls (without specifying the mechanism by which is possible) to at times communicate with the living. So in that regard, I agree it is possible and has happened in history. That being said, from a Catholic perspective, we are strongly discouraged to engage in attempts to seek active communication from souls. There are reasons for this.

The first reason relates to the ability to confirm the reliability of the communication. Whether a person is really communicating with a deceased soul is, in my opinion, not capable of scientific proof, at least in the sense of objective and repeatable testing leading to falsifiable result. It seems to be more of a subjective recounting of personal experience, which may or may not be reliable.

There have been many instances of reliable communication recorded in the serious literature about psychic phenomena. However, as with any kind of inter-human communications, reliability and reproducibility is impossible. Criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys are, for example, well aware of the inherent unreliability of eye-witness testimony, and variable memories.

As I mentioned earlier, it will prove impossible to scientifically verify, with controlled, repeatable experiments, something so commonly taken for granted as human thought.

These considerations do not invalidate your excellent point, but rather extend it to all human or once-upon-a-time human communications.

The problem arises, IMO, because many people mistakenly believe that disincorporated souls know things that we do not, and that they are inherently truthful. The opposite has been shown to be true more often than not.

The second and more important reason is that in the case of a true communication with a “deceased” soul, we do not necessarily know with whom we are dealing. While the term “demon” is much demonized by society today, it can still be accepted by most (who believe such communication is possible) that we may be communicating with an agent of malice and discord. One who does not communicate the truth, but exactly the opposite.

Here you are right on. I have trained two individuals as trance channelers, given each of them protection mechanisms and cautions. The protections worked in both cases. While one went on to a successful and productive career which privately helped many individuals, alive and dead, the other had a husband who decided that he could judge the validity of the incoming information effectively. This proved costly to them, but not disastrous because they could afford the bill.

I have no trouble whatsoever accepting the reality of demons, who run the gamut from nitwits who have not learned a thing from either their life or their demise, to genuinely malevolent and powerful spooks. For me, the most damaging are the published spooks like Seth/Kryon (same spook) who have convinced thousands of slow-witted individuals to follow their nonsensical teachings.

To summarize, your cautions are well advised. Few people are mentally and emotionally equipped to spend any time in spookville. Plenty of problems just dealing with planet earth.

For these reasons, I do not believe that psychic experiments are useful or desirable. From a Catholic point of view, attempts at such communication are prohibited.

Your objections dealt with the communication between incorporated and disincorporated souls, but it was never my intent to propose experiments in that direction.

The majority of psychic experiences involve communication between real live people, sometimes in real time (common telepathy), occasionally in negative time (precognition). Many individuals (1 in 30) have had out-of-body experiences. Uri Geller really can bend metal with his mind, or with some force exerted through that mind. These are the psi examples I’m addressing.

Why? Because I believe strongly that if civilization is to survive and mankind is to prosper intellectually, we must learn exactly what human beings are, and must investigate better possibilities for the human purpose than those provided by any known religion. Especially, atheism and scientism must be defeated.

This cannot happen unless we investigate every aspect of the human experience.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Well we actually are to have bodies in Heaven since there will be a ressurrection of the body. I know we can be contacted by God in our thoughts but I think we have been restrained by our bodies or that our souls don’t have this ability. I actually am a magician and I will be the first to tell you that all psychics are frauds.

A completely unscientific assertion unless you have studied every single psychic yourself. BTW, did you mean to include Padre Pio? Figure he was just a good “cold reader?”

If you can show me someone who can actually do these things in a scientific setting, then I would believe.

If you bothered to look for and at the research you’d know this has been done over and over, replicated, affirmed,confirmed, mathematically proven. Google is your friend.

Unfortunately for them, I know how they appear to do it and will not fall for it. Besides, if there were real psychics they would take Jame Randi’s challenge and make a million dollars.

James Randi is a fraud, he hasn’t got a million, never did have and knows better than I do that psychism is a natural and actually fairly common trait amongst H. sap. That’s why he only lets phonys and weirdos take his “challenges.” And please don’t post images of his phonied-up documents. BTDT.

They would win the lottery.

