Topic : 01/05 "Am I Cursed?"

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Created on : Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 12:06:14 pm
Author : DrPhilBoard1

Do you believe that walking under a ladder or someone giving you the "evil eye" can give you bad luck? Dr. Phil's guests say that curses and evil spirits are wreaking havoc in their lives. Sarah is convinced that she's hexed. For the last five years, she has been plagued with what she calls the "Tuesday Curse." Watch what happens when Dr. Phil's producers follow her around on her "unlucky" day. Then, George is convinced he is reaping the negative effects of a curse put on his family years ago in Mexico. He has even put his wedding plans on hold because he fears the curse will cause him to divorce! Plus, David worries that his wife, Holly, may be possessed because she has had the same nightmare for the past seven years, and she has been talking in a man’s voice, speaking in a foreign tongue and barking like a dog. What's behind her fearsome dreams? And, a woman claims an exorcism, performed by her father 26 years ago, put demons inside of her.  Share your thoughts.

 

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January 8, 2006, 1:04 pm PST

I completely agree

Quote From: kitashla

 I think they missed something when helping Holly with her problem.  (The woman who experiences horrifying nightmares.)

Sleep Paralysis.  What she experiences is almost word for word what one experiences during sleep paralysis.

I've suffered from it for years.  I've often had horrifying nightmares of demons and evil, waking up to feel demonic presences over me and pushing on me, being unable to cry out or talk or even move, or yelling once I finally pull myself out of it.  Hearing the sound of demonic voices around my head and feeling an overwhelming sense of doom and evil.

It's horrifying and for years I also thought I was haunted by demons.  (It didn't help that I was raised in a pentacostal household where even my toys were apparently possessed by demons.)

It wasn't until someone told me about sleep paralysis that it all made sense.  The episodes are still terrifying, but I can now go to sleep afterwards.  I no longer have trouble sleeping for days because of them.  Knowing what was wrong has given me a great sense of peace.

The problem is that there isn't necessarily a fool proof  way to get rid of sleep paralysis.  There are some drugs that seem to work, but it isn't 100%.  I'm concerned that Holly will try these "visualization" methods and be dismayed when they don't work.  That it will more firmly place in her mind that she is haunted by demons when she simply is experience extreme amounts of stress and/or sleep deprivation.  (That's usually what triggers mine.)

The relief I felt when I realized it wasn't demons and that everything, for what it's worth, was normal was exhilirating.  I don't want anyone else who suffers from this to be any more scared than they have to be.
I have had this for years, and when looking it up on the internet, found it was called sleep paralysis, and it happens when I have been sleeping on my back or have been drinking or taking some sleep-inducing medication which while being overweight adds to my sleep problems.  I think they missed the boat big time on this one, too.  It is scary, but not demonic, I am a Christian, and still don't think it is demons at all in these cases.
 
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January 8, 2006, 1:10 pm PST

01/05 "Am I Cursed?"

i would like some one to explain to me why in the heck that we fighting over who's dang religion is better then another.  and if one is of the christian faith, you shouldn't be be fighting at all, its not christian like. respecting others, is. love, and understanding, is christian like. fighting is not. further more, religion should not be the number one thing in the first place on why we are all are here. a simple are you cursed, is. yes i believe, or no you don't believe. why in the heck you bringing jesus christ into it for. did he curse you? *sighs*     so, yes i believe one would believe that one would think that he or she would be cursed. and there would be many reasons why one would think this. am i a doctor. no . so i can't  say why one would think like that.   so for those who are sending the people with the problem of thinking they are cursed, give them a break....
 
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January 8, 2006, 2:18 pm PST

to charlie75

     Charlie, I am the one whose the mother is paranoid schizophrenic.  I used to be hurt and embarrassed by mother, but living 400 miles away helps me find other things about which to think.  When your children are older they will understand how cruel she is and not want to be around her.  I know that is how my nieces and nephews are with my mother.  My sister and I were that way with her mother (a mean one she was, she didn't speak English so we don't know what she would say to other people).  Just make sure they have good experience with your mother and tell you if anything bad is said or happens (evidence). 

     As for the daycare, you can report any abuse to social services.  Social Services have to look into any abuse report.  Just hope that she doesn't report you for abuse first.  

     You talk about your dad.  Mine died in 1989.  God took him because God knew my dad had taken enough crap.  Dad was really a good, friendly person.  There are 4 kids in my family and when I was a kid, my parents never slept in the same bed.  Dad slept in the living room.  I was in shock when I learned from where babies came.  She acts as if we were are immaculately conceived.  My dad never divorced (I asked him why he never divorced her--she was always mean to him and fought with him.) because he would lose everything for which he worked.  Dad spent most of his free time playing cards with his buddies; he called it his second income.  He never knew that she beat my sister and I senselessly--we never told him.  She was pregnant with my sister when they married.  Now that he is dead, she has been spending his money wrecklessly and always says mean things about him. 

