Psychology v/s Parapsychology

[rayograph]

when I decided to watch a special episode about black magic and fortune-telling on "Ahmar bel khat el 3arid" tonight (LBC) I expected the main drive of the show to be a falsification of these illusions and a scientific and objective approach; I was stunned when it turned out to be more like an episode of "supernatural" or "buffy the vampire slayer"!

and i couldn't help but sympathise completely with the only rational guest, a psychologist named Dr.Sarkis who only had a small opportunity to explain the whole freak show as imminent psychological disorders and mental illnesses and they wouldn't even let him finish his view!

I think it is a shame that some people still believe in things like black magic and possession etc... when there is a clear and scientific explanation now to these illusions and delusions...

If you ever visited the Qadisha valley you will find a horrid, pitch dark cave with huge metal chains dangling from the top; if you ask they'll tell you Saint Antoine used to heal crazy people using brutal force by tying them up and locking them up in this cave...

If psychology and psychiatry was well advanced and known back then, am sure a simple treatment would have cured these poor people instead of an irrational "spirtual/parapsychological" approach that was basically benefiting from people's igorance to further expand religion by giving it more credibility...

[chafic]

Originally Posted by rayograph

when I decided to watch a special episode about black magic and fortune-telling on "Ahmar bel khat el 3arid" tonight (LBC) I expected the main drive of the show to be a falsification of these illusions and a scientific and objective approach; I was stunned when it turned out to be more like an episode of "supernatural" or "buffy the vampire slayer"!

and i couldn't help but sympathise completely with the only rational guest, a psychologist named Dr.Sarkis who only had a small opportunity to explain the whole freak show as imminent psychological disorders and mental illnesses and they wouldn't even let him finish his view!

I think it is a shame that some people still believe in things like black magic and possession etc... when there is a clear and scientific explanation now to these illusions and delusions...

If you ever visited the Qadisha valley you will find a horrid, pitch dark cave with huge metal chains dangling from the top; if you ask they'll tell you Saint Antoine used to heal crazy people using brutal force by tying them up and locking them up in this cave...

If psychology and psychiatry was well advanced and known back then, am sure a simple treatment would have cured these poor people instead of an irrational "spirtual/parapsychological" approach that was basically benefiting from people's igorance to further expand religion by giving it more credibility...

Indeed rayograph, I've seen today's show too and it's no more than a disgrace, especially for the show crew and mainly the host (Maktabi). It's mainly a manifestation of the hypocrisy and\or ignorance widely spread in our society. Instead of enlightening people with science and reason, the purpose of the talkshow seemed to rather be highlighting and insisting on the genuiness of magic, and the existence of jinn and demons and other dark ages gibberish. Basically, the whole time was allocated between the stories of some mentally disturbed people talking about their "experiences" (backed up by some spooky wannabe footages) treated with all seriousness and without any questioning, and on the other the side two freaks, one of whom is a Sheikh and the other a "magician"; Those two charlatans kept discussing nonsense about the pact with the devil, and mediums and religious interpretations and cures for quite a long time. The funny thing is that the Sheikh was throughout the show asked to intervene to evaluate the different stories and give a professional opinion (of course in ignorance, dogma and charlatanism) as a man of knowledge, while the psychologist was asked to give an opinion only at the end of the show (not to ruin all the fun); Of course the dude (the only sane person on stage) was about to explode due to the amount of stupidity in the air, and he summarized the situation very well in few words but then, the host of the show decided to put things back on track and interrupt (and stop) him using the "this is your opinion and I respect it" rubbish (after all, there's a part two of my masquerade, and you can't just ruin my show you scientific idiot!).
The conclusion of the show: There is magic, and demons, and Jinns and Harut and Marut and spirits and pacts with the devil and possessed people and haunted places. The solution: Faith, faith, and more faith, praying, and going to the sheikh or the priest because they can deliver you. In some cases, reverse magic can work too, but it's preferably to be compliant with religion.