If you knew anything about psychism, you’d understand the process and how it manifests and why this is a rather foolish thing to say.

Study the lives of the saints and visionaries and see if you can allow for things to exist that are a bit beyond your personal experience. Jesus was true man, yet, He was also psychic.

 

[Julia_Mae]

The first reason relates to the ability to confirm the reliability of the communication. Whether a person is really communicating with a deceased soul is, in my opinion, not capable of scientific proof, at least in the sense of objective and repeatable testing leading to falsifiable result. It seems to be more of a subjective recounting of personal experience, which may or may not be reliable.

The second and more important reason is that in the case of a true communication with a “deceased” soul, we do not necessarily know with whom we are dealing. While the term “demon” is much demonized by society today, it can still be accepted by most (who believe such communication is possible) that we may be communicating with an agent of malice and discord. One who does not communicate the truth, but exactly the opposite.

For these reasons, I do not believe that psychic experiments are useful or desirable. From a Catholic point of view**, attempts at such communication are prohibited**.

But here’s the problem. They are going to communicate with us, if we are able to receive the information, whether we want them to or not. The Church is just chock full of mediums, including some priests. Yet, even though “discernment of spirits” is listed amongst the gifts of the Holy Spirit to “benefit all” mediums are shunned, accused and made to hide their ability or have to leave the Church.

Not a good thing. This whole scare tactic of trying to keep people from openness to God’s work because of some possibility of evil spirits is WAY overstated. People who deal with these things deal with them. You are far more likely to garner the wrath of the Liar with an active prayer life and a devotion to Jesus Christ.

And, yes, there have been controlled experiments by real scientists with all kinds of letters after their names of various kinds of psychism including mediumship and of course it can be demonstrated and replicated and has been. For decades now.

NO ONE can “conjure up” anything. They come because they come, usually in loving concern for those still here. This is by the will of God, and we reject Him in this.

Again: not a good thing.

 

[theophilus1985]

“All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to ‘unveil’ the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums…All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion…Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Even for the sake of healing are magical practices condemned. How much less their use for the sake of human curiosity and/or entertainment? In fact it is a form of idolatry. The Bible expresses its condemnation in even stronger terms:

“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.” Deuteronomy 18:10-12

This is a serious warning because in reality there is no safe way to engage with the spirit world. Self-delusion is really the least of your worries. The devil is cunning. He or any one of his slaves may at first seem harmless, may masquerade as a ghost or some benevolent spirit. But that is a trap. Spirit guides may lead a soul to reject sound doctrine. Or it may open doors to even worse things such as demonic oppression or even possession. And no, not all cases of possession look like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. It can be a lot more subtle than that.

So, for the good of your own soul, stop messing with that stuff!

 

[JDaniel]

If you expect to survive your body’s death in soul-form, meaning as a spirit-being, you will have none of the senses you currently enjoy, and no brain to interpret their (name removed by moderator)ut. Nor will you possess a mouth and vocal chords, or a body to implement your will.

How then will you communicate, if not by telepathy? How will you act, if not via telekinesis? How will you see, if not by the same mechanisms used by out-of-body travelers— or those which Nostradamus employed to perceive events before they occurred?

(Quoted from “Digital Universe, Analog Soul,” with permission of the author.)

Greylorn:

The Church has its own conclusions drawn from the principle that angels are spirits. These are from The Teaching of the Catholic Church, Vol I, ch. VIII: The Angels, pp 259 ff, 1962:

1. Angels have a beginning, but they cannot perish; they remain everlastingly the same.
2. Angels are not subject to the laws of time, but have a duration measure of their own.
3. Angels are completely superior to space, so that they could never be subject to its laws.
4. Angelic power on the material world is exerted directly through the will.
5. Angelic life has two faculties only, intellect and will.
6. In the sphere of nature an angel cannot err, either in intellect or will.
7. An angel never goes back on a decision once taken.
8. The angelic mind starts with fulness of knowledge, and it is not, like the human mind, subject to gradual development.
9. An angel may directly influence another created intellect, but he cannot directly act on another created will.
10. Angels have free will; they are capable of love and hatred.
11. Angels know material things and individual things,
12. Angels do not know the future; they do not know the secret thoughts of other rational creatures; they do not know the mysteries of grace, unless such things be revealed freely, either by God or by other rational creatures.

