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Exorcism [
February 5, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place of which they have possessed (taken control of). The practice is quite ancient and still part of the belief system of many religions.

The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a priest, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers, and religious material, such as set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, amulets, etc.. The exorcist invokes God and/or several different angels and archangels, specifically Saint Michael to actually perform the task.

In general, possessed persons are not regarded as evil in themselves, nor wholly responsible for their actions. Therefore, exorcism is generally thought more as a cure than as a punishment.


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Whiplash [
February 5, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
Whiplash is the common name for a hyper extension/flexion injury to the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spines. The injury is referred to as "whiplash" due to the neck or back being thrown forwards and/or backwards at a rapid speed. This causes the fibres of the neck muscles to tear, resulting in pain and often a decreased range of movement.

Whiplash is a commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents, usually when the vehicle has been hit in the rear, however the injury can be sustained in many other ways.


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Electroconvulsive Therapy (Electroshock Therapy) [
February 5, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | blank ]

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock treatment and electroshock therapy, is a controversial medical treatment involving the induction of a seizure in a patient by passing electricity through the brain. Patients with any of several conditions often show dramatic short-term improvement after the procedure. While the majority of psychiatrists believe that properly administered ECT is a safe and effective treatment for some conditions, a vocal minority of psychiatrists, former patients, antipsychiatry activists, and others strongly criticize the procedure as extremely harmful to patients' subsequent mental state.[1]

ECT was introduced as a treatment for schizophrenia in the 1930s, and soon became a common treatment for neurologically based disorders affecting mood. In the early days of use, ECT was administered without anaesthesia or muscle relaxants. Patients were frequently injured as a side effect of the induced seizure. ECT without anaesthesia is referred to as "unmodified ECT", or "direct ECT", and is illegal in most countries. Unmodified ECT continues to be common practice in Japan, although the government is now trying to phase it out.[citation needed] Currently, in most countries, patients are first administered an anesthetic agent as well as a paralytic agent, significantly reducing the chances of injury seen in unmodified ECT.

ECT was a common psychiatric treatment until the late 20th century, when it fell into disuse as better drug therapies became available for more conditions. It is now reserved for severe cases of refractory depression in such illnesses as clinical depression (unipolar depression) and the depression associated with bipolar disorder. When still in common use, ECT was sometimes abused by unethical mental health professionals as a means of punishing and controlling unruly or uncooperative patients. Many people came to view ECT unfavorably after negative depictions of it in several books and films, and the treatment is still controversial.

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The Zodiac [
February 4, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | bored ]

The term zodiac (Latin zodiacus, from the Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος], meaning "circle of little animals", derived from ζῴδιον, the diminutive of ζῷον "animal") denotes several places where a circle of twelve animals occurs. However, another suggested etymology is that the Greek term was borrowed from the Sanskrit sodi, denoting "a path", i.e., the path through which the sun travels. The latter is perhaps the more probable etymology, as at least one of the signs in the zodiac does not represent a living creature. Indo-European cultures developed a zodiac of twelve signs associated with a yearly cycle and with constellations of stars that lie along the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens (the ecliptic) and used in astronomy and astrology. Likewise in Chinese astrology, months and years pass through a cycle of twelve animals that imply certain fortunes or misfortunes related to events occurring within those signs.


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Dhampirs (pt. 2) [
February 4, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
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Dhampirs (pt. 1) [
February 4, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | busy ]

Dhampire (also dhampir, dhamphir or dhampyr) are mythological or folkloric creatures. Dhampirs are believed to be beings that are half-vampire and half-human, born from a vampire father and a human mother, or the reverse. Dhampirs, in comparison with normal human beings, are unusually adept at killing vampires. The word "dhampir" is associated with folklore of the Roma people of the Balkans.


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Paganism [
February 4, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | busy ]

Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "a country dweller" or "civilian") is a term which, from a western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions. The term can be defined broadly, to encompass many or most of the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This group may include some of the Dharmic religions, which incorporate seemingly pagan characteristics like nature-veneration, icon-veneration, polytheism and reverence of female deities, and are thus diametrically opposite to the Abrahamic faiths. Ethnologists avoid the term "paganism", with its uncertain and varied meanings, in referring to traditional or historic faiths, preferring more precise categories such as shamanism, polytheism, or animism. The term is also used to describe earth-based Native American religions and mythologies, though few Native Americans call themselves or their cultures "pagan". Historically, the term "pagan" has usually had pejorative connotations among westerners, comparable to heathen, infidel, and mushrik and kafir (كافر) in Islam. In modern times, though, the words "pagan" or "paganism" have become widely and openly used by some practitioners of certain spiritual paths outside the Abrahamic and Dharmic religious mainstream to describe their beliefs, practices, and organized movements.[1]


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Forensic Science [
February 4, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | busy ]

Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or to a civil action. The use of the term "forensics" in place of "forensic science" could be considered incorrect; the term "forensic" is effectively a synonym for "legal" or "related to courts" (from Latin, it means "before the forum"). However, it is now so closely associated with the scientific field that many dictionaries include the meaning that equates the word "forensics" with "forensic science."

“Forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis” meaning forum. During the time of the Romans, a criminal charge meant presenting the case before a group of public individuals. Both the person accused of the crime and the accuser would give speeches based on their side of the story. The individual with the best argumentation and delivery would determine the outcome of the case. In other words, the person with the best forensis skills would win.



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Satanism [
February 4, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | busy ]

Satanism is a word which has been used over the years to describe a number of different belief systems in a number of contexts. People claiming to be Satanists—or outsiders claiming to describe Satanism—ascribe a wide variety of beliefs to this movement. These range from the literal worship of a malevolent spiritual being (Theistic Satanism); to a kind of subversive ritual performance stressing the mockery of Christian symbols (most notably the Black Mass); to the claimed rediscovery of an ancient but misunderstood religion (e.g. Setianism, which conflates Satan with the Egyptian god Set); to the exaltation of hedonistic recreation, and the celebration of selfishness and pleasure.


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Agnosticism [
February 3, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
Agnosticism (from the Greek a, meaning "without" and gnosis, "knowledge", translating to unknowable) is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims—particularly theological claims regarding metaphysics, afterlife or the existence of God, god(s), or deities—is unknown or (possibly) inherently unknowable. Some agnostics take a stronger view that the concept of a deity is incoherent, thus meaningless and irrelevant to life[citation needed]. "Agnostic" was introduced by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869 to describe his philosophy. The term agnostic is also improperly used to describe those who are unconvinced or noncommittal about the existence of deities as well as about other matters of religion.

Early Christian church leaders used the Greek word gnosis (knowledge) to describe "spiritual knowledge". Agnosticism is not to be confused with religious views opposing the doctrine of gnosis and Gnosticism— these are religious concepts that are not generally related to agnosticism.

Agnostics claim either that it is not possible to have absolute or certain knowledge or, alternatively, that while certainty may be possible, they personally have no knowledge. Agnosticism in both cases involves some form of skepticism.

Demographic research services[1] may use combinations of agnostic, atheist, and secular to describe non-religious people. Agnostics are normally listed alongside categories such as atheist and non-religious, although this may be misleading. Some atheists report themselves as agnostic, in the belief that identifying themselves as atheist would not be well received by others. In addition, there are religions without gods, such as many branches of buddhism, so one can easily be atheist and religious at once.


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The Supernatural [
February 3, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
The supernatural (Latin: super- "above" + nature) refers to entities, forces or phenomena which are not subject to natural laws, and therefore beyond verifiable measurement. Though supernatural refers chiefly to the cause of phenomena (an interpretation), if a phenomenon can be scientifically demonstrated, it is typically no longer considered to be supernatural. Because phenomena must be subject to verifiable measurement and peer review to contribute to scientific theories, science cannot approach the supernatural; see scientific method.

"Measure what is measurable, and make measurable what is not so." --Galileo

Concepts in the supernatural domain are closely related to concepts in religious spirituality and metaphysics or spiritualism. The term "supernatural" is often used interchangeably with paranormal or preternatural — the latter typically limited to an adjective for describing abilities which appear to exceed possible bounds.

Supernatural claims assert phenomena beyond the realm of current scientific understanding, and may likewise be in direct conflict with scientific concepts of possibility, plausibility, or reality in general. The supernatural concept is generally identified with religion or other non-scientific belief systems — though there is much debate as to whether a supernatural aspect is necessary for religion, or that religion is necessary for holding a concept of the supernatural; see the nature of God in Western theology, anthropology of religion, and Biblical cosmology.

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Witchcraft Pt. 2 [
February 3, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
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Witchcraft Pt. 1 [
February 3, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of alleged supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft, and may be male or female. While mythological witches are often supernatural creatures, historically many people were also accused of witchcraft, or claimed to be witches. Witchcraft still exists in a number of belief systems, with many modern practitioners.

The term "witchcraft" can have positive or negative connotations depending on cultural context; for instance, in post-Christian European cultures it has historically been associated with evil and the Devil, while most modern witches see it as beneficent and morally positive.

In mythological contexts, witches are most often female, the male equivalent being a wizard, sorcerer, warlock or magician. In a modern Wiccan or Neopagan context women and men are "witches" equally, the term "warlock" being reserved for those who have betrayed their fellows.


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Info found at : wikipedia
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Welcome [
February 3, 2007
]

axel_of_evil
[ mood | cheerful ]

Hello everyone. My Name is Raven (axel_of_evil), your mod here at the_open_book. This community is basically about random information submitted by members or myself.

Please read the rules before doing anything and I hope you enjoy it here!

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