35 replies to this topic

[The V]

I would not consider true zombies to be paranormal in nature. From what I've learned about the subject, zombies are connected to voodoo. A houngan (voodoo priest) could assemble a mixture of herbs and other substances that would cause the victim to fall into a sort of slumber/coma. Considering the lack of medical advances in times past, it was very easy to mistake this state as death. The victim would be buried, and then the houngan would dig them up a bit later, using them as slaves. They were physically functional, but mentally they weren't all there, having been put into a stupor by the houngan's concoction. Interestingly enough, it was said that if a zombie tasted salt, the "spell" would be broken.

The phenomenon was actually observed by travellers to the West Indies in the late 19th century, and there have been reported cases of the practice up into modern times as well. As it is obviously a controversial (if not outright illegal) practice, it is naturally kept very quiet and little documentation exists from recent times.

That's pretty much everything I've found out about zombies. They're not reanimated corpses.

They make good movies though. And The Walking Dead is an awesome comic book.

V

[Yosei]

The V, on Aug 9 2006, 03:04 PM, said:

then the houngan would dig them up a bit later, using them as slaves. They were physically functional, but mentally they weren't all there, having been put into a stupor by the houngan's concoction. Interestingly enough, it was said that if a zombie tasted salt, the "spell" would be broken.

I heard it was pistachio nuts, particularly red ones, rather than salt...Which would certainly rather change all the zombie movies!

[rat girl]

dan_nwmps, on Jul 20 2006, 03:50 PM, said:

thought i read voodoo priests blow some sort of powder into a victims face a short time later they die (not actualy dead but metabolism slows down soo much they appear dead) .. they bury the "body" that night the priest digs up the person and revives them then they keep them drugged and use them to work the fields etc etc one man served a priest for 3 years one day the priest missed his dose of drugs the man woke up and went home .. imagine his familys surprise!!

Magrathea82, on Jul 20 2006, 08:05 PM, said:

Aside from VooDoo, there is no possible way zombies can exist. Once the brain is dead, it's dead. Sometimes, I think it would be interesting if the dead walked, other times, it would be downright scary. Especially if they were flesh-eating zombies, not slaves.

The V, on Aug 9 2006, 04:04 PM, said:

I would not consider true zombies to be paranormal in nature. From what I've learned about the subject, zombies are connected to voodoo. A houngan (voodoo priest) could assemble a mixture of herbs and other substances that would cause the victim to fall into a sort of slumber/coma. Considering the lack of medical advances in times past, it was very easy to mistake this state as death. The victim would be buried, and then the houngan would dig them up a bit later, using them as slaves. They were physically functional, but mentally they weren't all there, having been put into a stupor by the houngan's concoction. Interestingly enough, it was said that if a zombie tasted salt, the "spell" would be broken.

The phenomenon was actually observed by travellers to the West Indies in the late 19th century, and there have been reported cases of the practice up into modern times as well. As it is obviously a controversial (if not outright illegal) practice, it is naturally kept very quiet and little documentation exists from recent times.

That's pretty much everything I've found out about zombies. They're not reanimated corpses.

They make good movies though. And The Walking Dead is an awesome comic book.

V

i agree with all of this, and think most zombie cases are to do with voodoo, but i dont think they have anything to do with the paranormal and i dont believe in them!!

Edited by rat girl, 10 August 2006 - 01:17 PM.

[jakob493]

xRaexRaex, on Jul 19 2006, 11:55 PM, said:

Do zombies count as parnormal?

Cause they are caused by the virus Solanum. Unless you believe otherwise?

Alright, come on. No offense to you, but you gotta research what you read. The Zombie Survival Guide was written as a HUMOR book (explaining why it is sold in the "Humor" section), and none of it is to be taken seriously. The word "Solaunum", is a joke because it refers to (in real life) as a genus of plants... I found an actual definition:

Quote

Main Entry: so·la·num
Pronunciation: s-ln-m, -län-, -lan-
Function: noun
1 capitalized : the type genus of the family Solanaceae comprising often spiny herbs, shrubs, and trees that have white, purple, or yellow flowers and a fruit that is a berry
2 : any plant of the genus Solanum : NIGHTSHADE

Also, if you take the time to research any of the "accounts" in the back, you'll notice that none of them are real, but they are cleverly made to seem realistic. Again, this book is a JOKE.

I have, however, heard theories of a way to make people seem "zombie-ish", with methods as previously described. This witch doctors would make a secret combonation of herbs that create a knock out effect, while greatly slowing down metabolism. This effect lasts well until the person in question is buried, and while they are buried, because of the lack of oxygen, suffer terrible brain damage, which explains the zombified disposition. This is only a theory, and hasnt been completely proven I believe...

[R.L.crowley]

Medicus, on Jul 20 2006, 02:15 PM, said:

I don't think zombies walk the earth in certain parts of the globe however it would be fun to shot them in the face with guns.

Amen to that brother.

[erna_butter]

I can see there being drugs involved in turnig someone into a ZOmbie...espcially if its heroin or something.

but to be honest that is the only way I belive that Zombies exist.

as for the flesh eating kind that we see in the videos games and movies ( such as resident Evil) well that is all they are...a game or a movie.


Although I have a feeling that if the Zombies did come about in the real world, I would probably be just llike "shaun of the Dead " lol. great movie.

