Wicca, an alternative minority religion originating in the U.K. in the 1940s, is often criticized for being white-lighter and fluffy New Age nonsense. Margaret Murray’s extensive use of false evidence and Dr. Helen Berger, a professor of women’s studies and sociology at Brandeis University, argues that the commercialization of witchcraft has allowed modern witches to prosper financially without fear of being burned at the stake, drowned, or tortured. Throughout history, attempts to control women have masqueraded as crackdowns on witchcraft, and for some people, simply self-identifying as a witch is a symbol of strong female power. Major retailers like Walmart and Amazon sell the witchcraft symbol of the pentacle, pendulum divining tools, and dried herbs for spells and rituals. Some cherished objects, particularly colored stones and crystals, were bought at occult bookstores or shops.
Witches and witchcraft are part of the larger contemporary pagan movement, which involves the use of rituals, spells, and other techniques to influence or change. However, responses to Wicca as being white-lighter fluffy bunny New Age nonsense come from those who are most likely feeling threatened because they believe that witches do spells on others and use magic to control them.
In conclusion, the commercialization of witchcraft has allowed modern witches to prosper financially without fear of being burned at the stake, drowned, or tortured. It is important to recognize the potential dangers associated with witchcraft and to accept money for spiritual services rather than just witchcraft.
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Why did the girls start accusing people of witchcraft?
The reasons behind the witchcraft accusations among young girls in Puritan society are unclear, but Elizabeth Hubbard was one of the original girls to begin the accusations. She continued to be a leading accuser throughout the summer and fall of 1692. Elizabeth, like most of the other afflicted girls, was detached from her parents and family of birth and lived with her great-aunt Rachel Hubbard Griggs and her husband, town physician Dr. William Griggs.
In 1692, Elizabeth was around 17 years old, making her one of the oldest of the original set of afflicted girls. Along with Elizabeth Parris, Abby Williams, and Anne Putnam, Elizabeth started the accusations with claims of being tortured by specters of certain community members. Carol Karlsen’s research suggests that many of the accusing girls may have behaved as they did due to the uncertainty of their future as orphans. Most of the girls had no monetary or emotional support from direct family members, and the frontier wars had left their father’s estates considerably diminished.
Elizabeth Hubbard, like most of the other accusing girls, was a servant with very dismal prospects for the future. Karlsen suggests that the afflicted used their dramatic possession performances to focus the communities’ concern on their difficulties, which allowed them to gain the respect and attention of the community.
While the exact reasons behind the witchcraft accusations remain unknown, the documents we can read provide insights into the kind of girl Elizabeth Hubbard was.
Which country has the most witch trials?
Witch hunting in Early Modern Europe was a frenzy that occurred in two waves: the first in the 15th and early 16th centuries and the second in the 17th century. The most significant area of witch hunting was southwestern Germany, where the highest concentration of trials occurred between 1561 and 1670. The 1692-1693 Salem Witch Trials were a brief outburst of witch hysteria in the New World, occurring when the practice was already waning in Europe.
In February 1692, a girl became ill and her playmates exhibited unusual behavior. A supernatural cause was suggested, leading to suspicions of witchcraft. Three townswomen were accused of witchcraft: Tituba, a slave, Sarah Good, a poor beggar, and Sarah Osborne, a quarrelsome woman. During the trial, Tituba declared herself a witch and flew through the air on poles, silenced skeptics, and witch hunting began in earnest.
Why did people stop believing in witchcraft?
Witch persecution in England reached its peak in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, but by the 18th century, witch trials and belief had significantly declined, particularly in elite circles. The traditional explanation for this shift is that the rise of rationality, scientific reasoning, and secular humanism was incompatible with “superstitious” witch belief. However, this explanation is flawed and contains several flawed assumptions. Firstly, enlightenment and post-enlightenment thinkers were more rational than previous periods.
Secondly, scientific discoveries led to disbelief in magic and witches. Thirdly, thinkers who sought to disprove witch existence used secular means. The author argues that elite English disbelief in witches was caused by a new mode of Anglican religious thought, which was engineered to promote a stable social order beneficial to elites.
What led to the decline of witchcraft?
In the late 17th century, England witnessed a proliferation of scientific knowledge and a concomitant surge in demand for new ideas. This period saw the advent of theories based on evidence and experimentation, rather than on religion and supernatural phenomena. The last recorded execution for witchcraft occurred in 1716.
Is witchcraft real in the Bible?
The Hebrew Bible, specifically the Tanakh or Old Testament, contains laws prohibiting various forms of witchcraft and divination. These laws can be found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. Exodus 22:18 prohibits tolerating a sorceress, Leviticus 19:26 prohibits eating anything with its blood, and Leviticus 20:27 condemns a person or woman with a ghost or familiar spirit to death. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 prohibits anyone from consigning a son or daughter to the fire, being an augur, soothsayer, diviner, sorcerer, spell-caster, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits. These laws aim to protect individuals from the harmful effects of witchcraft and divination.
Why are people accused of witchcraft?
Witchcraft in early modern England was a complex phenomenon that caused fear and became a normal part of life. Newcomers to a community might be accused of witchcraft due to suspicion from their neighbors, or it could be a way to make money. The harvest failed, leading to increased suspicion. Witchcraft trials became a platform for grievances and disputes to be discussed, and people could testify for or against their neighbors.
Understanding the history of witchcraft provides insights into the realities of everyday life for ordinary people in early modern England, rather than the supernatural. Dr. Jessica Nelson, Head of Collections at The National Archives, delivered a 30-minute talk on the topic.
Is witchcraft illegal in the UK?
The Witchcraft Act 1735, passed in 1692, remained in effect in Britain until its repeal in 1951 with the Fraudulent Mediums Act. The Act was replaced by new Consumer Protection Regulations in 2008, following an EU directive on unfair sales and marketing practices. The Witchcraft Suppression Act, 1957, in South Africa, is still in effect and is based on the Witchcraft Act 1735. The Fraudulent Mediums Act was repealed in 2008 by new Consumer Protection Regulations.
Is witchcraft illegal in India?
India lacks a common central law criminalizing witchcraft, but state laws exist. Kerala has been urged to introduce a new law to curb superstitious practices following deaths linked to witchcraft rituals. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana have been identified as the states with the most witchcraft cases, accounting for 49 out of 68 registered cases in the country, according to the 2021 National Crime Records Bureau report.
When did witchcraft become a crime?
The first English Witchcraft Act, enacted in 1542, made witchcraft a crime punishable by death and within the jurisdiction of civil courts. Witchcraft was initially a misuse of magic and was managed by the church courts, which had specific jurisdiction, practice, and procedure. However, during the Tudor era, witchcraft prosecutions shifted from church courts to secular or royal courts. Henry VIII’s Act against Conjurations, Witchcrafts, Sorcery, and Inchantments was revived by his protestant daughter in 1563, imposing a one-year sentence for anyone found guilty of causing injury by witchcraft.
