What is "falling out"?

[ThePinsir]

[youtube]5oqcG1Ws5FE[/youtube]


First of all, this video is hilarious.

Seriously though, what causes it? People are faking? Is it some sort of hypnosis? What about those clips where like 20 people fall at once?

Thoughts? Ideas?

[Confused Ape]

I found a wikipedia article about it.

Slain In The Spirit

They perceive the Spirit of God upon them and they fall, usually onto their backs.[3]:235 In most cases, their fall is broken by deacons, catchers, ushers or orderlies behind them to prevent injury. Beliefs associated with this phenomenon include divine healing, receiving visions, being set free of demonic spirits, hearing God speak.

explanations -

Other sources of the phenomenon can be autosuggestion, peer pressure, or a desire to experience what others have experienced.[1] Perhaps the most obvious sociological category is the "possession trance".[1] A similar state that could be described as religious ecstasy may occur in the rituals and dances of other religious and cultural traditions; for example Kundalini awakening through shaktipat.

[Tonus]

Other sources of the phenomenon can be autosuggestion, peer pressure, or a desire to experience what others have experienced.

I recall seeing a show or a segment on a show where they explained that the first couple of people who get miraculously healed are part of the preacher's entourage and they get "healed" at every show. And I think it's for the reason in the quote above: it gives everyone else an expectation of how they are supposed to feel and act, and your typical person is both so caught up in the moment (lots of loud music and clapping and shouting and celebration) and subconsciously driven to do what is expected of them that they follow the lead of those first couple of people.

No one wants to be the person that stops the whole show by claiming that they didn't experience anything. Ever notice how many people here blame humans for "making the choice" to reject god or "not doing it right" when they claim not to have found god? If the person being "healed" doesn't admit to feeling the holy spirit and seeing the hand of god (or whatever they're expected to experience) then it's their fault. And they wouldn't want to ruin the show and piss off Jesus!

[Godlesspanther]

It's just monkey see -- monkey do. The woo-woo shit is nothing more than an excuse to act like an idiot.

[truthBtold]

Soft balls.. nothing more.. nothing less...

[Crossless2.0]

I'd be a lot more impressed if one of these "spirit filled" Christians walked on water or something. Perhaps they lack the requisite faith. Clearly their fault.

[Confused Ape]

It's just monkey see -- monkey do. The woo-woo shit is nothing more than an excuse to act like an idiot.

People have been using woo-woo for this purpose for thousands of years. Maybe the real question is why they want to have subjective experiences which they believe are the result of being touched by the divine, spirits or whatever.

Altered States Of Consciousness - Causes

Altered states of consciousness may be caused either accidental or intentionally, and being interpreted depending on these causes and their contexts:[citation needed]

Accidental and Pathological
Intentional:
Recreational
Spiritual & religious
ASC may be caused by psycho-active drugs or intoxication,[9][note 1] which may be either accidental or pathological, but can also be intentional.

[Godlesspanther]

We can all achieve an ASC by some method or another. Sure, I can choose a dark quiet evening when I am alone, turn out the lights, light up the candles, take a bong hit, and play a Miles Davis album -- and yes I might get some sort of woo-woo-ish feeling. But I know that it is all taking place in the grey matter inside my skull. It's when people are convinced that their internal thoughts and feelings have something to do with reality we have a problem.

[Napoléon]

I love how the kid at 0:50 is still standing. He didn't get the pat on the shoulder to tell him when it was time to fall down.

[fr0d0]

It's like David Blaine only more expensive