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Human ability to control the natural world October 15, 2008

Posted by egabriel in History of Magic.
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I was always interested in the ancient belief in magic from the perspective of history. It was always amazing to learn how different cultures tried to attach to natural phenomenon supernatural powers. After all, magic, sometimes also known as sorcery, was formed as the whole conceptual system that asserted human ability to control the natural world, including events, objects, people, and physical phenomena, through mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. The term can also refer to the practices employed by a person asserting this influence, and to beliefs that explain various events and phenomena in such terms. Even today, as well as in the past, in many cultures, magic is under pressure from, and in competition with, scientific and religious conceptual systems. As a web analyst I had to go through so many Internet documents to understand how ancients view magic. I learned many things about magic when I was doing a new salvo of researches for local funeral home directory too.

So, let’s start with the land of magic, India. All in all, it has been often stated that India is a land of magic, both supernatural and mundane. Hinduism is one of the few religions that has sacred texts like the Vedas that discuss both white and black magic. There are Vedas that deals with mantras that can be used for both good and bad. The word mantrik in India literally means “magician” since the mantrik usually knows mantras, spells, and curses which can be used for or against forms of magic. Many ascetics after long periods of penance and meditation are alleged to attain a state where they may utilize supernatural powers. However, many say that they choose not to use them and instead focus on transcending beyond physical power into the realm of spirituality. Many wizards, called siddhars are said to have performed miracles that would ordinarily be impossible to perform.

Americans believe in the existence of ghosts September 3, 2008

Posted by egabriel in Supernatural.
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Ghosts are a controversial anomalous phenomenon. Gallup organization claimed in 2005, that more than one third of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. Ghosts are prominent in the popular cultures of various nations. The ghost story is ubiquitous across all cultures from oral folktales to works of literature.

Perhaps the most recognizable ghost in English literature is the shade of Hamlet’s father in a famous Shakespeare play. In Hamlet, it is the ghost that encourages the title character to investigate his “murder most foul” and seek revenge upon King Claudius, the suspected murderer of Hamlet’s father.

The next most famous apparitions, in my opinion, are the Dickens’s ghosts of A Christmas Carol, where the ghost of Jacob Marley, The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come help Ebeneezer Scrooge see the error of his ways.

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What do you know about Soul September 3, 2008

Posted by egabriel in Supernatural.
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What do you know about Soul, about Death, about mysterious spirits? What do you know about Ghosts? When you watch movies, read books or have a job in a place like mortuary  or any other funeral parlor, or even funeral home directory know many horrible stories about …

By the way,  my friend from funeral home directory shared some interesting facts about ghosts with me. A ghost is defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and usually encountered in places she or he frequented, or in association with the person’s former belongings. The word “ghost” may also refer to the spirit or soul of a deceased person, or to any spirit or demon.

Ghosts are often associated with hauntings, which is regular occurrence of paranormal phenomena associated with a particular locality, especially a building, and usually attributed to the activities of a discarnate entity. The the phenomena may include apparitions, poltergeist disturbances, cold drafts, and sounds of footsteps and voices.

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