Early legislation can be found in Statutes of the Realm, available online for Oxford Single Sign On holders. For a comprehensive introduction to criminal procedure and law, refer to Chapters 29 and 30 of Baker’s Introduction to English Legal History.
What are the three sins God will not forgive?
Alma, a prominent figure in the Christian faith, had a profound teaching moment when he interviewed his son, Corianton, who had become involved with the harlot, Isabel. Alma warned Corianton that he was guilty of three abominable sins in the sight of God: denying the Holy Ghost, shedding innocent blood, and committing sexual sin. Adultery was third to murder and the sin against the Holy Ghost. To understand Corianton’s sin, he needed to understand its relationship to the two most abominable sins, enabling him to realize the possibilities of repentance and forgiveness.
Alma distinguished between unpardonable and pardonable sins. Unpardonable sins cannot be paid for through the atoning blood of Christ or personal suffering. The only sin that falls into this category is denying the Holy Ghost. All other sins are forgivable or pardonable because the demands of justice can be met through the atonement of Jesus Christ or personal payment by the sinner.
The Apostle John taught that there is a sin unto death, and there is a sin not unto death. Elder Bruce R. McConkie argued that the death John referred to meant “spiritual death”. There are sins for which repentance does not operate, sins that the atoning blood of Christ will not wash away, and sins for which the sinner must suffer and pay the full penalty personally.
Is witchcraft a religion?
Wicca, an alternative minority religion founded in the UK in the 1940s, is part of the contemporary pagan movement, which includes druids and heathens. Since its arrival in the US in the 1960s, Wicca has been growing, with an estimated 1. 5 million witches in the US. However, not all witches consider themselves Wiccans, with approximately 800, 000 Americans being Wiccans according to recent survey data. The increasing numbers in surveys and the growth of groups on platforms like TikTok suggest that the religion is continuing to grow.
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For everyone who watches this and reads these posts, PLEASE pray for pastor Richard Lorenzo jr! Sometimes we so busy praying for our own needs that we forget about our pastors, elders and deacons who also need to be constantly covered in our prayers, because they are also HUMAN and can face discouragement, trials and afflictions from the enemy. So i pray the Lord keep you, protect and strengthen you, encourage you and constantly fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit to do His work effectively, not for the glory of man, but that Jesus be lifted up and that the Father be glorified. Amen! Keep up the great work brother, it is an inspiration to fellow believers and helps build their faith 👍🙏 Big love from South Africa 🇿🇦 (hoping you will visit our beautiful country one day, I’ll even arrange the accommodation 🎉)
My sister used to practice witchcraft and use ouija boards. Her whole room is nothing but horror characters. She loves the evil eye beads. She went to a reading and they told her she needed a cleanse for $70 and she didn’t do it. She is severely depressed and heavily suicidal and has been for years. She suffers from anxiety/depression/panic disorder/ptsd and constantly needs to go to the ER for stomach pains and vomiting. They never know what’s wrong with her. I love her so much and want her to feel the peace that I do but if I mention the word Jesus, she switches and becomes angry and wants me to leave. I wish she could see the demonic attachments she’s put on herself. I wish she would stop trying to take her life and end her suffering when she can use her last resort and let Jesus take over.
I was deep into witchcraft for a long time. I was truly and fully deceived. I had altars to Hekate, Artemis, the Morrigan, Cerridwen, Freyja, Thor, and Loki. About a month ago, I came across one of your articles talking to two witches in a store. I thought nothing of it, but God had another plan! I gave my life back to Jesus just before Easter. And today I was JUST delivered from those demons that kept me in bondage with your prayer at the end of this article! Please keep my daughter in your prayers. Her name is Lacey. She has been deceived as well.
Woahhh I started feeling hot like feeling like I was about to pass out hot like my body over heated my face felt warm I got cold chills all over me and a tingling feeling went through my body I put the phone directly to my ear and turned it 🆙 ❤ Jesus please forgive me for I lost my way and I drifted away but lord I want more then ever to stop smoking cigarettes and weed this horrible addiction that’s so hard all I want is to love for you dear lord I’m forever thankful and grateful for you Heavenly Father I can’t believe I ever went into a psychic shop or had readings I’m so so sorry god please forgive me in Jesus name amen!❤🙏🤍
I’m Haitian and grow up in a Christian household. I have never been exposed directly to VUDU but my family has warned me about the dangers of exploring things like this. It opens up the doors to hell! Praying for the works of darkness to be exposed through your ministry, and others like this! I love my people, and I want to see them free.
I will share my my testimony during Pastor Rich powerful deliverance during this article. I felt literally “things” coming out of my body and much lighter and relieved ❤❤️🙏🏼 Then my son walks up to me like EVERY SINGLE night and tells me he is very scared to sleep in his room by himself… he’s only 8. I said ” I’m done with these demons tormenting my son!” I told him to stand in front of me and explained he was going to listen to a prayer to keep the bad things out of his room. I put my headphones on his ears and prayed along with Pastor Rich as my son was receiving the deliverance and I could see his body shaking. I kept praying in the name of Jesus! ❤🙏🏼 and when we were done I asked him what he felt and he couldn’t even speak! His eyes were watery and he said he felt happy and peace. ❤ I kept asking what else he felt and he said he felt bad “things” coming out of his stomach! He said all bad things were coming out and good things coming in. ❤ He fell sound asleep in less than 15 minutes. 🥹 THANK YOU JESUS❤🙏🏼 Thank you Pastor Rich! God Bless you. I will do the same thing with my teenagers!
I plead the holy blood of Jesus to cover and protect everyone who watches this article from the witchcraft spirits that may attempt to do harm. I pray that everyone who watches this that God provide an angel to stand next to the person perusal and to protect them. In the holy and perfect name of Jesus the messiah amen. Thank you lord
Richard I was inspired by your faith and I decided to take a step out of the boat today and pray for my moms wrists, she has a problem with her neck where it causes extreme pain in her wrists and back at times. And I prayed for her in my driveway and God healed her completely. She had no pain. And she said when she opened her eyes she had a light headed feeling. And I knew that it was the Holy Ghost. Thank you Rich for inspiring me to take a step out in my faith with God
19:08 I’ve been saved 3 1/2 years & on fire for Jesus! I used to mess with crystals, addicted to drugs, lust, sex… at this part of the article I started coughing uncontrollably (a demon leaving). I had a feeling something was buried deep inside, like something holding me back a deeper connection with Jesus. Pastor Rich… THANK YOU for being a obedient servant to Jesus! I will be setting up a meeting with my pastor, who’s experienced with deliverance, this week.