     Do whatever you can to have a life separate from hers.  If that means getting a new phone number, do it.  I have a cell phone and have to pay for incoming calls--that is my excuse not to get phone calls from her.  I have told her that I have to pay for incoming calls, so she doesn't call me.  When I call her, she starts to whine about how sick she is, so I cut it short, by telling her I don't have much time to talk. 

     I am sure that most people don't think your mother is an honest person.  Liars usually get caught lying and I'll bet most people feel sorry for you--although that is not good either.  Those people just don't want to get involved.  I am worried about you because I think you are feeling sorry for yourself.  You have to get away from her negativity.  You are not the only person with a wacky mother, even though you think you are. 

     You can email me at l_m_dobrin@hotmail.com or think about coming for a visit to the big city.  Looking forward to traveling or doing something always cheers me. 

     I look forward to hearing from a cheery charlie.  Let me know. 

 
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January 8, 2006, 4:15 pm PST

01/05 "Am I Cursed?"

Quote From: whspreagle

Hi Terri, 

  

I think that this is the point where some give and take is needed so to speak.  In life I have often found that when two are at odds, sometimes strickness is not the best alternative.  I can see that you understand the environment on Native American reservations today.  I am extremely grateful for the compassion and sharing that I have experienced since my return home.   

  

I was not raised with my family, due to circumstances beyond my control.  I was born in 1952 and immediately taken from my Native American parents, because they were Indians.  I was then placed in a non-Native home and raised to be white.  I learned to live with the life that I had been placed in and did fairly well for myself.  Finally, at the age of 40 I broke the chains of adoption and began a search for my "real" family.  After thinking that this would be costly and may take a long time I prepared my self for that.  To my complete surprise I was talking to my oldest sister only 45 minutes later.  It was not until 1998, that my husband of 29+ years and I moved across the country to be closer to my family.  I have been spending the past 7+ yrs surviving and living with my relatives.  When we got here I had a job with the tribe, after all I had always had a job.  Not always had a place to live but always had a job.  Within three months I had become so ill that I was fired from my tribal job and my world turned upside down.   

  

Before coming home I have often thought I knew the meaning of words like: prejudice, hate, etc.  I had no idea, as most people who live in the cities do not have.  I could give you the defination of the words but to understand the pain and extreme anger, I had much to learn.  Over the past 7+ yrs my life has gone totally out to a zero income for an extended period of time, to a place now where I am better health wise.  Three years ago I was diagnosed with IBS, Acid Reflux, Digestive Disorders, and PTSD.  Today I do ok due to the small allotment from the SSDI.  I have also completed a degree in Environmental Science  with honors, from our tribal college.  I believe that we all can bounce back but some people do not have the courage or strength to try one more time.   

  

I appreciate your post and understand that the message you were sending.  I do agree that sometimes we get lost in our everyday lives and forget there is a world out there.  Maybe there is a way to disagree and agree at the same time.  I sorry if my message has caused you any offense. 

  

Whispering Eagle 

Dear Whispering Eagle, 

  

I hear you totally and I feel for your situation.  You are a strong woman to search for your roots and connect with them with love and strength.  Although you are Navajo and I am Cherokee, we must be related as I suffer from Ulcerative Colitis, I finally have gotten it to go into remission, but not without much trauma.  I also agree with you, that we must turn our cameras on our nation and look at the poverty in our rich nation - because with all the wealth that we have here - we shouldn't have children suffering, families losing their homes, the elderly starving for food, affection and medical care.  I do also know that on many reservations these situations are so much worse than in suburban America.  I wish you and your family much happiness and joy.  I will say many prayers for you all and for your health.   

  

I must also say that I love your name and I applaud you for choosing such a strong and proud screen name.  May you live well and run free. 

  

Terri 

 
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January 8, 2006, 4:21 pm PST

My experience...

Demons and evil forces do exist! I have to testify that I have had several first hand encounters with them in the past. I would have many strange phenomenon occur in my house. Lights would turn on by themselves, the oven alarm would go off by itself, one time the light bulb in a light fixture popped out by itself and flung to the floor. I used to dabble in the occult when I was a teenager, but after I became a Christian I threw all that stuff out the door.  