From this point on, the volume goes into a bit of detail on each of these, so, if anyone has any particular questions concerning them, I have their answers.

jd

 

[Julia_Mae]

"All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to ‘unveil’ the future.

Starting with this. No one can “conjure” the dead. If they think they can it’s a sure sign of Demonic involvement. True mediums can simply receive information that those who have passed are sending. It’s not like you do anything to get it, it just comes. They can’t be “conjured” because they are right here. The Kingdom of God is at hand. What all this means is that a true medium is not violating any Church directives, but simply exhibiting the Grace of God and Gift of the Holy Spirit.

As for psychism: it’s not “magic.” If a person gets information not obtainable through the standard 5 senses means, it’s not something they can make happen. Sometimes it just does. People have become involved in scientific studies and purposely attempted to receive information, some can, some can’t, some are better at it than others.

This is a serious warning because in reality there is no safe way to engage with the spirit world.

Uh, what’s “the spirit world?” You mean the state of being of those who have passed? You “engage the spirit world” every time you pray to any Saint, or attend any Mass.

I really have a very bad reaction to those who want us all to pretend God does not give these gifts to people, that we have to all frightened of the miracles of God, that God is helpless to protect us. He is not.

Spirit guides may lead a soul to reject sound doctrine. Or it may open doors to even worse things such as demonic oppression or even possession. And no, not all cases of possession look like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. It can be a lot more subtle than that.

This means two things to me: that you are the one who believes superstition and that the Church needs to take an active role with the psychics and mediums in Her midst to provide guidance and protection in these matters.

 

[promethius]

If you expect to survive your body’s death in soul-form, meaning as a spirit-being, you will have none of the senses you currently enjoy, and no brain to interpret their (name removed by moderator)ut. Nor will you possess a mouth and vocal chords, or a body to implement your will.

How then will you communicate, if not by telepathy? How will you act, if not via telekinesis? How will you see, if not by the same mechanisms used by out-of-body travelers— or those which Nostradamus employed to perceive events before they occurred?

(Quoted from “Digital Universe, Analog Soul,” with permission of the author.)

If we are outside of the physical universe, awaiting the final judgement and resurrection, then there will be no “seeing”, “communicating”, or “acting”, at least not in the sense of human understanding, because we will be outside the current space-time dimensions.

After the resurrection, we will all have bodies.

Ergo, I reject the author’s premise.

 

[jdwood983]

If you expect to survive your body’s death in soul-form, meaning as a spirit-being, you will have none of the senses you currently enjoy, and no brain to interpret their (name removed by moderator)ut. Nor will you possess a mouth and vocal chords, or a body to implement your will.

How then will you communicate, if not by telepathy? How will you act, if not via telekinesis? How will you see, if not by the same mechanisms used by out-of-body travelers— or those which Nostradamus employed to perceive events before they occurred?

(Quoted from “Digital Universe, Analog Soul,” with permission of the author.)

Not sure on Protestant theology, but Catholics expect the resurrection of the body, so no need for telekinesis or telepathy then. However, before the resurrection, I don’t see why communication and action would not be through these methods.

I do want to mention that I don’t see how this quote of yours* is a proof that Christians should accept psychic phenomena. I don’t see why after-death communication would necessitate worldly psychic phenomena.

*I Google searched the title you gave and found no paper or book or anything, except this forum. Can you provide a link?

 

[GEddie]

Not sure on Protestant theology, but Catholics expect the resurrection of the body, so no need for telekinesis or telepathy then. However, before the resurrection, I don’t see why communication and action would not be through these methods.

I do want to mention that I don’t see how this quote of yours* is a proof that Christians should accept psychic phenomena. I don’t see why after-death communication would necessitate worldly psychic phenomena.

*I Google searched the title you gave and found no paper or book or anything, except this forum. Can you provide a link?

On this issue, Protestant and Catholic theologies are in essence the same.

ICXC NIKA