In less than 1 week ago I threw away all my tarot cards and astrology paraphernalia. I was heavily addicted to them and I could feel it literally draining my energy. It started a couple of days before Easter I stumbled upon Angela Ucci’s podcast interview with Jenn Nizza about them talking how they left the New Age and are now with Jesus. I am 54 and have been in the occult since I was child reading horoscopes and reading Tarot at age 13. My mom also did it when I was kid and our house was filled with tormenting demons. I have a long story but will try to keep it brief. Basically I went on to be in a Hindu cult for 10 years then went right back into New Age practices which lead me to working with a bunch of witches who eventually fired me because I was not Woke and would not conform to the insanity that the world has become. I kept seeing red snakes 8 in a matter of 2 weeks, seeing witches everywhere and I got very scared. I had a dream of 3-4 HUGE snakes rolling into my house and at that moment I thought it was warning of the witches. Then I recently learned about the python spirit fully knowing I had or maybe still have it. I have participated in this article now for 3 days and every time I start to convulse, shake, contort and hiss. Demons are definitely coming out and will continue everyday. I am so grateful for these articles because of my cult background I have resistance towards church’s. I pray I find the right community.
I’m Mexican. We grew up catholic. I never really understood religion. I just followed what I was taught. I think doing research is the most effective way to learn the truth about religion. I never realized how similar the saints in Catholicism resemble Haitian voodoo. This website has been a huge eye opener.
This is crazy. My neighbor pays someone just like this almost daily to harm me. I see it in my SPIRIT when he goes to pay. I KNOW I’m covered by The Blood of Jesus. He be downstairs so angry 🚬 smoking cigarettes back to back. They be big 😡 mad. It never🙅🏾♀️works. I KNOW it makes him mader. They burn something that smells so bad in the middle of the night. Whatever it is trys hard to make me sick. 🙅🏾♀️ Nothing works. I continue to Pray🙏🏾 for them. Thanks for this article Rich. I’m learning alot
I’m not really into any witchcraft or anything, but I had thoughts about doing new age stuff some time ago, and in my childhood I used to do some reading on cards with friends (mainly for a joke, but still) Thank you for the prayer, I prayed with you and started to yawn like crazy while doing that, I believe something really came out of me. I hope this article also helped someone else. God bless you, Richard, for all the good work you’re doing. Amen
I just watched this article and as I got to the end of it when the deliverance prayer was said, as soon as he addressed the spirit of rejection I began to vomit. I, myself, have never practiced witchcraft, but my grandmother and other family members have. I believe that their practices have generational effects. Although I have not done it I renounced it on their behalf for myself. Thank you Jesus! All glory be to God!! Thank you for that prayer!❤
In 2003 I was initiated into Santeria in Cuba and I was involved in these practices as well as astrology, divination, occult and numerous other new age practices. After 2+ years of extreme fatigue and sickness in my body I could not continue. I could not see a future and I had no hope in my life. I was like a dead man walking. I had tried everything else I could think of to regain my health. As an absolute last resort I turned to Jesus Christ – but I didn’t think anything would change or happen. I was wrong. I experienced many things including months of spiritual warfare and super realistic dreams of many black snakes fleeing. 3 months later I had a radical, life-changing encounter where I was allowed to be in the presence of Jesus Christ for a short time. I have never been the same since. He put in me the desire to read every word of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. And Jesus healed me 100% of all my infirmities. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega and He is the Way the Truth and the Life. I thank God for saving me and healing me. Amen.
I’ve been in many crystal and “mystic” shops and you can immediately tell if there’s light or darkness. I feel like that’s part of the gift. Like you said, untouchable. I’ve been told many times my light is so bright. I take note when my darkness meter goes off and the people are cold and rude to me. I get it now.
This article just brought out a hidden blessing for our marriage on a physical, emotional & spiritual level, all at the same time. It reminded us of our visit to the museum in Guadeloupe showcasing the introduction of slavery to n. America, but also”culture” to the island from Africans counties, like Benin…spiritual practices were displayed, & we happen to be there the week before Mardi Gras, too. But it was Pastor Richard’s comment on alcoholism & smoking that drew the blessing out in our household: conviction, repentance, & forgiveness and tossing out of items (with attached spirits) hidden and forgotten about in the house.
my cousin came to visit to me today and our Seminole Indian granny taught us how to work the Oijua board, we levitated people, had seances..my indian granny taught us indian learned culture ❤ We are both delivered and my cousin owns a 52 bed nursing home..and she is also a Minister amen hallelujah ❤️ 👍 👏 💙 Love ya man..love ur website i listened 🎶 to ur testimony ❤️ 💙 made me cry 😢 But look at you now man yessss amen 🙏 God is so good..Jesus is going to deliver 💙 our voodoo buddy here and his son and family. God is going to work some things out so he can get a 5013c non profit going for Yeshua and it will turn into profit..but hes going to have a huge testimony and he wont ever forget u man ❤
That is interesting that the guy confirmed the worship of baphomet by Beyonce and others. It’s like if you talk to people about “gnostic movies” (movies that depict the God character as evil and the satan character as good, such as: the Matrix, Truman Show, Pleasantville, etc.) some people will just think you are a “crazy Christian”, but those movies are also as regarded as gnostic by…GNOSTICS! A Christian is crazy for saying that Beyonce worships baphomet, but somebody who worships baphomet knows that she worships baphomet! The dark side confirms what Christians know, albeit from a different vantage point.
Hey rich, just wanted to say I was raised in an non denomination church . Of course through my teen life I got attacked and now I’m in deep . I tested other beliefs and now I’m getting multiple signs of evil around me. I have a coworker that showed me your page and now I feel like it’s a sign . He’s gone now but I’m still perusal your articles hit me up bro because I feel like all the churches around me don’t understand the spiritual battle going on
Why was I getting like weak and nauseous perusal this? I used to practice witchcraft and this made me so queasy🤢 I’m glad you are making articles about these topics and exposing the spirits and practices for what they really are. I practiced witchcraft for three years and was born again around my 17th birthday and got rid of all my cards, crystals, pendulum‘s, runes, candles, broke all my spells and got rid of my journal. I had astrology stuff all over my room and I had studied it and studied my birth chart and the birth charts of my family. I made my entire identity New Age witchcraft. I dedicated most of my time every day to it. Funnily enough, I learned that it was demonic (not from my encounters with demons in sleep paralysis but) through a TikTok article of a guy decades ago, speaking about the evil familiar spirits. I was like, “what is this guy talking about? I’m speaking to my spirit guide, dead relatives, and guardian angel…”
Richard Lorenzo Jr I recently seen a clip of your article while scolling threw articles but i didnt know aht i was looking for nothing caught my eye besides Your articles i now watch all your articles and seek for more anwsers to these things im a child of Jesus i need to be blessed and shown the way and guided because i have many bad things in my life
I watched this article through Isaiah saldvor and then watched your whole article. Thank you for doing God’s work. You are such a testimony of what christ can do. Can’t wait to watch you on Isiah s podcast. My husband has aunts who are witches of Senteria . On his father’s side of the family . This might just help with some ancestral demons and help him get sanctified and strengthen his road to whole salvation. Thank you so much.❤
Pastor please bless these articles before they’re released. So others are protected before perusal! You’re not afraid and neither should we but others who don’t know need that protection from the demonic evil! I pray that the exposure that is showed to be only for spiritual gain to bring awareness from the evil! I loved the ending I’m so happy you help us understand the good and show the evil we must pray against!
