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4 in 10 people worldwide believe in witches


Still Waters

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Worldwide, more than four in 10 people believe in witchcraft, a new survey suggests.

However, witchcraft, or the concept that people can use supernatural abilities to cause harm is a belief that varies dramatically between nations. Just 9% of people in Sweden believe in witchcraft, while more than 90% of people in Tunisia believe some people hold malevolent powers, the study found. 

Belief in witchcraft may be as old as humanity itself. England's oldest cave art, for instance, may be ""witch marks"" etched to ward off evil spirits, while the oldest written instance of the Hebrew name of God is found on a 3,200-year-old ""curse tablet"", meant to hex someone who broke a vow. The notion that humans can cast curses is present in most major world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, a 2021 Pew Research Center survey found.

https://www.livescience.com/four-in-ten-people-worldwide-believe-in-witches

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Have they tested whether they weigh the same as a duck?

also would be nice to know whether they distinguished between people who actively believe in witches and those who just figure it could be possible.

Edited by Orphalesion
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I'd like to see the definition of 'witch' before I would vote but, yes, I believe there are superphysical sources, entities and energies that can be harnessed.

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6 minutes ago, papageorge1 said:

I'd like to see the definition of 'witch' before I would vote but, yes, I believe there are superphysical sources, entities and energies that can be harnessed.

That's just a placebo effect. Using the idea of a thing, since the thing doesn't exist. I know you won't agree and it doesn't matter if you do either way. It is just how things really are. 

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33 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

That's just a placebo effect. Using the idea of a thing, since the thing doesn't exist. I know you won't agree and it doesn't matter if you do either way. It is just how things really are. 

I see that you know how things ‘really are’.

You are right that our disagreement doesn’t matter. Happy Thanksgiving.

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7 hours ago, Still Waters said:

Worldwide, more than four in 10 people believe in witchcraft, a new survey suggests.

I don't believe in witchcraft but I do believe in witches.  Go to a 4th marriage bachelorette party with 50+ y/o women and you will too.

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2 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

I don't believe in witchcraft but I do believe in witches.  Go to a 4th marriage bachelorette party with 50+ y/o women and you will too.

Hi Al

Ahem that is b:tchcraft to be specific 

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7 hours ago, papageorge1 said:

I see that you know how things ‘really are’.

You are right that our disagreement doesn’t matter. Happy Thanksgiving.

Well when you spent years in the actual study and practice of magick. You learn some things. It's a head trip. If you strip the spiritual and religious trapping from the art. You're left with basically affirmations and theatrics. Most are too stupid and can't realize it. The spiritual aspect is the placebo/nocebo part. 

Edited by XenoFish
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6 hours ago, XenoFish said:

Well when you spent years in the actual study and practice of magick. You learn some things. It's a head trip. If you strip the spiritual and religious trapping from the art. You're left with basically affirmations and theatrics. Most are too stupid and can't realize it. The spiritual aspect is the placebo/nocebo part. 

Well don't judge from a sample size of one person. That's the 'sample size of one' error again.

Even if there is some also mysterious placebo effect, the quantity, quality and consistency of the reports of others with physical effects and events that cannot be explained away in a materialist worldview leads me to believe something beyond the physical is going on too in some of these cases. 

I even have come to believe some native shamans (or whatever term) do things not explainable in a materialist worldview (that even allows for placebo effects to be part of materialism).

Edited by papageorge1
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53 minutes ago, twobytwice said:

The Placebo effect IS Witchcraft.

No it isn't.

36 minutes ago, papageorge1 said:

Well don't judge from a sample size of one person. That's the 'sample size of one' error again.

Even if there is some also mysterious placebo effect, the quantity, quality and consistency of the reports of others with physical effects and events that cannot be explained away in a materialist worldview leads me to believe something beyond the physical is going on too in some of these cases. 

I even have come to believe some native shamans (or whatever term) do things not explainable in a materialist worldview (that even allows for placebo effects to be part of materialism).