  

The worse night I can remember occurred just a few years ago when I was home alone at night. In the middle of the night I woke up in ABSOLUTE TERROR. I felt that there was an evil presence in the house and at the same time I felt like my life was in danger. The best analogy would be the feeling of absolute terror coupled with the fear that I'm in danger and am about to be murdered. As one previous poster had said, a feeling of "overwhelming sense of doom". About a minute or so after I had waken up feeling this evil presence and terror, I had heard the knob on the bathroom tub fall down, the toilet seat fell down, and the door to the bathroom banged a few times. Since I couldn't pray out loud I had prayed in my mind that God would put a hedge around my home and cast the evil spirit out. Sure enough after a while of continuous prayer I felt a sense of peace. However, right before I was about to fall asleep again, the phone rang. (I never get crank calls in the middle of the night) I had picked up the phone but no one was on the other line. (I feel that this was an indication that the spirit was out of the house, yet trying to harass me through some one else's phone) After this incident occurred and I prayed very hard for God's hand of protection I have never been bothered again.  

  

There were signs that lead up to the attack like an increase in paranormal activity my family and I had witnessed within the house. But unfortunately we ignored those signs. A couple of times I used to wake up in terror feeling an evil presense and I used to dismiss them as being bad dreams... However, after this one single event happened which was coupled with physical disturbances within the house, I feel that everything in the past that occurred were really warning signs.   

  

Nowdays I have never had a single incident occur. I never wake up out of sleep in terror and there are no more physical disturbances that occur within the house.  

  

For those who are experiencing similiar problems or believe that you are cursed, the solution is a matter of the spirit. You need to dedicate yourself fully under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You also need to fully REPENT of whatever you are doing that may be causing your disturbances. If you are involved in the occultic realm you need to get rid of all types of occultic objects in your house (ie, ouija boards, tarot cards, runes... etc).   Do not consult with psychics, tarot card readers or anyone that has anything to do with the occult realm.   

You need to continue seeking after the Lord and continue to pray for deliverance. At the same time it would be wise to find a well balanced Bible believing church and contact the pastor and elders to let them know of your situation. Have them pray over you. Unfortunately there is no alternative solution. Reading the Bible and displaying crosses in your home aren't going to work unless you have a willing spirit that desires to truly walk with Jesus Christ. The goal of these demons is to keep you under their control and bondage and nothing is going to work unless the attitude of your heart and spirit changes.  

  

Unfortunately demons do exist whether or not you believe in them.  

 
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January 8, 2006, 7:37 pm PST

superstitous

Quote From: elffie

Well, I don't think I have ever met anyone that has been cursed.  Bad luck?  Sure.  We all go through a  time when luck is not by our side.  Possessed?  Possibly.  Maybe some people can be possessed.  I think if you think you are cursed then you think that you are cursed.  Anyone ever heard of Karma?  Maybe that has something to do with it, I really don't know.  How the subject got turned to Wicca and Paganism, I don't know.  I guess it goes back to when people were taught that witches put curses on people and that Pagans were evil.  I can tell you that I have looked into Wicca, not because it's "trendy" but because I was interested.  I am not Wiccan, I am Pagan.  And I can tell you that I know exactly why I chose this religion.  It has been around before Christianity.  so many people worshiped the sun and the moon and the seasons because that is what they saw.   I believe in this religion because it goes along with all the things that I believed as a child.  There is a God(Sun) and a Goddess(Moon)  and it is not a strict religion, it does not make threats or bully us to believe something.  And in the end there is a reward, for we live our lives by respecting and helping and not being judmental toward others.  Your comments about people being posers is exactly why I do not share this with everyone.  Sure, there are people who are not legitimate, I just felt I needed to put my two cents in also and let people know that it is highly doubtful that people can be cursed.  I think maybe it has something to do with superstition.

 Many people are superstitous, some  people ,think once they leave home and have to go back because them forget some thing, they say it's bad luck if they go back 

There were times I imagine some thing and it really happen. Am still waiting to win the Million. 

I dream my father talking in unknown language , few days after I heard him talking in tongs, just the way I dream it. 

What causes people to act  like exorcist. my youngest daughter I send her to live with my sister 

She start acting   she had demon in her , sound like a man , my neice were all scared of her , she couldn't stay there  after she came back to live with me  I took her to see a psychiatric  he said  she had no mental problem. .she is now married any way 

My daughter told  me when she was living with her father they went to the " Catholic "church the priest cast  out a demon from a woman  it went in her. 

 
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January 8, 2006, 8:28 pm PST

Skin Design

Quote From: superdl1

I have looked on the internet for this sign and can't find one. The closest one was an anchor with a snake. Ours loos lik it has a heart in the middle. Does it.? It's hard to see it up close enough. It is not a button. I doubt it. I will look further to see what I can find.