Growing up in catholic church, i can ensure we hum our verses, hold our hands up, bowed while our priest prayed, we always eat our bread and wine every chruch session while smoke fills the air, i use to be so scared to go to the bathroom alone or praying room i always felt like someone was always there with me in that huge 4 story church but i grew and learned
Came from Isaiah saldivars website. I’m glad I got to see this . God bless you . Pray for me . I’m in need of God now . I need his deliverance . From all of my addictions. God chose me from before I was born but I’ve failed him many times and I’ve rejected him, but I want him . In my life, I want peace, I want love.
Wow,,,,,am from ETHIOPIA,and most of 80%is orthodox,and they belive in st merry and they have like 44 tabernacle with different names .and each of them have got church’s by their names.and if you go to every orthodox house they have that this big st marry and other pictures on their walls even in my family’s house…I used to be one of them and I get shocked when I saw this vid….please pray for my son and families to be saved in Christ.
I grew up Catholic and my mother would get those candles for money. We once had an Ouija board, we didn’t know what we were getting into. Thank God He delivered a lot of my family out of that cult. When you mentioned putting hot peppers down someone’s throat, I thought about that chip challenge. I could be wrong, but that’s what came to mind.
Deut.4 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
I am so happy i found your website. I am 37 years old and was raised Roman catholic and went to 12 years of catholic school. It never resonated with me and i kid u not in religion/theology class we never thoroughly read the bible. They picked and chose what we studied. When i graduated high school i knew i no longer wanted to be apart of the catholic church bc just by looking at the vatican and the pope i knew something wasnt right. Im not gonna lie, on my Journey to find what resonated with my soul i got mixed up in witchcraft getting reiki done on me, reading tarot, im very intuitive and have had spiritual interactions since i was small child so i would use my intuition to do readings as well. I used crystals etc…i followed a new age woman named doren virtue who eventually turned christian and by then i had already begun to realize what i wad doing wasnt of God. I do have a question though, since i was baptized catholic do i need to be baptized again as a christian? I made my confirmation and when the bishop put the chrism on my forehead i actually passed out and had to be taken outside. I had many things telling me being catholic wasnt for me but my family r all catholic and my dad even til this day tries to tell me i have to be catholic. Sorry for the long comment your articles just really touch my soul and i am learning so much
Richard, I grew up in later years with my mother using voodoo and voodoo priest and witchcraft on me for no reason at all, she claimed she was Christian, no. Jesus would use me and tell me to tell my mother she was wrong. I was born knowing of Jesus and experienced a near death as a toddler from polio. I died of polio, an North American who the adults knew came, to note, I was alone at home when someone came home to see me battling. My brother born before me had a responsibility to stay home and watch me but he did what he wanted and I was always alone, when I got tired of holding on, a lot happened but at the other side was God’s voice, God’s hands, God’s light. He watched over me while I saw what was happening to my body, that experience has more words than I would like to describe, I was outside my body wanting to tell my family I loved them, but I did not know how. When Jesus got me, He asked me a question and I answered, I wanna say I love you to my family. Every dark entity I saw moved out of the way when He spoke, I saw my brother crying on my body next to the bed and saying sorry. Then I saw the other two adults in the room, they stood far and shocked, while Jesus was talking to me, I saw the North American who had little knowledge of medical to no knowledge of medical practice, become a doctor with no hesitation and opened my throat so I can breath, but I had left my body at this point, I do remember after I finished my conversations with Jesus, I looked behind me and was trying to understand what was happening, Jesus then put me gently in my body after my conversation with Him and everyone who thought I was gone, were in shock when they witness the incision made on my throat close and all the blood and pain and suffering I had was gone.
Yo I just threw away 20 years of santos and my prenda. De palo being a tata making $ from helping people to now serving the 1 true god the creator of are soul I was born into afrocarribian religions brother I’ve never felt so free without No bondage no chains I linked up with with level the fighter and haven’t looked back since Even though I’m still on lockdown house arrest I ran into your article and it’s kinda confirmation to go out there and do what u doing blessings
My heavenly father Abba, who art in heaven, thank you for delivering me from all of this foolishness, voodoo witchcraft Botanica hacks spells from my bloodline on both side thank you for delivering us, father God for voodoo thank you thank you thank you no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank you for deliverance, thank you no more tarot card be in no more crystals no more candles thank you thank you thank you father God in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
I prayed for him, Met Canal, and his son, in Jesus name!!!!!! Pour out your spirit on him Lord, give him a dream that he cannot ignore in Jesus mighty name!!!! Amen Revelation 22:17 ESV The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come (Met canal).” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty, (Met canal) come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
I stumbled across your website from Isaiah Saldivar‘s website and subscribed to yours. Your life and ministry is a blessing to the kingdom of God. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ is amazing. I look forward to perusal more content from you. May God bless and use your ministry in a mighty way to reach the lost.
So is Santeria, voodoo, black magic, witch craft, etc. all basically fake practices and essentially ways of worshipping the devil and summoning demons? Do these demons they summon actually give them the things they ask for like money, love, riches or fame? I’m asking purely out of curiosity (so don’t worry). You couldn’t pay me to touch this stuff. Edit: I found this website because I bought a gold evil eye necklace that I thought was really cute at the time. I had no idea that it was more than just a cute piece of jewelry. On the back it had the word “protected” inscribed on it. I didn’t buy into the so-called meaning of it, I honestly just thought it was cute. When I got saved a couple of months ago and started seeking a relationship with Jesus something made me google “Can Christians wear an evil eye necklace” and I landed on this website. Needless to say, I got rid of that necklace.
Great job on exposing this as so many Christians and non believers have no idea who they idolise… they are being entered/ entertained by demons. Just to be clear. The dead know nothing… until the day of judgment. Then they will be given Eternal life or sent to hell. There’s nothing such as immorality of the soul. Nothings immortal unto we’re changed in that day. 2 Thessalonians and Revelation makes it clear. Blessings
10:20 It was around that time that I started manifesting. I never knew that I was struggling with that spirit of Voodoo until now. I am afraid to seek deliverance or burn the books because that only gets me in trouble with my parents as I’m still living with them and they don’t allow such things to be done since I almost burned the house down when they weren’t there. Lord Jesus, help me! I want to draw a line from my Catholic lineage, get out of all that stuff!!
