>Michael D wrote: >I understand hypnosis to be a very dangerous thing. Anything that >unnaturally suspends your control over your mind exposes you to spiritual >influence.
Are you sure hypnosis suspends control of your mind, or is that just the impression you get from stage hypnotists?
Michael D: I have never done a study on hypnotism, so my exposure would be from observing hypnotists on display. Material from preachers and exposure to deliverance etc. would be my source for the spiritual implications (as regards hypnotism, knowing how spirits surreptitiously infiltrate people.
Are you offering that when one is hypnotized, his conscious ability to make decisions and to determine his behaviour is not necessarily suspended? I would be interested to know.
Our ability to determine our thoughts and actions is a built in defense mechanism. On one level, Proverbs 4 says guard your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. We are to keep watch over our minds at all times, and hypnosis does not allow one to do that. Someone else is in control and he can't offer spiritual defense for us.
Are you sure it is unnatural?
I would say that sleep is a natural means of suspending control of the mind.
Or is it a natural capability that God has built into us, which, like anything, can be used for good or bad?
Good might come out of it, but do we pay a serious price for taking that path? Is it going into an area where the gifts of the Spirit should be operating?
Can Christians become possessed? I am not definitive, but I suppose it's dependent on how you define possessed. I know that Christians can have demons controlling different aspects of their lives, e.g. temper, pride, greed, fear, lust, poverty, insecurity... any thing that is contrary to the knowledge of Jesus, and who we are in Him, is the domain of the devil. I have been involved in deliverance where a spirit of stubbornness had a hold on a sister, and of course it was tough to expel. Often, personality traits are influenced by spirits. Where we yield to non-Christlike traits/patterns of behaviour, then the enemy finds a door to enter and works to build a stronghold in that area. Some of these can be overcome by our faith and authority in Christ, some through prayer and fasting, sometimes through deliverance help from other believers, o
r any combination of legitimate faith initiatives. Of course, God reserves the right to act sovereignly in response to our pleas/faith.
I was dramatically affected by deliverance myself. It changed my whole life. I couldn't believe at first that I could have evil spirits in/influencing me, but I had to acknowldge the possibility and humble myself before God and submit myself to the process. It is very humbling indeed. Failure to do this (often through ignorance in this area) is part of the reason preachers/believers fall/fail... Folks struggle for years and years and can't get the victory, or have to work real hard to keep heads above water in different areas...
From what I have come to understand now, I would say definitively that every believer needs to submit himself to the process of deliverance with someone(s) who is knowledgeable about this area. I also strongly recommend that everyone exposes himself to material from persons experienced in this are. Of course, there is room for abuse in everything, so one must trust God to be discerning.
Can hypnotized Christians become possessed? I would affirm that they can come under the influence of the enemy. To me a suspended mind is an open door...
When one practices self-hypnosis, are they giving conrol of their mind to themself? I really don't know anything about self-hypnosis but that sounds really crazy...how does it work?
Inquiring minds want to know. Perry
"Charles P. Locke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Michael D wrote:
>I understand hypnosis to be a very dangerous thing. Anything that
>unnaturally suspends your control over your mind exposes you to spiritual
>influence.
Are you sure hypnosis suspends control of your mind, or is that just the
impression you get from stage hypnotists? Are you sure it is unnatural? Or
is it a natural capability that God has built into us, which, like anything,
can be used for good or bad? Can Christians become possessed? Can hypnotized
Christians become possessed? When one practices self-hypnosis, are they
giving conrol of their mind to themself?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Perry
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