Explanation for electrical sensation during "healing" meeting

[morondog]

(22-12-2012 02:44 PM)amyb Wrote:  Some people interpret the evidence to fit their preexisting beliefs.

I think we all do... we just have differing preexisting beliefs.

[amyb]

(22-12-2012 02:56 PM)morondog Wrote:  

(22-12-2012 02:44 PM)amyb Wrote:  Some people interpret the evidence to fit their preexisting beliefs.

I think we all do... we just have differing preexisting beliefs.

To an extent, but I mean some people not only have zero skepticism about anything, but they actually think skepticism is a bad thing. That seems to me like gullibility,if you'll just believe anything on zero evidence. I just can't understand the idea that questioning things is bad, especially about something religious folks see as so important (god, afterlife, etc).

There was a time I genuinely wanted to believe in woo, but I still couldn't manage to find convincing evidence.

[morondog]

(22-12-2012 03:04 PM)amyb Wrote:  

(22-12-2012 02:56 PM)morondog Wrote:  I think we all do... we just have differing preexisting beliefs.

To an extent, but I mean some people not only have zero skepticism about anything, but they actually think skepticism is a bad thing. That seems to me like gullibility,if you'll just believe anything on zero evidence. I just can't understand the idea that questioning things is bad, especially about something religious folks see as so important (god, afterlife, etc).

There was a time I genuinely wanted to believe in woo, but I still couldn't manage to find convincing evidence.

Yeah, same here. Was all keen to be a true believer.

Agreed. Single most horrible and stupid aspect of religion is the elevation of gullibility to a virtue. But then, if they didn't do that, religion wouldn't be perpetuated

[amyb]

I read some article from some apologist saying the internet is the biggest threat to xianity because (1)it gives kids access to different points of view/cultures/religions, and (2)it has a lot of information and that can encourage people to be skeptical. What. It just seems problematic and cultlike to say that access to information and contact with other kinds of people is a threat. And it's not just one nutjob, I've met lots of people who think this way. If you're doubting god, then god is "testing" you, which means the correct thing to do is stop doubting and "overcome" this doubt (and if you don't, there is the sense that you've failed or are weak).

A roommate of mine in college thought I was quite obviously evil and didn't talk to me for this reason. She would also sit in the room crying unless she went to church 3x or more per week, because she needed to "feel the presence of Jesus." To me, she sounded exactly like a drug addict, which is why I bring up emotional states and so on relating to people feeling tingly or elated and having religious experiences.

[fstratzero]

I did the experiment where I just simply flexed my arm muscles really
hard, with my hands over my ears, to get this sound effect.

[Luminon]

(20-12-2012 07:27 PM)Flowergurl Wrote:  Hi all,
I don't know if you get a lot of people who are on the brink of leaving Christianity after doing some research and... honestly, just thinking logically about life and the world. Even recent events such as the shooting and seeing Christians' responses just made me feel ill.
Anyway, there has been one thing that is keeping me held on to my belief in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And that is, a few years back, I was at a church service and went up to have hands laid on me. When the preacher laid his hands on my head, I literally felt AND heard electrical surges going through my ears. It also felt very warm.
I know, please don't think I'm crazy. I am here to seek some actual answers on this. Because I am on the brink of becoming an agnostic atheist myself. OMG. I said it. For the first time in my life. How about that?
I perceived this to be the power of God. Later on, sometimes that piece of evidence was the only thing that held my faith together.
I just don't know what it could have been. I was fully awake and aware so it was certainly not sleep paralysis or hallucinations. I remember being like, wow this is crazy.
The only thing I can think of is the preacher, and other preachers, carry some sort of current on their hands? I just don't know what else it could've been aside from that.
I also have other Christians telling me that they feel this strong force push them backwards. This has never happened to me and I always wondered about it.
Any insights will be most helpful. I want to nip this thing in the butt!

Of course, the buzzing vibration sounds of strained tendons and joints, that's a common thing. Specially to those who ever tried laying hands on people It was several years ago, but I did try the same thing as you, with a real pastor. I am over-sensitive to certain sensations and phenomena and the experience was very unpleasant, actually. I was just curious and not emotional or hysterical at all. I know it's best to have no expectations, to create no false sensations. He did not grab my head, he just lightly touched my forehead and heart. But the burning sensation was so strong, that I barely could keep myself from flinching back. I felt really weak for a week afterwards, I'm sensitive to such things. Or just very sinful

Anyway, I'm sensitive to such things all my life and I don't think there's a simple explanation. I'd say there's much more to human and other life than just cells and tissues.
My personal guess is, that we're composite beings, made of biologic body and a body of dark matter, two in one at least. And the other ethereal body is much under our will, possible to "fire it up" through concentration if we are feeling up to the task - and to transfer this energy or take it away. That's what I experience, I'd say I feel more this ethereal body than my muscles and bones. But nevermind me, I live all my life around people who do Reiki and I don't find anything strange about it. People say weird things, like Seth of the local podcast says, "the fire in your belly" - that's exactly where one of the main energy centers is, on the other side than the adrenal glands, and that's what I can feel too.

But assuming there's the Christian God behind it all, that's a really long stretch. Use some Occam's razor here, please. Maybe these preachers stumbled upon some natural phenomenon, but that doesn't mean the world was created in six days! If you think this is a real experience, we can, I don't know, be really annoying to skeptics and scientists and maybe they'll finally believe us that we're not imagining things.

[cheapthrillseaker]

Not only the straining muscles, but the air pressure inside your ear changing at a constant rate. Those who get the 'healing' experience heightened senses, from adrenaline from being in front of a crowd/being the center of attention from the healer to raised blood pressure from anxiety/anticipation of the healing itself.

Ever get scared and you hear your heart pumping? Cover your ears and you'll hear the same stuff.

[Luminon]

(22-12-2012 04:36 PM)cheapthrillseaker Wrote:  Not only the straining muscles, but the air pressure inside your ear changing at a constant rate. Those who get the 'healing' experience heightened senses, from adrenaline from being in front of a crowd/being the center of attention from the healer to raised blood pressure from anxiety/anticipation of the healing itself.

Ever get scared and you hear your heart pumping? Cover your ears and you'll hear the same stuff.

Maybe it's not the same thing...
I thought it must be some muscles leftover from our animal ancestors ear control, but it's not the ear-moving muscles, maybe something near them. But if I focus a little and strain something mysterious near the bottom of my head, I hear this weird noise, like a stone grinding on stone... Some microscopic muscles perhaps start pulling on something near my hearing canal, disturbing the hearing cells and making this noise. I don't know if any other people can do this, but maybe they can, unconsciously. When they're anxious or something, they could think they're hearing things.

[Logica Humano]

Because he had a concealed frayed wire and was actually shocking you, silly goose.

[morondog]

(23-12-2012 03:26 PM)Logica Humano Wrote:  Because he had a concealed frayed wire and was actually shocking you, silly goose.

How shocking...