My heart grieves for that man, I appreciate the love you showed him. Is there any way though that there can be less shocking images in the transitions? Seeing the real stuff to be kept aware is one thing, but the added shock factor transitions of demonic imagery isn’t a necessary darkness for His people to see. I had to cover my eyes a lot during the stock articles 😢 again, just because it wasn’t anything educational. Appreciate and love everything you’re exposing, and praying for that man
Someone left a naked baby doll in my front yard w black tape X’ing out the eyes. was that someone just messing w me or did that actually mean something? God’s blessed me w 2 babies but my 1st child had complications. God has saved me and I’ve been walking w him and I never doubt him. I just always wondered what that was about.
Hey Richard I’ve been struggling with God for a long time. Especially with How valuable human life is the God. Here’s what I mean. I believe The Bible talks about how we are going to be brought up together with Christ After the revelation And that heaven and Earth will be joined together. Now here’s my issue with this. Is God going to keep making human souls after the tribulation? Basically if God stops making human souls after heaven and Earth are joined together Then that means there is a specific number of humans that need to be made for God’s goal to be achieved. In other words humanity only has value to God up until a certain number. Now on the other hand if God does continue to make souls infinitely after the rapture and they are just born into the new heaven and new Earth then that’s not fair for the rest of humanity who had to go through the hellish life we are going through now before the new heaven and Earth were created. They just get a free ride. I also don’t understand how a dead fetus or a still born child can be allowed by God and can go to heaven on a free pass. That’s favoritism because they go to heaven the moment they are created. Wouldn’t that just mean morally we should abort every baby so they don’t have to face the choice of accepting god or going to hell? They would just be born in heaven and skip the hard choice and be born in Gods glory. So I’m basically struggling with my belief that God is fair, just, and actually cares about us individually and not as just a group.
I came from Reiki yoga witchcraft psychic doing tarot crystals thousands of dollars with crystals cards everything zodiac signs everything you can think of I did Spiritualism religion different religions different Bibles I had it all money everything drugs alcohol cigarettes and God set me free in Jesus name so he can do it for you!I’m interceding for my brother and I just want you to know The demons I saw in those rooms GOD WILL SET HIM FREE
I’m not too fond of the fact that you’re condemning another’s religion/beliefs. How do you know these entities they pray to or call upon are Demons? Is it just because the “Lord” is not involved? If this was a store selling items involving Jesus, would you “expose” it? I highly doubt that. I understand the fact that you worship who you worship. But please, keep an open mind regarding others and their beliefs. Remember, Christianity wasn’t the first religion to exist. Imagine if I was a part of Islam and came to you condemning your beliefs? Have a great day, Your fellow agnostic
Had bad dreams after perusal this. Don’t watch unless God gives you liberty to watch this. I was focused on & wondering about all that weird stuff way too much that I was almost assaulted and attacked in my dream but I called on Jesus in the dream and the demon couldn’t touch me. I woke up. Rebuked the evil spirit and had to repent for perusal this so closely. Be careful setting these evil things before your eyes. I love this pastors articles but this one was too much.
Im sitting next to my boyfriend right now and we struggle with addiction. And recently Ive been feeling conviction stronger than ever. And I actually believe that God was trying to get me on a path to deliverance but i ran and prevented myself from saying the prayer the first time Jesus called me out. It was during a bible study and when I was getting prayed over my tia was praying over me and Now today i come across ur vid and i only watched till the end because I felt a weird feeling to watch till the end. I think this is a sign that Jesus is trying to call me back, and so thank you for saying the prayer for me and us. Even though it was difficult to receive your prayer because of my laughing boyfriend was being a distraction, I guess he was trying to lighten the mood lol, I pray he will feel what I felt today soon. I received ur prayer and i broke down cryin :,) -this is his gf on his youtube btw
I just want to clarify that as a Catholic we do not worship Mary or Saints. Let me put it this way, we simply ask them to pray for us. To intercede for us. Just as we would ask someone to pray for us here on earth. We keep images and statues, as a way to remember them, not worship them. Its like keeping a picture of a family member or friend who is no longer with us. Right before Jesus gave his life, he left us his mother. 🤍 Jesus is king and the only one who is worshipped. 🙏🏼 Hopefully this came as a loving comment. God bless you and the work you do through Christ!
Richard idk if u will see this but I’m a God fearing man who got caught up in drug addiction n gang banging my father is still active heroin user. I lost my children and b.m cause of my ignorance. Her family (my b.m) believe in all that stuff and I believe they put a hex on her I was with her from the age of 13-31 we actually ran away to Orlando at 17 and had our first child but at 21 moved back to Lawrence MA I ask u to pray for God to restore us .I’m Puerto Rican she is Dominican I know for a fact God chose her for me buy I failed her an my kids I hope u see this my name Anibal plz pray for us
My born again friend was 15 years friend of a voodoo priest. The voodoopriest said one day: “Jesus Christ is the highest power in the whole universe” My friend asked: “Why don’t you work with Jesus than?” “Because then things will happen on His time. But using black magic I can enforce it and people pay for it.” P.S. Me and my friend got saved almost together. He took me too his voodoofriend for deliverance and my eyes opened during the rituals that I was being deceived and soon later I surrendered to Jesus Christ. Glory to God and thanks also for Him having Christians praying for my salvation. ❤
“The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.” Isaiah 11:8 I read this today and you are like the weaned child (mature christian) putting his hand in the vipers den and attacking the kingdom of darkness. Bless you brother, keep advancing the kingdom of God!
Wow ty for the prayer of deliverance your deliverence work ty man God is love God loved us at are darkest says in the bible means that God loves us unconditionally Amen this is what Holyspirit says to us Amen in the bible it says that today is the day of salvation means that repent simply means choosing and loving God over ur sin and addictions your feeling does not define what God says says in the bible means that God never changes and that God is love and He loves us unconditionally -Amen ty for letting God use u this is what Holyspirit says to us AmenGodisgreat we are already reedemed by God trough the death and reasurection of Jesus is we choose Jesus as lord and savior over our life Amen ty for letting God use u this is what Holyspirit says to us Amen
God be with you!! Christ is preparing his people for his coming. The remnant of faith will overcome by the blood of the lamb. I pray that you all have a blessed day. Call on Jesus while the Lord is near. In doing so you will not be put to shame. Read Bible verses Romans 10: 9-10 and John 3:16-17, God bless and Shalom!
