The reason why religious fanatics say mystical practices are "evil"

[amalimrock]

I have just recently learnt why there are still many religious people say that mystical/magickal/psychic practices are the work of the devil. This is so because when a person picks up a mystic skill, their goal is to boast their skills to the entire world. They become so egoistic and selfish, therefore they forget that the ultimate goal to attain spiritual enlightenment (which also includes achieving better experience and skill) is to connect to God. It is only considered pure when a person's reason behind learning a certain skill is for personal spiritual development, and from there their skill also improves and they will become at one with God.

Some might say they want to learn mystical skills to help others, which is actually a good thing, but what drives you to help the other person? Is it sincere charity? or is it just to boost your ego? Give it a good thought.

[alexisbea]

That is really good food for thought there. I agree. I also believe a lot of it is because many of the major religions today exist to hold people back in fear. Through the use of fear and using such characters as the devil these religions can control people. In controlling these people they do not understand themselves. It becomes a means for keeping certain people in power in that position. Whatever means by which a person does something should be rooted in love and not in fear.

[spiritalk]

Spirituality is a learned and practiced skill.  When we develop for spirituality, a consequential side effect can be the opening of the psychic abilities.  So the focus for the practices comes first, then the opening to the sensitivities within.

[amalimrock]

Spirituality is a learned and practiced skill.  When we develop for spirituality, a consequential side effect can be the opening of the psychic abilities.  So the focus for the practices comes first, then the opening to the sensitivities within.

That was exactly what I read from a Yoga website. You seek the Kingdom (God & Spirituality), and then these Siddhi (psychic) powers wil come to you

[spiritalk]

Unfortunately there are many people who open their natural psychic abilities without the spirituality being opened.  That is where the problems set in.  And the church may dismiss all because of a few.

[amalimrock]

I finally came to the knowing of the importance of spirituality as I had this realization. It truly is important to balance out psionic abilities with spirituality.

[Theonewithnoname]

Equally you could say that about some religious people as well - they want to boast it too.  So its not religion or spirituality or mysticism thats evil, its that egotism that comes with it, that ridiculous sense of self - importance.  Of course everybody wants recognition or to be important if they think they have come up with something interesting, but they want to people to be in awe of them as well.

[amalimrock]

Well said. I have to agree with your statement as well.

Here's another thing I learnt. The reasn why people have egos is not only because they want to show off. Deep down, te thing that has developed ego is that they're very delicate. If they didn't know about spirituality, they'll take the point of view that the world is a dangerous place and therefore develops egos and personalities so that they could cope with what seems, "reality".

[spiritalk]

Any of the metaphysical, paranormal, psychic, mediumship (etc.) abilities exercised without spirituality fall well short of the mark of the individual practicing the skills.  We all, as human beings, have the potential to be sensitive (psychic) and with that comes a certain responsibility to exercise it with care and love.  

The psychic abilities manifest on our sensitivities.  These sensitivities are in place to keep us balanced between two worlds - the material and the spirit.  As the spirit within grows the sensitivities open to so much more in the universe.  As we realize our own small part of this universe, it puts so much into perspective.  There is no room for the ego self.

[amalimrock]

I think psychokinesis practitioners (like people from my forum) should also learn to become more spiritual in nature rather than trying to show off that they could bend a spoon etc etc...I don't think there's anyone I know who were able to levitate yet, but I feel that the reason for us not being able to improve drastically is because we missed the spiritual side of the equation of our psychokinesis practices

[alexisbea]

I would agree with that. I believe the ultimate goal of spirituality is to feel a oneness with all and as long as you feel separate you are cutting yourself off from something.

[Nanna]

Yes, religions, espiecially christians place an evil on the mystical practices. We are told to stay away from sorcerers and the like. I am christian but I agree with the above. Inside --what is our motive for learning and developing the "Gifts" that God gave us. Yes I said Gifts. In the book of Acts it discusses the Gifts of the spirit. If it is sought through God how can the, "Gift", be evil. It ---is ---how we use it.

[stormbay]

The psychic and spiritual gifts you talk about, can also be described as natural aspects of the various dimensions our universe consists of. Are you saying, without an ideology you can't help people properly, or use psychic and spiritual abilities adequately.

The best practitioners I've ever met are those who see them as energies, associated with the natural occurrences and life forces of our dimensional planet and universe. They also live as close to nature as they can, to feel it's vibrations and tap into them enhancing their human abilities to help, considering all other life forms as equals, but work in different dimensions to us and not to abuse them as food factories, or at the end of a gun.

You don't need an attachment to an ideology, to be spiritual or psychic. True spirituality is being in touch with the spirit of the planet and universe as much as possible. You don't need a god to do that, just a love for all life and live it to the best of your ability.

[Nanna]

"The psychic and spiritual gifts you talk about, can also be described as natural aspects of the various dimensions our universe consists of. Are you saying, without an ideology you can't help people properly, or use psychic and spiritual abilities adequately.

The best practitioners I've ever met are those who see them as energies, associated with the natural occurrences and life forces of our dimensional planet and universe. They also live as close to nature as they can, to feel it's vibrations and tap into them enhancing their human abilities to help, considering all other life forms as equals, but work in different dimensions to us and not to abuse them as food factories, or at the end of a gun.

You don't need an attachment to an ideology, to be spiritual or psychic. True spirituality is being in touch with the spirit of the planet and universe as much as possible. You don't need a god to do that, just a love for all life and live it to the best of your ability."
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I don't know how you read all that in what I said. No ...I don't believe that the spiritual gifts that I believe are given by...God are Just "Natural aspects of  the various dimension our universe consists of"...If you read the text you would see that. Where did the food factories and end of a gun come from? However, I WAS stating that whatever we believe our gifts, talents etc to be, we are NOT to abuse them like so many have. This has caused a mistrust of those of us, you and me, that trully are willing to use our gifts to help.

I don't see where I stated that you had to be "attached to an ideology". I was merely stating that on one hand christianity tell us to stay away from these things as on the other hand stating for us to practice these things at the same time, while practicing "love" because without the intent to help or "love" it is useless. Which can be confusing to those who don't understand and/or doesn't read the whole text?

[stormbay]

Nanna, my post was not directed at you, but the original thread starter and some of the inferences in other posts. In my work, I have met many supposed spiritual and psychic, people who claim their abilities come from god and puts them in tune with nature, whilst they feed their faces on the carcases of dead life and become increasingly obese. I see nothing spiritual in that, and as some here have pointed out, it's mainly ego which drives them, not caring or the search for knowledge

People have the right to believe in whatever they want, but don't have the right to claim it as truth when the evidence is clearly the opposite. Human psychology and It's associated offshoots religion and spirituality, is an excitingly wonderful and extremely interesting evolving scientific subject. It should be investigated freely, not hijacked by mythology. Scientists have been asking psychic's and spiritualists, (the definition in Aus is different to the USA) to help them decipher their ability to access these dimensional realms. Most would have a lot to give in aiding or understanding an evolutionary progress through dimensional existence. As a clinical research psychologist and psychoanalyst, I work in this field, hence my interest in this forum and others.

As history shows us, scientific and observable fact always overrides fear, superstition and mythology in the end. If you have any of these abilities, you should feel proud to be at the forefront of science and should be a reminder that you're at the cutting edge of evolution, rather than trying to drag them back into the primitive world of mythology.