Cauldron Farm (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} cauldronfarm) wrote,@ 2006-10-10 22:51:00 |
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God Possession Questionnaires from Raven & K. Filan
These questionnaires will be used for research on a book currently being written by Raven Kaldera (northern-tradition Pagan shaman) and Kenaz Filan (Voudoun houngan si pwen) on the growing phenomenon of god-possession and spirit-possession in parts of the Neo-Pagan demographic. All names will be kept confidential unless otherwise indicated. If you have questions, please email us at cauldronfarm@hotmail.com.
God-Possession Questionnaire #1:
For Pagans who have experienced god-possession or spirit-possession.
Name:
Preferred name for book:
Mailing address (for release form):
Email:
1) Please describe your spiritual path and tradition, if any.
2) Please describe the times that you have experienced spirit-possession or god-possession. Take as much space as you need to describe them. If there are too many to list - i.e. you're regularly a horse - please give an overview of what it is that you do.
3) Please describe the Gods or spirits who ride you. How is the ride different for different ones?
4) Why do you do it? Is it consensual or nonconsensual? Is it a choice for you? Could you stop? Do you have choices about where and when?
5) What is the experience of being ridden like for you? Describe the steps from beginning to end, when you come out of it.
6) Have you done this work as part of group ritual? As part of a deity "visiting" a client and giving advice? Randomly or accidentally? If the latter, did it ever go badly?
7) Do you feel that being ridden works better with a "ground crew" of people, or have you not historically needed that?
8) What advice would you give to someone who is finding this happening to them?
9) What advice would you give to someone who is an unexpected observer?
10) What is your relationship to the Gods or spirits who ride you?
11) Where does spirit-possession fit into your religious worldview?
12) The phenomenon of god-possession, especially with Western deities, is growing steadily in many Neo-Pagan groups. How do you feel about that?
13) What do you think that the Pagan demographic needs to know most about god-possession?
14) Do you think that anyone can learn to horse a god? If not, why not? If so, how?
15) Should spirit-possession be taught to anyone who wants to do it? What are the contra-indications?
16) How do you feel about the various "technologies" springing up to help people who have never before heard of god-possession to become horses? (Such as a group psychically condensing the soul and pulling the deity through, using trance states, etc.?)
17) In your experience, what's the difference between these terms: Horsing. God-Possession. Spirit-Possession. "Drawing Down." Aspecting. Channeling. Which would you say that you have done?
18) Anything else you'd like us to keep in mind?
God-Possession Questionnaire #2:
For Pagans who have observed god-possession or spirit-possession in a ritual or religious setting.
Name:
Preferred name for book:
Mailing Address (for release form):
Email:
1) Describe the situation(s) in which you have seen god-possession or spirit-possession.
2) What gods or spirits were doing the possessing? How fully, in your opinion, was the individual(s) possessed?
3) In your opinion, was the possession(s) you saw real, delusional, or faked?
4) Was the possession experience expected by the audience? By the ritual facilitators? By the person being possessed?
5) What could have been done to better prepare you, and the rest of the audience, for the possession?
6) What did seeing the possession teach you?
7) Did the deity or spirit interact with you or other members of the audience?
8) What message do you think was communicated to the audience? (About your religion, about the religions of others, about the community, about spirit-possession in general, or anything else you can think of?)
9) Would you go to a ritual which was advertised to have structured god-possession? Why or why not?
10) How would you describe your religious tradition or spiritual path, if any?
11) Where does spirit-possession fit into your religious worldview?
12) The phenomenon of god-possession, especially with Western deities, is growing steadily in many Neo-Pagan groups. How do you feel about that?
13) Do you think that anyone can learn to horse a god? If not, why not? If so, how?
14) Should spirit-possession be taught to anyone who wants to do it? What are the contra-indications?
15) How do you feel about the various "technologies" springing up to help people who have never before heard of god-possession to become horses? (Such as a group psychically condensing the soul and pulling the deity through, etc.?)
16) Anything else you'd like us to keep in mind?