To me, it looks like the fish........  I think it is a good thing.  I don't think you've been cursed...... 

It definetly is strange though......... Thx for sharing! 

~C~ 

  

 
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January 8, 2006, 8:41 pm PST

It's all in what you believe . . .

I have had some very personal experience with this topic, and am glad to hear the discussion on it.

My belief is this, very simply, it's all in what you believe, and what you allow to have control in your thoughts and in your mind.  I do believe in both angels and demons; it stands to reason that if there are good spiritual entities (guardian angels, spirit guides, angelic presences of dead relatives), then a counterbalance of bad ones would be necessary.  I have had a lot of experience with "supernatural phenomena" from my earliest childhood, and was taught that these things that I seemed to be capable of were maifestations of the Spirit, and were blessings from God.  They needed to be used for the good of myself and others, and not exploited or tainted by money, profit, or greed.

I was living with a man who acknowledged, after some very bizarre and violent incidents, that he had allowed himself to be possessed as a teenager  --  even though he did not realize what he was doing at the time.

He and a friend found a big leather-bound book in a dumpster on the way home from school one day, and were fascinated by it.  It had strange words, pictures and symbols, and they wanted to find out what they meant, so they took it with them.  It was a spellbook, or grimoire, used by a black magician; it contained spells invoking demons, as well as other spells.  The boys found one they wanted to enact, and they did so in his friend's garage one Saturday night.

Until this time, according to the man I was dating, he was a very sickly kid, and bed-ridden due to kidney disease for most of his early childhood.  He said that within two years, and the high school yearbooks prove it, his physique was robust and fully filled out instead of bony and sickly, he had become a very good cross-country runner, and had stamina and strength he had never had.  He was healthy enough to join the Marines at the beginning of Vietnam and served two tours, returning with only minor injuries.  He rose throught the ranks after his combat tours, and acheived some very elite duty assignments.  All of this he credited to the spell he did that night.  He swears that he never could have or would have survived had it not been for the presence of this entity he had allowed to take control of him.

The downside was that he has never acheived any kind of success in the field of personal relationships.  Personal relationships aren't supposed to be combat, but that is the way he still treats relationships; the mate is the "enemy", and whether it's just him or the thing he credits for his sucess, he has to be right and "win" at all times, and the most vicious things in the world are fair game.

When this vicious behavior began to surface in our relationship, and when I figured it out that it had something to do with demons, I began to do research into which one it could be, and what it could be capable of.  My thought process was this:  he obviously believes it, and gives it a lot of credence, so to combat it, defeat it or get rid of it I had to believe that he believed it, and act accordingly.  He was Catholic, and was raised in the Church, so I had him go see the priests of our local diocese for advice and counselling.

They recommended a full battery of psychiatric tests to rule out any organic brain pathology or defect before they would consider his behavior any evidence of supernatural acitivity or possession.  They did tell him that in most cases Western medicine finds some sort of explanation for the events which occur, and most times exorcism is not ever really considered.  In the rare cases where no pathology is found, then spiritual illness, including possession, is then ready to be considered.  Even in those cases, actual possession is incredibly, incredibly rare, according to this priest he consulted with.

In the case of this man I had been living with, he decided not to have the testing done; he saw no point in it, and refused to take the time to do it.  He insisted to the priest that he was sure of what it was, and the testing and observation was a waste of time.  Upon further counselling, the priest told him that if it was true that this was what he said it was, then the only way to free himself was basically to willingly give it up, and he could exorcise it  and renounce it himself if he so chose.  If he did not, then everything that this man loved  -- his mate, his music, his house, his terrific job, his cars, everything he really cared about  --  would be destroyed.  The logic behind this was simple  --  the demon wants to keep the person all to itself, it hates to share, and will do everything to keep the person enslaved to it and retain possession.  If everything one loves is destroyed, then one always needs help to rebuild and achieve sucess.  If the demon has always brought success one would always turn back to the source of that sucess.

This man decided he'd rather keep his demon, and risk hurting or killing me, rather than give it up and find another source --  a positive one  --  from which to draw strength.

I tried everything I could think of to help him, and to protect myself; from the prayers I learned  as a child to the most advanced ritual white magic I could find.  In the end the emotional and physical damage that was done to me was tremendous.  I had to end the relationship with him because the emotional abuse and physical abuse was just too much to handle.  I fully believe that during one incident, the last physical assault, that had I not prayed aloud when I did that night, I would be dead right now (had  a bad concussion rather than a fully split wig, and who says miracle don't happen?)