We dont worship ancestors or spirits, but we honor the life and remember them, we also work with them to complete tasks or ask assistance. I think King Solomon is famous for working well with them. We also do understand and fully recognise the dangers of walking in spirit with no guidance or protection, its a choice. My heart goes out to anyone who when walking has to find out the harsh way. Be blessed. Be covered. Remember to walk in spirit and also in truth.
Omg… my heart sank as he said “That’s Franziska” as he pointed to a living size human (?) doll… because my name is Franziska Kuderna… wow… please pray for me 🙂 also because I feel demonic oppresion lately… thank you very much! 😊 and god bless you too! Everyone who reads this and watches this article! ☺️ Amen
Wow! Thank you brother for sharing. People don’t understand how spiritual life really is. In fact, it’s more spiritual than it is physical!! I think you should clarify to the people about entering those places…if they are new Christians or do not understand the Spiritual Laws in the Bible, they should not be tempting the devil. When going into one of those places, it should be that person’s ministry and they should make sure it’s a message from God. Everyone have not been exposed to this kind of spiritual warfare. God bless and let’s all continue to pray and be on one accord, winning souls for the Kingdom of the Most High God!!
Thanks you for help me..see the light brother..am form Jamaica I was suffering from masturbation..but the blessing of the lord as help me to come forth towards him..by perusal this article I am shaking to be honest..but i kno it was the blessing of the lord thats flowing through me🙏🏻.. thank you again pastor Richard… only thing I need to do now it to get baptized in the name of the most high..and to find a church of God @Richardlorenzojr
I’ve seen so many articles of you going through stuff like this and let me tell you something I never felt anything but as soon as this article showed up and I watched it and I know it’s true he’s the real deal and Amen it can’t touch you brother Jesus knows the truth Jesus Christ knows the future 🙌🏻 wow just wow let’s all pray for him 🙌🏻
I am catholic my whole life. We do NOT worship saints. What we do, is ask them to pray with us to the Lord. For an example we speak to Mary with these words (that’s actually the only prayer to a saint I know): Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. I never considered staff like this worship. Also I feel like protestants make it seem as if saints are of great importance in catholicism. They aren’t really that big of a deal..
I was a ortodox christian and i don t know nothing about God and Jesus but when i start reading the biblie i know that something was wrong with ortodox church they pray to saints and images like chatolics and God showed me that was wrong and i have problems with my parents because they are ortodox, because i don t want to go to the church with them and they don t understand me
So I watch this article and I had watched another one of his articles and something just led me to this man tell me why my holy Spirit tells me to look at my drawer I look in my drawer and it’s a bracelet my baby brother gave me surrounded in blue crystals so I’ll take a picture of it to search it and it’s a healing bracelet when I tell you I did not pick it up with my hands I got a toothbrush and put it around that toothbrush and threw it in the garbage can outside so it could be throwed away the next day I can’t believe this I just thought it was a bracelet thank you Jesus for this man
good article for people that never practiced but always wondered how and what witchcraft people do .Should make article on breaking off curses by voodoo dolls cursed money spells demonic food etc casting out demons hood but if person doesn’t live sinless life they come back 7 times worse.Also a person should stay away from evil shops like that demons can jump onto you through some i repented sin door .Great job explaining idolatry with all religions crazy how they use bible figures
You can buy a voodoo doll from Walmart, which deceives people into believing it’s cute or a joke, but Satan isn’t joking, he’s casting his sticky net wide. Praise God that we have servants who expose the truth that Satan tries to hide. I pray the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ, cover this man and his ministry.
So sad to see guys that you think us Catholics we worship the saints and the Vigin Mary … We only worship God, we Worship Jesus our Lord and Saviour …. I will we be more than happy to talk to you guys about what, we Catholics, really believe, it is really sad that by ignorance (not knowing) you think we do idolatry !!! Other than that, we blessed in Jesus holy name brother and He may increase your anointing and grace upon you ! PS: More than happy to explain and talk you about what we really believe !
Amen and amen! You cannot fight evil using evil! God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is three in ONE ❤ Pray for this voodoo priest may he be saved by the blood of Jesus who is the messiah and the true savior!! I believe and believe! He is real!! When I watched this article, I can hear his tiny voice in his soul that he does not want to do all these voodoo witchcraft anymore! Rebuke the devil in the almighty name of Yeshua! Hallelujah and amen and amen ❤✝️
Catholics do not worship saints, they venerate them. It’s about showing great respect for their life’s work and meditating on their virtue, not serving them as if they were Gods. I see this with many people who aren’t confident and firm enough in their faith to allow themselves to see nuances between different ways of spiritual relation and acknowledgement and thus deprive themselves of a wide range of religious experience that would ultimately strenghten their understanding and appreciation of God’s way and will. Thank you for this article though, still fighting the good fight!
I found your article after I had a reading who told me I had a spell placed on me using voodoo I believe I am protected by the lord. Do you believe I need to do a cleanse using ebo cleanse or just go to church? This may sound weird but I don’t need any interference with my destiny any longer from hometown people using voodoo her readings were good but this part is no good.
There is a movoe I watched called insidious its a horror movie and within that movie the chikd that was taken by some kind of demon during his sleep which caused him to be in a coma, took that child through that a red door and kept him chained up as a prosoner. I am seeing tge same red colored door in this vodoo shop. What does that red door signify and what is it? Any one hapoen to know?
Brad I love this article because I feel the same. I feel awakened but I tend to avoid a lot of “awakened people I’ve come across because they seem fake to me. They seem like they are trying so hard to be on a other plane that they are avoiding there ” bradness” or whatever their name is, ..and not being present in life. My favorite quote ( i heard on my kids article Kunfu Panda)…yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery but today is a gift that is why it’s called ” the Present”. Anyways thanks for being Real
All those legends about the Buddha don’t make it easier. All that mystical crap about nature bowing to Siddhartha after he awakened following that night of battling Maya and all those demons… When you’re young and susceptible you can really get sucked in. Sometimes I think that realisation is realising none of that stuff is real. Like you go to your teacher and tell him most of this stuff is just junk and he (or SHE 🤣) winks at you and hands you your diploma. Like there’s some big hazing going on and if you get the joke you pass.
I’ve had transcendental experiences – I can say it always felt completely new but yet deeply familiar. Personally however I feel that these experiences are supposed to only happen occasionally and not to be pursued “as a way of life”. I have begun to see greater joy in the mundane aspects of life and being grounded in physical reality.