(Feel free to comment here, but if you want to reply, do it by email.)
Please Circulate!
These questionnaires will be used for research on a book currently being written by Raven Kaldera (northern-tradition Pagan shaman) and Kenaz Filan (Voudoun houngan si pwen) on the growing phenomenon of god-possession and spirit-possession in parts of the Neo-Pagan demographic. All names will be kept confidential unless otherwise indicated. If you have questions, please email us at cauldronfarm@hotmail.com.
God-Possession Questionnaire #1:
For Pagans who have experienced god-possession or spirit-possession.
Name:
Preferred name for book:
Mailing address (for release form):
Email:
1) Please describe your spiritual path and tradition, if any.
2) Please describe the times that you have experienced spirit-possession or god-possession. Take as much space as you need to describe them. If there are too many to list - i.e. you're regularly a horse - please give an overview of what it is that you do.
3) Please describe the Gods or spirits who ride you. How is the ride different for different ones?
4) Why do you do it? Is it consensual or nonconsensual? Is it a choice for you? Could you stop? Do you have choices about where and when?
5) What is the experience of being ridden like for you? Describe the steps from beginning to end, when you come out of it.
6) Have you done this work as part of group ritual? As part of a deity "visiting" a client and giving advice? Randomly or accidentally? If the latter, did it ever go badly?
7) Do you feel that being ridden works better with a "ground crew" of people, or have you not historically needed that?
8) What advice would you give to someone who is finding this happening to them?
9) What advice would you give to someone who is an unexpected observer?
10) What is your relationship to the Gods or spirits who ride you?
11) Where does spirit-possession fit into your religious worldview?
12) The phenomenon of god-possession, especially with Western deities, is growing steadily in many Neo-Pagan groups. How do you feel about that?
13) What do you think that the Pagan demographic needs to know most about god-possession?
14) Do you think that anyone can learn to horse a god? If not, why not? If so, how?
15) Should spirit-possession be taught to anyone who wants to do it? What are the contra-indications?
16) How do you feel about the various "technologies" springing up to help people who have never before heard of god-possession to become horses? (Such as a group psychically condensing the soul and pulling the deity through, using trance states, etc.?)
17) In your experience, what's the difference between these terms: Horsing. God-Possession. Spirit-Possession. "Drawing Down." Aspecting. Channeling. Which would you say that you have done?
18) Anything else you'd like us to keep in mind?
God-Possession Questionnaire #2:
For Pagans who have observed god-possession or spirit-possession in a ritual or religious setting.
Name:
Preferred name for book:
Mailing Address (for release form):
Email:
1) Describe the situation(s) in which you have seen god-possession or spirit-possession.
2) What gods or spirits were doing the possessing? How fully, in your opinion, was the individual(s) possessed?
3) In your opinion, was the possession(s) you saw real, delusional, or faked?
4) Was the possession experience expected by the audience? By the ritual facilitators? By the person being possessed?
5) What could have been done to better prepare you, and the rest of the audience, for the possession?
6) What did seeing the possession teach you?
7) Did the deity or spirit interact with you or other members of the audience?
8) What message do you think was communicated to the audience? (About your religion, about the religions of others, about the community, about spirit-possession in general, or anything else you can think of?)
9) Would you go to a ritual which was advertised to have structured god-possession? Why or why not?
10) How would you describe your religious tradition or spiritual path, if any?
11) Where does spirit-possession fit into your religious worldview?
12) The phenomenon of god-possession, especially with Western deities, is growing steadily in many Neo-Pagan groups. How do you feel about that?
13) Do you think that anyone can learn to horse a god? If not, why not? If so, how?
14) Should spirit-possession be taught to anyone who wants to do it? What are the contra-indications?
15) How do you feel about the various "technologies" springing up to help people who have never before heard of god-possession to become horses? (Such as a group psychically condensing the soul and pulling the deity through, etc.?)
16) Anything else you'd like us to keep in mind?
(Feel free to comment here, but if you want to reply, do it by email.)
