Is hearing voices the demons?

[io.porog]

I hear voices and have done so since January 2011. It caused some to react sharply and to distance themselves from me. The research I have done since, shows that they are a psychological phenomenon. 

But I would like to know what you think as well as what research you've done.

[Γιαννης Διαμαντιδης]

there is a big possibility to be demons. A friend of mine had the same problem and tried to solve it by being a good Jehovah's witness and repeating the name of God (she thought Jehovah is the right version) as she been told by elders. Of course no improvement. then she went to some other religious sect (I don't say not to promote anyone). They told her that the solution is to pray in Jesus name and to avoid food (nesteia). demons left her one day later !
Ever since she stop attending the kingdom hall and she went to this other sect.
Matthew 17:19-21
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21"But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

[io.porog]

2 hours ago, Γιαννης Διαμαντιδης said:

there is a big possibility to be demons. A friend of mine had the same problem and tried to solve it by being a good Jehovah's witness and repeating the name of God (she thought Jehovah is the right version) as she been told by elders. Of course no improvement. then she went to some other religious sect (I don't say not to promote anyone). They told her that the solution is to pray in Jesus name and to avoid food (nesteia). demons left her one day later !
Ever since she stop attending the kingdom hall and she went to this other sect.
Matthew 17:19-21
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21"But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

So, you do you believe psychiatric conditions are actually demonic possessions?

[Melinda Mills]

*** w03 5/1 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***

Questions From Readers

If a Christian hears voices, does that necessarily mean that he is under demon attack?

No. While demons have been reported to manifest themselves in that way, many individuals who hear voices or experience other inexplicable, disturbing sensations have learned upon investigation that they have a medical problem.

Even in the first century, it was apparently recognized that demon attacks and physical conditions sometimes produce similar effects. At Matthew 17:14-18, we read of a young boy who was healed by Jesus. Although the young boy had manifested severe epileptic symptoms, his suffering was actually caused by a demon. However, on an earlier occasion when crowds of suffering people were brought to Jesus for healing, these included some who were “demon-possessed and epileptic.” (Matthew 4:24) Evidently, it was recognized that some epileptics were not demon possessed. Their problems were physical.

It is reported that some who suffer from schizophrenia, a disease often treatable with medication, hear voices or experience other symptoms that could appear to be something uncanny. Other physical conditions may also cause mental confusion that some could mistakenly think is caused by demons. Hence, while an individual who reports hearing voices or who has other disturbing sensations may not want to discount demon harassment, he should definitely be encouraged to consider investigating whether there is a physical explanation for what he is experiencing.

[Footnote]

See “Taking the Mystery out of Mental Illness,” in the September 8, 1986, Awake!, companion magazine of The Watchtower.

(Matthew 17:14-21) 14 When they came toward the crowd, a man approached him, knelt down to him, and said: 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and is ill. He falls often into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 In reply Jesus said: “O faithless and twisted generation, how long must I continue with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said: “Why could we not expel it?” 20 He said to them: “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard grain, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” 21 ——

 

[John Houston]

You have two answers. One took you to why the Bible said, using examples, taking what Jesus did under similar conditions with demon possession. The other was of voices and they went elsewhere using the name as a talisman. What is wrong with this example? If saying Jehovah did not help, but using Jesus' name did, where and why would we? While here Jesus had such power, he did not leave us any power, nor did he leave such power just in his name as if it was magical, that is what Satan wants many to believe, such as the story finally ends up to. And the author seems happy to have occur.

 But that is not what Jesus taught or want from his followers. So the demons left causing the person who had doubt to believe in something else, like what Jesus taught when a person who is cleaned is then returned upon by more demons. The voices left to get the person to believe, yet they would be set upon by much more problems.

 The first answer was a much better answer. But you have to choose.

[Evacuated]

I have difficulty following the logic in John Houston's answer, probably he has previous answers sorted by rating rather than date.

I would recommend the answer given by Melinda Mills.

Please get some reliable medical advice if available, and especially if you haven't done so since 2011. Luke 5:31.

[io.porog]

4 hours ago, John Houston said:

You have two answers. One took you to why the Bible said, using examples, taking what Jesus did under similar conditions with demon possession. The other was of voices and they went elsewhere using the name as a talisman. What is wrong with this example? If saying Jehovah did not help, but using Jesus' name did, where and why would we? While here Jesus had such power, he did not leave us any power, nor did he leave such power just in his name as if it was magical, that is what Satan wants many to believe, such as the story finally ends up to. And the author seems happy to have occur.

 But that is not what Jesus taught or want from his followers. So the demons left causing the person who had doubt to believe in something else, like what Jesus taught when a person who is cleaned is then returned upon by more demons. The voices left to get the person to believe, yet they would be set upon by much more problems.

 The first answer was a much better answer. But you have to choose.

John, I think Melinda showed that there is a difference between medical conditions like Epilepsy (Mental condition) and Demon possession (Spiritual condition). There is so much ignorance around mental illness today it is truly saddening. I happen to work in mental health and meet voice hearers who have tried calling upon God's name Jehovah and Jesus' name neither worked because not all ailments go away just because you happen to use Jehovah's name or Jesus' name. Remember, the Apostle Paul who asked God three times to take away his thorn in the flesh? What was God's answer? 