First comment I ever made. The Buddha was very clear about what the Supreme enlightenment was. A lot of Zen practitioners believed that true liberation is just a perception of Satori or emptiness. The Buddha just called people who have reached the states of mind a body Witness. The base of nothingness and perception of non perception were the Budda’s two main studies before his attainment. He took them as far as they could go and then considered them unworthy of the brahmas, monks and holy Seekers. The reason that one cannot stay in this state is because of what the Buddha called the defilements. Wanting or craving, aversion or hatred, sleepiness or dullness, restlessness or worry or regret and doubt or what the Buddha believed to keep trapped in notions of self and in the bonds of Maya. He also went to say that the Nirvana that he obtained was not subject to birth, old age, sickness and death. I studied Zen and practice zazen for years without making any progress, until I actually went back to the Pali Canon and studied the true teachings. With my deepest respects I must say I think you’re caught in the same cycle.
In my experience, the only thing you can rely upon is reality, and reality is obvious at all times no matter how many thick books you read. And even if you tried to believe in some kind of Divine Deeper Dimension, you always know (somewhere in the back of your mind) that you are fooling yourself, trying to trick yourself into seeing something as Real that is actually just another dream in the virtual reality of your thoughts and emotions. And that kind of bullshitting yourself will show in your everyday life by making dealing with your actual tasks and challenges even more difficult. Your everyday life as it is is as “enlightened” as it gets, and it is much more precious than you may be inclined to believe. Practice zazen every day for 5, 10 or 20 years, and that dream of a Better Deeper Parallel Reality will vanish, and your screwed up everyday life will be sufficiently divine – because it is real as opposed to all your dreams and wishful thinking. (Of course, I might be wrong about all of this.)
I once knew an enlightened zen master. He owned a little pottery store in a little town in Washington where he sold his pottery. I was introduced by a friend. My folks and I weren’t interested in buying anything, we were just hanging out with this friend who wanted to see his awesome zen friend. The zen master asked if we were going to buy anything. No. To which he said: then I have no time for you. When we left he didn’t even say bye, nice to meet you, or anything. Then he started talking to our mutual friend, who later raved about how much of a blissful awesome open-minded guy he is. Our mutual friend also revealed he owed the guy some money as he was doing an investment plan to buy some pottery. Thus, I learned that a sign of a true enlightened person is someone who only gives you the time of day, and is otherwise rude, if you are putting money in their pocket!
It’s always so paradoxical. As soon as you’ve “awakened” you realize how “asleep” you really are and that you never really get “there.” It seems enlightenment is merely the acceptance of what is truly here and now, and what is. Good, bad, ugly, amazing, it doesn’t matter. Painting a more dramatic illusion over what is to make it more palatable or more “profound” is basically to remain asleeo in a dream world of illusion. God is all, including the mundane and menial. Great article.
Wow, this was just what I needed right now, some practical down to earth explanation. Just checked out one of those way too out there “spritual teachers ” article. It just left my head spinning. There should be more articles on YouTube that are that are more practical like this. Thank you, I feel loads better
enlightenment used to be for people who had no interest in day to day life.i was thought that spirituality was for the chosen ones who had no interest in sansar(world).there is saying in nepal,”ghar gari khana nasake shadu ban”.meaning if ur not a household guy become a shadu(sage).but in the western culture it has become cool to call oneself englightened and awakened.
Spiritual awakening is simply an “Ah ha!” moment- a subtle but definite realization about an aspect of your nature. You remember yourself in action and your mind most of the times. You start to have a different interaction with everyday things. It’s silent and joyous and over time it becomes your rhythm. Thank you for sharing more light on the matter, although your title was a little misleading.
That sense of being a “me”, rusts into being unique, being special, even after experiencing something banal and common place. It’s always lurking there in the shadows, ready to make a fool of us. The Tibetan teacher the late Chogyam Trungpa talks about this too. Thanks Brad, first YT article of yours I’ve seen.
Well said, Dogen and I approve this message. The point is not to spend all day in bliss, but to not perpetuate suffering. Knowing that which is seeing through my eyes is that which is seeing through your eyes, is to be freed from the suffering of the illusory self, and to free others from their suffering also. Bliss is ok once a day around 5 am, though.
I think it could be possible that staying in any one state or believing any ideology or spiritual idiom too strongly for too long will cause problems. Yes we are all connected but we are all still separate. Where the mind goes energy flows, but we all each have our own free will. Let’s say you go to a restaurant with some friends and a waitress spill a pitcher of lemonade on your head, it could be a terrible night for you while some of your friends are laughing and others are checking to see if you’re ok, and the waitress herself is apologizing. If we were all as connected as some spiritual “gurus” wouldn’t we all have the same thoughts during that experience. Or let’s say you’re perusal a movie with friends maybe one person is really tuned in to the soundtrack while another is perusal the screen form tiny details, someone else may be texting, and you may be thinking of something completely different. If we really had the power to influence people’s thoughts so profoundly wouldn’t we all be having the same thoughts? Idk to me too much spirituality makes people fall back into an almost infantile state of mind believing everything to be their fault or their responsibility will make them become ocd or have a form of toxic positivity, or even worse a total god complex. Take everything with a grain of salt and don’t believe everything that anyone tells you
I shifted from a narcissistic person to a person now can truly comfort being with myself, I don’t see other people on their journey that is lesser than me. True awakening is not bull shit, but it takes a person truly take their inner strength to drop their ego at all levels, to go back to be with their own true self. Yes many people are still sleeping walking, but they will get there on their own timing. A person who thinks spiritual is to make them more superior is still not truly awakening, they are still in their ego mind. Even as they are like this way, we should not judge them, they are on their journey, they will eventually realize their ego really doesn’t make them any more superior, because people can sense their energy . A true awakening person has that certain in their eyes and energy, they will have love and compassion for every one, because we all came from shadowed self, we have have darkness and light in each of us. You judge people’s problems only reflecting your own problems. Spiritual awakening is to drop ego, fear, hate and anger. If you see a person call them self ” spiritual “, all you need to know is how they truly in their own energy. If they are not quite there yet, they are in their delusional of their spiritual state, it’s ok, all you need to do is leave them alone, do your own self work.
