• givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I mean, Lovecraft just went with OG Abrhamic stuff.

    When they talk about angels in the Bible, they weren’t talking about beautiful elves from Lotr with wings.

    They were something that interacting with would break your mind. Because the people claiming to see them had broken minds already, that’s why they were “seeing” them in the first place.

    Which makes sense because what started the Abrhamic religions was a schizophrenic hearing voices to murder his family to appease the voice(s) in their head.

    It’s been whitewashed over the centuries, but that’s all it is. The followers of a schizophrenic carrying on his delusions that began with murdering his brother. And they’re still being told if they ever experience those symptoms, they should fucking listen instead of getting mental health treatment.

    • deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz
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      6 months ago

      Also see the Oracle (s) of Pythia/Delphi.

      Go into cave

      Breathe fumes

      Hallucinate

      Tell local King he’ll be victorious in upcoming battle

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        I’m sure it happened some before, but the earliest known case was like, a thousand years or so after.

        The danger of the Abrahamic religions is people who did experience hallucinations from things like ergot poisoning saw the similarities to the schizophrenic hallucinations their religions are based on.

        So instead of their first thought being “clearly I’m seeing/hearing things that aren’t there like a dream” it was “God has chosen me and is commanding me to do ____”.

        Like, under no circumstances is a higher power providing instructions, guidance, advice, anything.

        And it’s incredibly dangerous when people believe it’s possible. Because if they experience hallucinations for any reason, there’s a chance they treat it like a command.