Scientific Evidence Proves Why Healers See the 'Aura' of People

May 4, 2012

Medical Express

Researchers in Spain have found that many of the individuals claiming to see the aura of people –traditionally called "healers" or "quacks"– actually present the neuropsychological phenomenon known as "synesthesia" (specifically, "emotional synesthesia"). This might be a scientific explanation of their alleged "virtue". In synesthetes, the brain regions responsible for the processing of each type of sensory stimuli are intensely interconnected. This way, synesthetes can see or taste a sound, feel a taste, or associate people with a particular color.

How Are We To Understand the Casting of Lots in Scripture?

By John Sanidopoulos

"The lots are cast into the lap, but they are disposed of by the Lord" (Prov. 16:33).

St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite writes: "Some believe that by lots and raffles is meant that the divine Apostles followed what is irrational and according to chance, as those people who are of the flesh and worldly. This is not acceptable to the divine Dionysius the Areopagite. Rather he says that by lots is meant divine words, a divine gift, which revealed to the choir of Apostles what has been chosen by God. He says: 'Now concerning the divine lot, which fell as a divine decree upon Matthias, others have expressed another view, not clearly, as I think, but I will express my own sentiment. For it seems to me that by lot is meant a certain thearchic gift, pointing out to that Hierarchical Choir him who was designated by the divine election; more particularly, because the divine Hierarch must not perform the sacerdotal acts of his own motion, but, under God, moving him to do them as prescribed by the Hierarchy and Heaven' (Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, Ch. 5). Clement Canonicus says about lots: 'It was common to regard lots as superstitious, when they were used without divine command or calling. When God therefore appointed their use, then lots were used in obedience to God. In other circumstances, we tempt Him.' Apolinarius interprets the text, 'But the land shall be divided by lot' (Numb. 26:55), saying: 'Nothing happens by lot, but by the will of God.' The sacred Theophylact interprets the passage from Jonah, 'Then the crew cast lots' (Jon. 1:7), as follows: 'Do not think that he was chosen by lot, but God had elected him through it.'"

Was the Resurrected Jesus a Zombie?

It has become quite common, and a bit overstated, these days to refer to the post-resurrected Jesus as "Zombie Jesus", thinking that there is a comparison between the features of the risen Jesus with that of Zombies as depicted in popular culture, both said to rise from the dead. Usually such comparisons are not based on any compelling intellectual arguments, but it is worth examining nonetheless. Does the resurrected Jesus display Zombie-like characteristics to warrant such a comparison? The folks at ZombieTheology.com examined both features and characteristics in a neutral fashion to give us the answer. After an analysis of the resurrected Jesus as described in the Gospels and the traditional pop culture Zombie depicted by George Romero (of Night of the Living Dead fame), here is what they found:

St. Kosmas the Aitolos on the Devil

By St. Kosmas the Aitolos

And so, my brethren, the first order of angels of which we spoke earlier fell because of pride and sought to be glorified equally with God. From a luminous and most brilliant being, the angel became the darkest devil and the enemy of people. He is in hell where he burns forever. When we hear the word devil, it is he who was once the first among angels; it is he who moves people to pride, to murder, to theft; it is he who enters into a dead person, causing him to appear living, and we call him a vrykolakas. It is he who enters a living person who takes on the image of Christ, of the Panagia, or some Saint, and running up and down like a person possessed, says he performs miracles. It is the devil who enters into a person and causes him to become an epileptic and demoniac. But may God be glorified, for he's given us three weapons with which to fight him.

Cosmic Horror vs. Sacred Terror: Finding Meaning in Modern Horror

H.P. Lovecraft (left) and Arthur Machen

By Jonathan Ryan

Why is there so much hopeless despair in modern horror? Part of the answer can be found in H.P. Lovecraft's writings and his concept of "cosmic horror." He explains his view of the end of the world: "The human race will disappear. Other races of beings will appear and disappear in turn. The sky will become icy and void, pierced by the feeble light of half-dead stars. Everything will disappear. And what human beings do is just as free of sense as the free motion of elementary particles. Good, evil, morality, feelings? Pure 'Victorian fictions.' Only egotism exists."

Lovecraft injected this worldview into all of his stories. Lovecraft fans discuss the "Cthulhu mythos," based on one of his short stories, The Call of Cthulhu. A malevolent entity, Cthulhu becomes a stand-in for all the monsters or aliens of the Lovecraft universe. He drives home his committed atheist worldview through his "old ones"—alien "gods" from other worlds who either do not care about ours or actively seek our destruction. Cosmic horror is what happens when the characters in Lovecraft's stories face this reality and react in utter despair at the futility of doing anything about it.

Prayer for Intercession Against One's Inner Darkness

My most holy Lady Theotokos, by thy holy and all-effective prayers drive from me thine unworthy servant all despondency, indecision, folly, carelessness, and all impure, evil and blasphemous thoughts, from my wretched heart and my darkened mind. And quench the flame of my passions, for I am poor and wretched, and deliver me from many cruel memories and deeds, and free me from all their bad effects; for blessed art thou by all generations, and glorified is thy most honorable name unto the ages. Amen.

See also: Prayer Rule Against Evil Thoughts

The Miraculous Holy Spring of Saint Myron and the Dragon

Holy Spring of St. Myron

From August 7th through the 8th every year thousands of pilgrims from all over Crete descend on the town of Agiou Myrona to celebrate the memory of their patron saint, Saint Myron the Wonderworker, who was Bishop of Crete in the fourth century. There they enter the church dedicated in his honor, they light a candle, venerate his recently discovered relics, and kiss his holy icon. Besides these things, they also go to the spring of St. Myron, located beneath his tomb, to drink from its miraculous waters.