Stigmata

[quackersgpi]

Stigmata is the development of wounds on the bodies of people similar to the wounds of Christ when he was crucified on the cross. The people involved are usually nuns, priests or people with a strong religious belief. The wounds these people suffer are identical to the wounds on the statue of Jesus that they actually prey too on a daily basis. Therefore if the statue has nails in the palms then the blood will flow from the palms. If the statue is nailed through the wrist, then blood will flow freely from the wrist.
It has also been reported for stigmatics to bleed from the forehead as Jesus would have, wearing the Crown of Thorns. Most strange however are a few Stigmatics who bleed from the ears and eyes.

The most common theory about stigmata is that the sufferers have caused it themselves by the power of their own mind and beliefs. Science has yet to explain the phenomena. Religious points of view argue that this is the power of Faith.

Any thoughts ?

[Amaris]

quackersgpi said:

Any thoughts ?

Erm how about A Load of Boll**ks

[Meercat]

Amaris just about summed it up for me as well!

[mook]

I dont really know that much about it, so i cant really comment, good subject though.

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

I dont think the extreme cases are psychosomatic.
If someone is bleeding then it is either self harm, or harm by an associate.

[quackersgpi]

I agree with everything so far.

Psychosymatic physical feelings are possible, people can believe they have all manner of illnesses but not, in my opinion, to the point where they can make things physically change. Messages can be sent to the brain making people think they have all sorts of pains that can lead them to think they have certain illnesses, leading them to "feel" other symptoms but not to the point of physiological change.

I believe in most cases self inflicted wounds are the answer. I know people say that this doesn't explain how sometimes these woulds can bleed while witnesses are present however, f a wound has been made previously it is very easy to make them open up again in a way that would not be overly obvious.

[fromtheotherside]

quackersgpi said:

Stigmata is the development of wounds on the bodies of people similar to the wounds of Christ when he was crucified on the cross. The people involved are usually nuns, priests or people with a strong religious belief. The wounds these people suffer are identical to the wounds on the statue of Jesus that they actually prey too on a daily basis. Therefore if the statue has nails in the palms then the blood will flow from the palms. If the statue is nailed through the wrist, then blood will flow freely from the wrist.
It has also been reported for stigmatics to bleed from the forehead as Jesus would have, wearing the Crown of Thorns. Most strange however are a few Stigmatics who bleed from the ears and eyes.

The most common theory about stigmata is that the sufferers have caused it themselves by the power of their own mind and beliefs. Science has yet to explain the phenomena. Religious points of view argue that this is the power of Faith.

Any thoughts ?

Yup..its all bullocks

[oddjack]

It would seem the most likely reason they bleed from the palms or head would be that they are self inflicting the wounds (physically). They may do this with a sharp object, which would mean they were in an altered state at the time, of some sort, and don't remember/block it out, or have a desperate desire to evoke their savior’s travails. Alternatively, and easier, with their own nails, digging them into the palms (just when nervous I can leave a mark in my hand - and in a extreme state one could easily "dig in"), and raking them across their forehead.

I have bad trimming habits, and scratch myself occasionally. So now suppose one had a fervent belief system, or desperate need for some higher power answer to troubles. Now suppose one was praying nervously digging their nails into their palms as they pray, and lo the appearance of Christ-like wounds...that would be something onbe might try to cling to as an answer. But no miracle, at least not as yet proven to be so.

Spontaneous wounds like this would be interesting to discover, and worrying to determine why they would be happening. But it has yet to be shown to occur, without human aid.

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

Worth noting that Jesus wouldve been nailed through the wrists and not the palms

[Meercat]

admin said:

Worth noting that Jesus wouldve been nailed through the wrists and not the palms

Yeah but one already thought of that, he had the blood coming from his wrists and ankles. What a bunch of crazies.

[Mr. Jon Donnis]

did you know that Stigmata is a greek word

[Kim]

admin said:

Worth noting that Jesus wouldve been nailed through the wrists and not the palms

Exactly, nails in the palms would soon rip through the hands under body weight!

Traditional art depicts the crucifixion being nails through the hands but this has been an on going debate.

There have been historical stigmatics that were known to have faked wounds, such as Magdalena de la Cruz, who admitted the fraud.

No case of stigmata is known to have occurred before the thirteenth century, when the crucified Jesus became a standard icon of Christianity in the west.

[fromtheotherside]

I remember reading somewhere,goodness knows where. But there is a medical condtion that produces such sores in those areas..nothing paranormal etc..cant think what is was called now..will check and come back to this bugger...tut

[Kim]

I know that one mental illness is Munchausen Syndrome, which is where people fake illness to gain attention.

[Kim]

A link for interest

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7291066/#storyContinued

[claire]

i cant and dont believe in stigmata, since i dont believe in god, but why the hell would someone do that to themselves, unless its a form of self harming, which would lead to mental health issues, that aside i think its a load of old cobblers

[antmania]

Its nice the way people here dismiss things out of hand while knowing very little about the subject.

Personally, I think it is a phsychologocal reaction. Most people who have this stigmata are fervant believers but there are many who have the marks on their hands while others on the wrists.

It is close to being proven that the brain is capable of producing reactions to our physical body whether in terms of self healing or these marks.I certainly don't think they are a sign from God.

[hkev]

I seem to remember reading about a case sometime in the late 19th century,
a French woman Louise Lateu (Spelling ?) would shows signs of stigmata on Holy days.
But it would also happen on ordinary days which she was told were actually Holy days.
This evidence was used to suggest that the effect was purely psychosomatic.

[jomarie]

fromtheotherside said:

I remember reading somewhere,goodness knows where. But there is a medical condtion that produces such sores in those areas..nothing paranormal etc..cant think what is was called now..will check and come back to this bugger...tut

i read the same thing, cant remember which book though it was quite detailed, wonder if i've still got it somewhere, i'll try and have a look. On the whole though... its a load of b***cks

[numberwang]

Well I (very occasionally) get what some people would call stigmata on my feet and hands - my GP even joked about it!! It's actually just a bit of eczema brought on by cold weather/stress/contact with allergy triggers...

The patches are definitely real and not self inflicted but in my case definitely not paranormal