Stigmata. . .real or hoax?

[Scrapster]

stigmata: Bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain corresponding in location to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, usually occurring during states of religious ecstasy or hysteria.

Well, the movie kicked ass. I did see a show on TLC a few years ago which showed people who allegedly went through stigmata experiences. I personally am leaning towards hoax, but I've never seen anything like that in person.

What do you think?

 

[DodgyDoug]

If it is a hoax.. what kind of idiot would do that to themselves!!

 

[Wallydraigle]

I believe that for a few highly impressionable people that it is a real phenomenon. Under hypnosis there are cases of people blistering at the touch of the hynotist's finger because he said it was a hot iron. I don't think it's a miracle.

 

[Shmorq]

I've had pains in the same places, but I don't consider them to be stigmatas.

 

[Scrapster]

If it is a hoax.. what kind of idiot would do that to themselves!!

A very disturbed idiot.

Reasons? Attention, money, fame, etc..

 

[Gillbot]

hoax, there is no god to begin with

 

[Chmichnga]

we have plenty of idiots in the world to stab themselves in their hands and their feet

 

[Wallydraigle]

<< hoax, there is no god to begin with >>



Whether or not God exists has no bearing on this phenomenon being a hoax. Perhaps you've heard of hypochondriasis. Hypochondriacs are people who believe so fervently that they are ill that they show physical symptoms of disease. There is no cause for their affliction beyond the bounderies of their own minds. It is possible for people who display the Stigmata to believe so fervently in their god that for them it is real. Your post was just a narrow-minded attemp to force your beliefs onto others.

 

[Elledan]

People tend to forget the mind/body connection. The mind has so much influence over the body, that a person who is obsessed by a certain idea of an illness, or a crucifixion, can show signs of those illness even though the person was never infected, or can suddenly have wounds on feet and hands which are identical to those caused by a crucifixion.

I watched today a documentary on Discovery about stigmata and one thing which I found remarkable is that every single person who showed those stigmata was either a Christian, or heavily influenced by Christians/Christianity.

It's not a hoax, but it's not real either, at least not in the sense that those wounds are caused by a supernatural force. It's yet another example of the hidden powers of the mind.

 

[Triumph]

Be it truth or hoax, the movie Stigmata just plain sucked.