When I first came to the message boards about this a little over a year ago, I really felt like most folks thought I was nuts, or I was letting my imagination run away with me.  This was no imagining . . . it was the worst waking nightmare anyone could ever conceive of.  I know this because I lived it.

It all boils down to this  --  if you believe it is possible to be possessed, then you can be.  If you want to be rid of it, you can be, but you have to replace it with something else that is positive.  As Dr. Phil says, we don't break bad habits, we replace the bad one with a positive one.  The same is true of this phenomenon;  if you leave the void where the evil has been, it will return, and often times 7-10 times stronger than before.  If you replace the evil with good and positive activities, then you have a good chance of beating it. 

Then there's the sad cases where the possesed decides they'd rather stay that way, and one cannot help those who do not want to be helped.

I hope this helps somone out there;  I hope that this gives someone hope that if they are in the situation there are ways out.  That is all I hope to accomplish by revealing this.  So please folks, do me a favor . . . be kind if and when you reply.  This has been very hard to say, and I really don't need to know how many of you think I'm barking mad.


Thanks for reading . . .

Pearl2purl

 
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January 8, 2006, 9:15 pm PST

Just wanted to clarify

Quote From: liatsunami

 I didn't say I was uncomfortable reading it. I'm just saying the long and lengthy discussions over religion are in my opinion not appropriate for this particular topic.  This topic should focus on helping people with thier  problem. 

I am also saying that before people start in thinking they are possessed/cursed/whatever, then they need to take the route of making SURE there is nothing physically or mentally wrong with them before turning to things like excorcism or praying with the expectaion that some divine power is going to fix their problems.  I don't think that is such unreasonable advice.  

What I find unreasonable is people who just automatically give people the advice of "find Jesus" or "pray about it" with the expectation that divine intervention will stop their problem when there could be a physical or mental issue causing their problem, that can be fixed through human means.

Another note, if you took psychology classes in hopes of understanding yourself  and helping your problems then you totally missed the point of psychology.   You can't diagnose and treat yourself.   The whole point of psychology is an objective party looking at a problem of the human mind.  And when we diagnose or try to treat ourselves we are NOT objective, we can't be.   But then again psychology doesn't work for EVERYONE.

I think it's great that prayer worked for you. I think had you just left your post at "For me Christianity is the answer, it is the only thing that helped me many times through my emotional distress." and then elaborated on that point, like what you did?  How you were feeling? How you came to that conclusion.   What other methods you tried?  Then I think your post would have been very helpful .

I am not trying to dismiss anyone's religious convictions I"m just trying to help people be as helpful as possible with their posts so we can all get the maximum benefit out of this forum.

Just wanted to clarify why psychology didn't work for me...  First, I think with anyone that takes under such a degree will look into their own lives to see where they could become more productive, healthier, and better apt to adjust to life's endless changes.  I think someone that is in a health related field has to be interested about it because of something that had happened to them in their own lives, or else where would that passion come from?  I guess the main thing that I was trying to look for was help with depression, and I just said that it didn't work for me in that respect.  It didn't improve my own outlook on life.  The only thing that helped me find that peace of mind was when I first believed in Jesus. 

I do know that psychology has made me a better mother, and a better friend.  I think with the knowledge I received I did gain a respect for how the mind works and how to be a more caring and a better listener.  I just think that I found that peace I was looking for in God and not in my own self.  No drugs needed, no diagnoses, no need for therapy.  I guess I just believe when you become a person in a heath related field you should be able to recognize the signs, whether it be depression or a broken leg.  No need for objectivity.  I do think that you cannot treat yourself, but have another doctor set your leg, or have help from the Master Healer himself. 

 
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January 8, 2006, 9:27 pm PST

I want to encourage Sharon

I am writing this messege with Sharon in mind, as a young child I witnessesed much of what you described. I was blessed for it not to be at the hand of my father or mother,Nevertheless we did attend a church that was out of balance and focussed on these issues. I struggled for years with My memmories and I too felt that fear and terror. Since my childhood I have plugged in to a very nuturing and supportive church family and was able to get past those haunted memmories. That was not of God. He first and foremost loves us and would never want us to be terrorized by those things. I left the "charismatic" church and have since moved to a Calvery Chapel. Calvery Chapel has a website and it's founding pastor Chuck Smith is a great man of god. They teach the Bible with an emphasis of gods love for each of us. I will pray for you. 

  

I just want to encourage Sharon to "Hold On" and God will bring you through. Dr. Phil Thank you for recomending for Sharon to find a loving and nurturing church home and to seek counseling. Thank you for being brave enough to "speak your opinon" on the air. 

  

  

 
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