[DeadWatch]

Here is an explanation I found on Wikipedia:

Wade Davis, a Canadian ethnobotanist, presented a pharmacological case for zombies in two books, The Serpent and the Rainbow (1985) and Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie (1988). Davis travelled to Haiti in 1982 and, as a result of his investigations, claimed that a living person can be turned into a zombie by two special powders being entered into the blood stream (usually via a wound). The first, coup de poudre (French: 'powder strike'), induced a 'death-like' state because of tetrodotoxin (TTX), its key ingredient. Tetrodotoxin is the same lethal toxin found in the Japanese delicacy fugu, or pufferfish. At near-lethal doses (LD50 of 1mg), it can leave a person in a state of near-death for several days, while the person continues to be conscious. The second powder, dissociative hallucinogens like datura, put the person in a zombie-like state where they seem to have no will of their own. Davis also popularized the story of Clairvius Narcisse, who was claimed to have succumbed to this practice. There remains considerable skepticism about Davis's claims,[1] and opinions remain divided as to the veracity of his work,[citation needed] although there is wide recognition among the Haitian people of the existence of the "zombi drug". The vodou religion being somewhat secretive in its practices and codes, it can be very difficult for a foreign scientist to validate or invalidate such claims.

Others have discussed the contribution of the victim's own belief-system, possibly leading to compliance with the attacker's will, causing psychogenic ("quasi-hysterical") amnesia, catatonia, or other psychological disorders, which are later misinterpreted as a return from the dead. Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing further highlighted the link between social and cultural expectations and compulsion, in the context of schizophrenia and other mental illness, suggesting that schizogenesis may account for some of the psychological aspects of zombification.


Oh and if you haven't see the movie Serpent and the Rainbow...go get it now!!!

[randystreu]

DeadWatch, on Apr 4 2007, 01:40 AM, said:

Here is an explanation I found on Wikipedia:

Wade Davis, a Canadian ethnobotanist, presented a pharmacological case for zombies in two books, The Serpent and the Rainbow (1985) and Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie (1988). Davis travelled to Haiti in 1982 and, as a result of his investigations, claimed that a living person can be turned into a zombie by two special powders being entered into the blood stream (usually via a wound). The first, coup de poudre (French: 'powder strike'), induced a 'death-like' state because of tetrodotoxin (TTX), its key ingredient. Tetrodotoxin is the same lethal toxin found in the Japanese delicacy fugu, or pufferfish. At near-lethal doses (LD50 of 1mg), it can leave a person in a state of near-death for several days, while the person continues to be conscious. The second powder, dissociative hallucinogens like datura, put the person in a zombie-like state where they seem to have no will of their own. Davis also popularized the story of Clairvius Narcisse, who was claimed to have succumbed to this practice. There remains considerable skepticism about Davis's claims,[1] and opinions remain divided as to the veracity of his work,[citation needed] although there is wide recognition among the Haitian people of the existence of the "zombi drug". The vodou religion being somewhat secretive in its practices and codes, it can be very difficult for a foreign scientist to validate or invalidate such claims.

Others have discussed the contribution of the victim's own belief-system, possibly leading to compliance with the attacker's will, causing psychogenic ("quasi-hysterical") amnesia, catatonia, or other psychological disorders, which are later misinterpreted as a return from the dead. Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing further highlighted the link between social and cultural expectations and compulsion, in the context of schizophrenia and other mental illness, suggesting that schizogenesis may account for some of the psychological aspects of zombification.


Oh and if you haven't see the movie Serpent and the Rainbow...go get it now!!!

Glad you posted this ... saves me all the typing.

[DeadWatch]

Not a problem Randy...anytime!

[seakla]

Laurie Ann.. "just plain creepy" is certainly a category in my book! lol

I am not sure what my take is on Zombies. First, I do think that whether they are paranormal or not depends on your belief of what they are or what causes them. I have known a lot of people that have been around Voodoo and one who praciced it and they all believe in Zombies. Though rare, they beleive that they can exist but only for brief moments...not like they can survive for years as a Zombie.

I am a "skeptical believer" and even though I beleive in the possibilities of a lot of things (like cryptozoology...aka bigfoot, loch ness, etc) I tend to need proof or to witness it for myself. I don't really beleive that that the possibility for a Zombie exists but if I saw one I'd beleive in it! I do believe in ghosts/spirits because I sense them and I have seen one before.

[leonie]

Zombies are my ultimate fear I cant read a book or watch a film on them even if its a humor, when I first watched Michael Jacksons Thriller that scared e=me, I just have a fear of them, but I dont really believe in them, its just the idea of them which is paranormal and very very scary...

[randystreu]

Oh, man.

Zombie movies are my favorite for that exact reason.

[Ghost_Gurl]

I think they count as paranormal after all they are dead ......well the undead so yea it counts

[rayzrwyre]

"Any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions." source, Wikipedia.

And yes, paranormal is a "blanket" term, meaning it covers a very large, non spcific area. The debate over zombies can be taken down many different roads. Zombies are considered physical manisfestations of a dead individual; ghost or spirits are etheral versions of the same. Who is to say one is more believable than the other? Both do have one common bond; they represent an aspect of our subconciousness that wants to believe there is more to life after death.

I do not personally believe that a corpse, one who's soul has departed the physical body, can be re-animated to a flesh or brain devouring monster ( although Shaun of the Dead was too funny!). I do believe that certain drugs could be used induce and replicate a state where an individual can appear to be a zombie.

If there are powers that exist that can bring back the living and turn them into zombies, then its time to break out the boomstick and chainsaw! Hail to the King, baby!

[2mcgrath]

i dont beleive they exsist.only ones ive heard of are from voodoo.but i still dont beleive in them