[John Houston]

What is the difference between epilepsy and being possessed by demons today? Ones who try to use names as talisman find this does not work or that they may have a true medical condition, but having epilepsy would by convulsions be seen as a demon or the need for medicine in the first century? Jesus would have cured me still, correct? And he would have known the difference, right? Something today's doctors have no clue about. 

Remember the fight is a spiritual warfare as described in scripture. So such things have to be discerned. Wwe need to have our armor and spiritual house in order to avoid such takeover by demons in any forms. We can not shrug this off. Satan wants many to disbelieve his existence anyway. He is pissed for being confined to the earth, so nothing has changed from Jesus' day. If they possessed then they do now. More subtle and many more ways to come under their control without this type of possession. 

Satan only has to get us to waver on our worship, drift away, dim our light, become unfocused. With the distractions of the multi-media, global economically infused world all influenced bu this ruler of this system of things, he has the upper hand. We need help from Jehovah to ward off satanic attacks. We must grow deeper in our love for Jehovah and those who love him also. Birds of a feather flock together, yes we are going to need each other as this system dies off!

[io.porog]

5 hours ago, John Houston said:

What is the difference between epilepsy and being possessed by demons today? Ones who try to use names as talisman find this does not work or that they may have a true medical condition, but having epilepsy would by convulsions be seen as a demon or the need for medicine in the first century? Jesus would have cured me still, correct? And he would have known the difference, right? Something today's doctors have no clue about. 

Remember the fight is a spiritual warfare as described in scripture. So such things have to be discerned. Wwe need to have our armor and spiritual house in order to avoid such takeover by demons in any forms. We can not shrug this off. Satan wants many to disbelieve his existence anyway. He is pissed for being confined to the earth, so nothing has changed from Jesus' day. If they possessed then they do now. More subtle and many more ways to come under their control without this type of possession. 

Satan only has to get us to waver on our worship, drift away, dim our light, become unfocused. With the distractions of the multi-media, global economically infused world all influenced bu this ruler of this system of things, he has the upper hand. We need help from Jehovah to ward off satanic attacks. We must grow deeper in our love for Jehovah and those who love him also. Birds of a feather flock together, yes we are going to need each other as this system dies off!

John, what you may not realise is that by implying that demons are involved in mental illness is that such people have done something wrong to lose God's protection and blessing. Many assume that demons cannot come into a hall or into a person because God's angel is camping around all those serving him. So if the demons do get in, the implication is that we voice hearers are outside of God's protection or disapproved somehow. This line of thinking leads to hysteria and suspicion. This is why I call it ignorant and unhelpful advice. You are vilifying the mentally ill as if they are to blame some how for their own condition. 

[io.porog]

On 3/17/2016 at 09:57, Γιαννης Διαμαντιδης said:

there is a big possibility to be demons. A friend of mine had the same problem and tried to solve it by being a good Jehovah's witness and repeating the name of God (she thought Jehovah is the right version) as she been told by elders. Of course no improvement. then she went to some other religious sect (I don't say not to promote anyone). They told her that the solution is to pray in Jesus name and to avoid food (nesteia). demons left her one day later !
Ever since she stop attending the kingdom hall and she went to this other sect.
Matthew 17:19-21
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21"But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

This is not logical reasoning, using someone else's experience to suggest that it will be true in other cases.There's a reason that verse does not appear in the NWT sir. 

[Giannis Diamantis]

first of all I would like to thank you for your great hospitality here in theworldnewsmedia .org
How I will answer to you if you block me??? How hypocrites you are !

 

[Giannis Diamantis]

On 3/17/2016 at 1:45 AM, Epiraima said:

So, you do you believe psychiatric conditions are actually demonic possessions?

No I didn't say that I believe something like that !

22 hours ago, Epiraima said:

This is not logical reasoning, using someone else's experience to suggest that it will be true in other cases.There's a reason that verse does not appear in the NWT sir. 

this reasoning has been used by the JW.ORG publications all the time. As for the translation NWT ... is just a translation...
unfortunately I don't have demons dictate me whether a bible verse is true or false. Only "Westcott and Hort" had this ability ... oh yes also Johannes Greber and the New World Translation of Jehovah's witnesses.

As for the Matthew verse I don't think your problem is whether or not this is what Jesus taught because we can find similar words on Mark 9:29. I think your problem and the problem of the people you represent (JW.org) is the fact that the new testament don't teach to call on Jehovah's name but teaches to call on Jesus name! Because you don't want people to know that the name Jehovah is an imaginary name given by Masoretes in 10th century, without any power and use. Yes I saw with my own eyes that calling on the name you teach is useless. Only the name of Jesus was worthy of calling... praying ... and repenting. Of course I don't believe that Jesus is equal to his Father, but I do believe that to Jesus have been given the name above any other name.This is my humble opinion, you are free to agree or not.