Wow I know this is 6 years old now but I just came across this article today…I have to say this article has definitely shed some light on the experience I had (about 7 years ago) but has since gone away. I would spend months trying to get back to that place and couldn’t understand why I had even left. Your article has helped answer some questions…thank you 😊
Thank you so much Zen! 🙂 You know this enlightment thing and the evolution of the soul and that all humanish thing that we have to deny in order to reach this just lead me a complete depression and I was constantly losing the personality I had, the person I’ve became during my life. So please anyone who seeks enlightment, please realize that even the want of enlightment goes against the rules of this enlightment. Motivation is our core factor to experience this life and ourselves. Follow your own nature. This state is not approachable in this physical realm and this will only make your personality decay slowly and slowly. What matters now is the YOU, your ego and the chance to experience things the way YOU experience it. You only live once this life, even if your soul has a lot to live. Let me finish with my favourite quote from the Assassin’s Creed series. “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.” – live your life by your own beliefs with intention to make your and others’ life better, follow yourself and become more and more yourself, there is no actual truth which one person can declear
How does anyone who experienced “enlightment” can be sure that it was not some kind of self hypnosis or trick of your mind or even some kind of “hickup” of your mind? An analogy could be steroscopic images. If you learn how to cross your eyes, it takes a bit of practice and patience, suddenly you can see a 3D image … maybe meditation practice is like “crossing” your mind and sometimes strange, weird mind stuff happens in your brain. I don’t want to be cynical, and I am not, but the brain and conscious is not really fully understood, and sometimes stuff happens with your mind and it does not necessarily mean anything special. I totally agree, that the normal state of mind, everyday, that’s the important stuff, and this I learned from reading your book and others…
Just heard again: a great reply. Kwong Roshi said something like “it’s like a circle, and you come back to your starting place: to Beginner’s Mind”. Also, you can’t be more “you” than “you”. Suzuki Roshi said someplace: the quality of your zen experience when you let go of your self, is exactly the same as for Dogen or Bodhidharma or for Buddha. Even if you are a relative beginner. He said, of course there is some difference in maturity or depth, but it is the same quality. I myself lost my spiritual virginity (a fantastic metaphor) in an est course (really!) in around 1980. That repeated, deeper in the est 6day course, and to some extend in all their other courses. But then they made the mistake of teaching us to sit (I think it was for 10 minutes) and my Aikido teacher really had us doing zazen. I stopped all the est stuff as I could see that it left “traces” and that the zen teachers were “the real thing”. Did daily sitting and sesshins at least once a year for quite a while. Each sesshin I would have a profound experience. But, I realized that I would have the same experience with every sitting. The problem was getting my butt down on the cushion and maybe going thru 5 minutes of pain/frustration. At this point my attitude is just like Brad: it’s like brushing my teeth, and if I delay sitting I just don’t feel right. “Enlightenment experiences” are of no interest in comparison to just being at home in our bodies and our lives and our own problems and Karma. Maybe it opens a door, ok great, but you need simply to be back here engaged as fully as possible.
When people ply you for interpretation of certain hypothetical scenarios in the grand scheme of life and zen— I just read the “what if neither a clear mind nor a cloudy mind comes?” Zen anecdote you once brought up. It’s like, what is the intention here? Are they looking for practical answers in daily living, or looking for the Grand Answer to All Things? (Keep up the good work sir.)
i used to want to get back to my enlightenment experience. then i realised that yeah, its interesting, you can learn some stuff but its not important really. if anything its just good to get it out of the way. id say thats probably the most useful thing about having one :P. i’d also say that me having one was a bad idea and it led to trouble later in life for me. I was 17 when i had it and i used an object based meditation. it was only the second or so time i had ever meditated and i went really hard. i didn’t know what i was doing and then before i knew it i was floating down the street and all the rest. however! years later (after id stopped meditating for about 5 years) it led to another experience completely randomly where at university a lecturer told me something about the nature of sound (i did a music production degree) and it literally blew my mind. as in, i didn’t have a chance to take the info he gave and map it into my ‘idea’ about reality. what he said just BOOM – changed my reality in-front of my eyes. I thought i was loosing my mind essentially. this didn’t happen to anyone else. i later read in a buddhist book about hearing things not at an intellectual level and i knew then that it was probably because id messed around with that experience when i was younger. luckily, i didn’t need to leave UNI as it didnt happen again. but i was really scared, lol. so its a cautionary tale. anyway g2g
So, it’s not bullshit for a short period, as in a few weeks, maybe a month. If you’re not careful, it turns to schizophrenia. That shit happens to ppl with kundalini awakening all the time, and it happened to me. Lots of pain spurred it on. Dark night of the soul type shit, divorce, suicidal thoughts, abandoned by family type shit. I was looking at knots of wood in a bed frame and seeing a universe of beauty, no drugs involved. No prior conditions. Just so so so so much pain. I began to get moments of what the Hindus call “bliss” that would last hours in place of the anxiety I used to feel for hours at a time. I didn’t stay in that state, but if I would have been in an even worse state (as in, homeless and exposed to the elements), I’d be in a daze on the street now
People have different reactions to stress….mine was to become super analytical and looking for meaning and clues to what I should do to be happy….which sounds good on paper…but I was looking for meaning in things like etymologies of words and numbers, I should have been looking for meaning in the human cultural artifacts that have been designed to solve problems like lack of housing and stability. Things like you know, a job and hygiene. But I was raised to see myself as being in but outside of “the world”, and no one ever spoke to me about a career or college, so I just saw my identity as needing to survive in alternate ways, which led to me being homeless and staying positive and out of panic attacks by being obsessed about “spiritual” things. Not an ideal scenario by any means but I was doing the best I could being dealt a shitty hand, and at least it made me super environmentally conscious and spend a lot of free time picking up trash lol
I want to genuinely thank you for this article. I went into an “awakening” a week ago and it led to severe derealisation due to my mind not being able to comprehend all the existential questions. My brain was so stressed that it launched the defence mechanism and I was on the verge of kllng mslf. I tried to seek help under those “enlightenment” articles and all of the commentators were giving me different explanations and reasonings. I came to conclusion that the only thing that is true is the fact that a human cannot know everything. We are framed into 5 senses. My ego cannot understand why we are put on Earth to have a human experience if our true goal is to “get enlightenment”? We’d feel oneness anyway when we die, so why try to stay enlightened while you have a life to live? I don’t want to sit under the tree knowing everything is God and having no attachments to the life at the age of 22. I came to conclusion that dissolving an ego is not a necessity for a human being. It is possible but you cannot function in the society FULLY without it, so the use for that is questionable. I’ve booked a therapist session after my “awakening” because it really screwed my mental health. I wish people talked about it’s “side effects” as well. If you’re ready to live a life as common consciousness, with no attachments/desires/achievements — go for it. I choose to feel all spectrum of emotions and experiences as a human being.
100%. Can’t stay there. And when it leaves, it’s lonely and depressing. Leaves you asking “what did I do wrong?” I’ve been on this path 6 and a half years following a DMT breakthrough (and 3 other ego deaths by way of mushrooms). Not sure that I would recommend this “bliss” to anyone. I’ve been questioning the nature of existence every second for 6 and a half years. Yes – there are weeks at a time of crazy bliss (and no sleep). But not sure that it equals out the alienation, confusion, shadow work, and feelings of emptiness during the inevitable relapses into “normal human”. One thing is for sure – once you strap into this ride, there is no getting off. It’s not a journey that ends. People who act like being “woke” is a permanent state of enlightened bliss are either hardcore lying or are insane. Still: all is love and blessings, my brothers and sisters. lol. All the best to you on your journey. <3