God Or Epilepsy ?

[modeller]

I have read many biographies of prophets and one thing crops up again and again and that is how often the symtoms of epilepsy are associated with revelations. Saint Paul and Muhammad being prime examples.
I wonder if visions and voices related by prophets are epileptic halluciations, in which case it is understandable that they might genuinely believe they were supernatural. ?

[naomi24]

//the symtoms of epilepsy are associated with revelations. //

Something was certainly associated with Revelations! Not sure about epilepsy, but a portion of magic mushrooms might be a strong contender!

[seadogg]

I guess this begs the question of the different types of epilepsy. My OH tends to babble nonsense when she is coming round after a seizure. Other sufferers I know are just very quiet. It may just be that people with this type of personality may also be suspect to epilepsy, which people used to regard as being possessed by spirits, now known to be nonsense.

[beso]

Not just epilepsy but epilepsy of the temporal lobe of the brain. It has been observed clinically that such seizures frequently result in hyper-religious experiences.

[Zacs-Master]

Seadogg 'My OH tends to babble nonsense when she is coming round after a seizure'.. Most religious people carry on doing it long after the initial effects.

[Old_Geezer]

Unsure the OP is a question. More of a statement.
Sure, one can misinterpret what one doesn't understand.

[society]

Remember my reference to lightening striking someone then they develop psychic ability or the likes? Are you saying epilepsy may have done the same to prophets?

[birdie1971]

Regarding Mohammed – this from Wikipedia:

“... Muhammad is reported to have had mysterious seizures at the moments of inspiration. According to Philip Schaff, during his revelations Muhammad, "sometimes growled like a camel, foamed at his mouth, and streamed with perspiration." Welch, a scholar of Islamic studies, in the Encyclopedia of Islam states that the graphic descriptions of Muhammad's condition at these moments may be regarded as genuine, since they are unlikely to have been invented by later Muslims...”

As stated above, the idea that muslims would have invented these 'seizure' stories does seem to be exceptionally unlikely. It would appear that the accounts of Mohammed foaming at the mouth, etc. are genuine.

It boils down to a very simple question of whether you believe that Mohammed was able to converse directly with God and that talking to God produced these physical effects on a mere mortal; or that Mohammed was just simply having epileptic seizures with the attendant religious delusions.

I know which one of those options I'd put my money on.

http://goo.gl/TZneY

[naomi24]

Society, I don't think anyone is saying that epilepsy caused the prophets to develop psychic abilities, rather that it caused them to experience hallucinations.

Birdie, Interesting link. Thank you.

[modeller]

The temporal lobe is sometimes referred to as the God spot ,as when stimulated it shows increased activity when shown religious images but especially in people who are exposed to religious activities, both positive and negative e.g Paul actively persecuted Christians, but only because he saw them as a threat to his own strong Jewish beliefs, so it was uppermost in his mind. He also saw his 'ailment ' as sent by God to subdue
his pride.