[rayograph]

Originally Posted by chafic

Indeed rayograph, I've seen today's show too and it's no more than a disgrace, especially for the show crew and mainly the host (Maktabi). It's mainly a manifestation of the hypocrisy and\or ignorance widely spread in our society. Instead of enlightening people with science and reason, the purpose of the talkshow seemed to rather be highlighting and insisting on the genuiness of magic, and the existence of jinn and demons and other dark ages gibberish. Basically, the whole time was allocated between the stories of some mentally disturbed people talking about their "experiences" (backed up by some spooky wannabe footages) treated with all seriousness and without any questioning, and on the other the side two freaks, one of whom is a Sheikh and the other a "magician"; Those two charlatans kept discussing nonsense about the pact with the devil, and mediums and religious interpretations and cures for quite a long time. The funny thing is that the Sheikh was throughout the show asked to intervene to evaluate the different stories and give a professional opinion (of course in ignorance, dogma and charlatanism) as a man of knowledge, while the psychologist was asked to give an opinion only at the end of the show (not to ruin all the fun); Of course the dude (the only sane person on stage) was about to explode due to the amount of stupidity in the air, and he summarized the situation very well in few words but then, the host of the show decided to put things back on track and interrupt (and stop) him using the "this is your opinion and I respect it" rubbish (after all, there's a part two of my masquerade, and you can't just ruin my show you scientific idiot!).
The conclusion of the show: There is magic, and demons, and Jinns and Harut and Marut and spirits and pacts with the devil and possessed people and haunted places. The solution: Faith, faith, and more faith, praying, and going to the sheikh or the priest because they can deliver you. In some cases, reverse magic can work too, but it's preferably to be compliant with religion.

exactly Chafic! Maktabi considered the scientifical and professional explanation an opinion and the collective deranged stories a fact!

[Rors]

I only watched about 10 mins of today's rerun, and it happened to be the part where the magician was explaining how the devils speak to him and tell him what to do concerning each case presented to him, while the sheikh was blaming him for those satanic practices and his pacts with the devils and whatnot.
What was appaling was Maktabi's reactions, his questions and the place he led the show to. It was like watching an episode of the times of Joan Of Arc, only here they wore ties.
What a disgrace

What did the scientific have to say?

[rayograph]

Originally Posted by Rors

I only watched about 10 mins of today's rerun, and it happened to be the part where the magician was explaining how the devils speak to him and tell him what to do concerning each case presented to him, while the sheikh was blaming him for those satanic practices and his pacts with the devils and whatnot.
What was appaling was Maktabi's reactions, his questions and the place he led the show to. It was like watching an episode of the times of Joan Of Arc, only here they wore ties.
What a disgrace

What did the scientific have to say?

he had a lot to say, starting with the fact that they should have all been seeing psychiatrists and psychologists for a long time!

[Xena]

Originally Posted by rayograph

If you ever visited the Qadisha valley you will find a horrid, pitch dark cave with huge metal chains dangling from the top; if you ask they'll tell you Saint Antoine used to heal crazy people using brutal force by tying them up and locking them up in this cave...

If psychology and psychiatry was well advanced and known back then, am sure a simple treatment would have cured these poor people instead of an irrational "spirtual/parapsychological" approach that was basically benefiting from people's igorance to further expand religion by giving it more credibility

and Saint Antoine wouldn't have been called a saint? and maybe most of our society's believes wouldn't be the residue of fortune telling?

[rayograph]

Originally Posted by Xena

and Saint Antoine wouldn't have been called a saint? and maybe most of our society's believes wouldn't be the residue of fortune telling?

what i was trying to say is that schizophrenia for instance was "demon possessing" at that time, and a simple dose of Xanax was an exorcism!

[rayograph]

apparently there's a sequel to this stupid freak show this wednesday!

[rayograph]

Part II of the paranormal/demon possession :

you might be married to a demon and you don't know it yet!!!

looool!

ya3neh, ahmar men heik ma fi!

[Kasparov]

Originally Posted by rayograph

Part II of the paranormal/demon possession :

you might be married to a demon and you don't know it yet!!!

looool!

ya3neh, ahmar men heik ma fi!

I think all men, after a short while of marriage, discover they are married to a demon , nothing new here :)