Just shut up with the whole quality, quantity, and consistency crap. People are stupid and people are gullible. There is nothing "beyond physical" happening. It is nothing more than a belief affecting consciousness. Give someone a smooth stone with a meaningless symbol on it and tell them it's lucky. The rock is just a tool. Something to anchor a belief in. 

Same with the idea of being cursed or unlucky. Does the exact same thing. 

What you believe doesn't matter. Do some real research. But you won't. You're to shallow minded to make that effort. 

Edited by XenoFish
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3 hours ago, XenoFish said:

No it isn't.

Just shut up with the whole quality, quantity, and consistency crap. People are stupid and people are gullible. There is nothing "beyond physical" happening. It is nothing more than a belief affecting consciousness. Give someone a smooth stone with a meaningless symbol on it and tell them it's lucky. The rock is just a tool. Something to anchor a belief in. 

Same with the idea of being cursed or unlucky. Does the exact same thing. 

What you believe doesn't matter. Do some real research. But you won't. You're to shallow minded to make that effort. 

Well, not today. Happy Thanksgiving 

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On 11/24/2022 at 10:52 AM, XenoFish said:

No it isn't.

Just shut up with the whole quality, quantity, and consistency crap. People are stupid and people are gullible. There is nothing "beyond physical" happening. It is nothing more than a belief affecting consciousness. Give someone a smooth stone with a meaningless symbol on it and tell them it's lucky. The rock is just a tool. Something to anchor a belief in. 

Same with the idea of being cursed or unlucky. Does the exact same thing. 

What you believe doesn't matter. Do some real research. But you won't. You're to shallow minded to make that effort. 

OK, now it's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm more argumentative. Here's a short 5 minute video from Dean Radin that presents my opinions and response better than I could do it.

 

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1 hour ago, papageorge1 said:

Here's a short 5 minute video from Dean Radin that presents my opinions and response better than I could do it.

My XenoMeter maxed out at the level utter b.s. I just wasted time on. 

Edited by XenoFish
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51 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

My XenoMeter maxed out at the level utter b.s. I just wasted time on. 

Hah!! Trade that piece of crap Xenometer in for a decent Papameter!!!

Edited by papageorge1
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I've seen different definitions of the word witch and it still confuses me. "The word witch is defined so differently by different people that a common definition seems impossible. Some regard it as a badge of pride, a word to be reclaimed but others dislike the word. "It has a rather bad press", one Witch told me. Another said "I did not plan to call myself Witch. It found me. Or just happened to be a name-perhaps a bad name-that was attached to the things I was seeking" (Drawing Down The Moon, M. Adler).

Supposedly many wiccans don't believe in paranormal stuff or the afterlife. Idk, the one's I've met, do. One time my wiccan neighbor was over. My faulty lights begin to flicker on/off. I said (joking) "i really hope I'm not being haunted". She was about to leave leave and said "I'm not supposed to be around stuff like this". This type of situation happened to me twice! So they believe in paranormal things but sometimes ignore it??? I chose not to (idk stir the pot) ask for clarification.

Edited by Bed of chaos
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"Double, double toil and trouble

Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

A common sight in Elizabethan England, old women brewing thick, dark beer in large caldrons, imagery co-opted by Shakespeare to portray the witches of Macbeth.

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On 11/25/2022 at 2:52 AM, XenoFish said:

No it isn't.

Given that successful treatments by Witchdoctors are generally explained by the placebo effect, I think I'm gonna disagree with you on this one Xeno.:lol:

Edited by Alchopwn
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On 11/27/2022 at 5:23 AM, Alchopwn said:

Given that successful treatments by Witchdoctors are generally explained by the placebo effect, I think I'm gonna disagree with you on this one Xeno.:lol:

How silly of me. Guess I need to get an appointment with the nearest reiki practitioner for my shoulder.

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On 11/25/2022 at 2:04 PM, papageorge1 said:

Hah!! Trade that piece of crap Xenometer in for a decent Papameter!!!

That's some meter always giving a high probability for the less, and or unprobable.

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The 6 out of 10 haven’t met my exes mom. Glad she never became an inlaw.

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