Parapsychosis

Jeremiah 10:14,15 “Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge;
Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;
For his molded image is falsehood,
And there is no breath in them.
They are futile, a work of errors;
In the time of their punishment they shall perish.”

Parapsychology is a field of study that investigates paranormal or “psychic” phenomena, including purported mental abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis.

It doesn’t take a vast understanding of the human mind to recognize the depth of its complexity. With complexity comes questions and not every question is easily answered. It seems that whatever aspect of life that is difficult to understand, there is a movement associated that attempts to draw conclusions about the unknown. Nearly every instance where mankind attempts to fill the void of misunderstanding (apart from God), is an attempt to elevate man into a position of god-like status or other form of deity to fill out the equation.

A psychosis is a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.

How we think often dictates who we are. If we live skeptically, we struggle with trusting anyone, even occasionally ourselves. If we perceive our circumstances through the lens of our experiences, we run the risk of misinterpreting what we think we know or understand.

A parapsychosis is then a psychosis characterized by abnormal or unnatural thinking.

There are many instances in the Bible that relate the need for a change in perspective. This is one of the great influences of God’s Word, the ability to shift our perspective into alignment with God’s will and purpose. If we lose contact with the Spirit of God, we lose the influence needed to make right decisions. For instance, when considering someone else’s faults, Jesus encourages us to consider ourselves first.

Matthew 7:1-5 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

It is not easy to be transformed, the old habits, ways of thinking, and moral bankruptcy of character can be obstacles that inhibit our growth and development. If all we do is worry about how messed up everyone else is, we will fail to ever see ourselves in the correct light we need to grow. To be skeptical of others is to either elevate ourselves into a position that we consider as above them or it becomes a destructive tendency that attempts to bring others lower (usually down to our level). Either way, when we judge others we have made it a priority to act as a person of authority, even if that authority has never been granted.

Fear

Fear is another aspect of unnatural thinking. Perceiving imminent danger isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. I had a fear of other peoples dogs as a kid. Having had newspaper routes for a few years the nature of throwing a newspaper up to someone’s doorstep was too much for a dog to handle. After being chased down by dogs on a few occasions I began to consider every dog a threat and thus I developed a fear that was probably unwarranted on many occasions.

Luke 12:4-7 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Having wisdom before you enter into a situation or recognizing danger is not being fearful, it is being cautious. If I noticed a team of sharks circling in the water I wouldn’t jump in and swim with them, it would be foolish of me to hope they would just leave me alone, but if I’m a diver with a knowledge of shark behavior and have the necessary tools to fend them off, I would have much more confidence going into the water.

The Lord has given us a mind to reason with and considering our actions can be just a matter of common sense. Knowing we can’t control every variable in every situation requires us to trust that the Lord takes care of the things we can’t control.

I have often read articles about people going to Mexico on vacation. They will go to a bar and drink until the early morning hours and then walk back to their hotel down a dark street they are unfamiliar with. Is it surprising that people are robbed at gunpoint in these situations or even worse, murdered? Anytime we put ourselves in a position of vulnerability around people who have a low set of ethics and morality, we make ourselves a target of attack.

Forsaking wisdom can have dire consequences, which is why we are encouraged to pray for wisdom on many occasions.

Ecclesiastes 7:25 “I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.”

The Occult

Practicing or dabbling in psychic phenomena is a practice in the occult. The attempt to conjure up a connection to the dead will not connect you with a lost loved one, that is what they want you to think. To partake of this practice is actually an attempt to connect with some form of supernatural being through the use of black magic. As a verb, an occult is the act of being hidden from sight and the true intention of the enemy is to use a person’s emotions to open them up to demonic influence.

Evil doesn’t want to show itself for what it is, it would be repulsive, so it hides and then attempts to manifest itself as light or something good.

Isaiah 29:15 “Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”

We have a cult group in a nearby town that was established years ago by a couple that claimed the ability to channel an old spirit into interacting with them. I believe they have channeled a demonic spirit and this demon has disguised itself as an ancient ancestor that is speaking from the grave. Many have flocked to this compound, many high profile Hollywood celebrities and people from around the world thinking they will become ‘enlightened’. I personally have met these Ramtha followers and others who immigrated to the U.S. and then stopped practicing with the organization. One of the techniques they employ is the practice of transcendental meditation, a Hindu practice of chanting mantras and gaining self-realization. The have taken this practice a step further by employing a technique that attempts to force their spirit to leave their body and move about in an interdimensional realm called Astral projection.

In my encounters with men in discipleship, I’ve met some who have dabbled with these practices and have subsequently suffered incredible harm as a result. Whenever a person opens themselves up to an encounter to spiritual entities that hate them, they are asking to be abused. The mental twisting that occurs can take years to recover from, the lies they are fed by these demonic spirits are hard to break free from and if they open themselves to some form of possession, they place themselves and others in danger of death.

The enemy finds all kinds of creative ways to lure victims into a place of vulnerability, whether by pride, fear, hedonism, or directly into the occult, the damage done can leave a person wondering for years alone, hopeless, and without any sense of purpose.

How is someone lured?—They either don’t know better or their point of reference for determining what is a good idea or a bad one is based on a worldly point of view.

Know

In the Hebrew and Greek languages, there are words used to consider, or see, or know someone or something.

When God looked upon His Creation in Genesis 1, He saw (or knew) all that He had made and declared it to be good. In the Hebrew, the word ‘saw’ is the word Raah. When Jesus gives us the encouragement to consider how God cares for the birds, will He not care much more for you, the term ‘consider’ is the greek term ‘Katanoeo’. This term is very similar to Raah in that we are encouraged to look beyond the superficial and into a God perspective.

The enemy can never partake of God’s model for His people so they try to mimic what God has already established.

The Spirit of God is our source for seeing beyond the obvious and into the divine. The more you walk in the Spirit, the more clearly you will see. The difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the occult is the source of your attention. There are many avenues for darkness, voodoo, witchcraft, astrology, drugs, or even meditation if focused in the wrong direction can lead to an opportunity for a demonic spirit to influence your life.

Job 12:22 “He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.”

Be very cautious of what you partake in, let godly wisdom be your guide, pray and trust the Word of God for every course of action and you will see clearly to avoid the pitfalls of a world that wants to destroy you.