Research Paper on:
Spiritual and Psychological Impacts of Stigmata

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Assisi, Padre Pio and non-Catholic stigmata. The question that is brought up is whether these are manifested by the mind or by God. WHAT ARE STIGMATA? Stigmata can  best be described as physical or visible signs of God that are made available to be seen with the human eye. Such things as a priest whose hands pour  blood in the same way that Christs did during the crucifixion, or an exact replica of Jesus appearing on a wall for all to see are examples of stigmata.  Many, many examples of stigmata have appeared throughout the years as far back as St. Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio. While most stigmata are seen and believed in  by the Catholic faith there have been instances of non-Catholic stigmata as well. But are these simply coincidences, or something we want so much to believe in that we conjure  them with our mind, or are these actual signs from God? This is what has been debated for as many years as the stigmata have been appearing. Skeptics  tell us that no such miracles could occur, but religious people insist that these are indeed signs of Christ and His goodness. Many go to these places to view  the stigmata and to get healed or simply to worship there. But again, these are all questioned by the skeptics and have not been proven without a trace of  doubt. On the other hand, stigmata have been looked at by people who are suddenly able to walk who have not walked in years, or their blindness is cured,  and there have been many healings at the sight of the stigmata that cannot be explained away. PADRE PIO It was perhaps the stigmata of Padre Pio that