Exorcism as a multiparadigm phenomenon

[Trixter1]

Ok,
How do you guys parse the existence and the effectiveness of casting out spirits in so many different paradigms, religions and magical frameworks?

 

[Morell]

Ok,
How do you guys parse the existence and the effectiveness of casting out spirits in so many different paradigms, religions and magical frameworks?

This world belongs to humans. Every human that is master of a place, or themselves, and so on... can express their authority. Religions only offer structure to express that authority but are not that authority. This kind of authority is kind of basic human right.

 

[beardedeldridge]

Now there is the question isn’t it.

Short/clunky/woefully inadequate (quickly typed on a phone) answer incoming:

There is a source of everything (think about that however you want). From that everything that is (in this world or in that one) comes from it. Creation of everything came about as part of a process/system, that creation setup different authorities/hierarchies/powers/rights/functions. Humans are INTERESTINGLY positioned between this world and everything else. That gives us significant authority where this world and that one interact. A lot of magic can be accomplished through our authority alone. We can also utilize the traits of other things to strengthen that further. But that isn’t necessary with enough practice/experience/will (correspondences for an example). We can also contact/interact/use other things from the other side (with their own authorities/traits/functions/etc) to further strengthen our attempt.

Magicians/occultists/priests/etc…….. utilize how those connections/relationships/rules/laws/whatever interact to bring about our goals.

Religions/paradigms/magical frameworks are very simplified models/pieces of that whole that we use to understand those relationships/interactions based on our background/experiences. And in our case to conceptualize them in a way that we can work with. So more than one thing can be “true” (i would replace that word with “useful”) since it all only explains part of it.

So in short, a person can do a good bit with a little knowledge/understanding/discipline/determination. And once we can get results then we generally stop looking deeper and so our tradition/religion/framework is born/solidified.

-Eld

 

[Trixter1]

Thanks for your replies. Interesting perspectives.

 

[Morell]

I think I'll dig into that question a little.

I think that there is underlying issue of one true religion here. This is a problematic concept. Elitism aside, the followers believing that they only have the privilege get into cognitive dissonance, when they find out that people following other faiths have the same results with their way of exorcism as themselves. Even worse if they are better. The reason is that it puts into question the validity of their privileged position of being in god's favor.

Usually it turns into the others being supported by Devil, so they can explain it out while keeping themselves special. The fact is, if you see yourself special through being better than others, you easily end disillusioned. Someone in the end will be able to do stuff better than you.

Being special by membership is simple tribalism. If you want to be special, make yourself special by developing a skill, that is hard to develop. Banishing spirits is one of the first things one has to master when developing occult/magical/spiritual practice. Practically, you take control of yourself and consequently of your environment. So if I banish, and there are few cases when I did, it was no scary scene like in the horrors, just ritual and done. The jerk was gone. If it wasn't and I had to fight using a lot of my strength, then It's not necessary spirit being powerful, but me not being strong enough to do this effectively.