By Betsy Mayer and Pastor Hal Mayer
An augmented reality (AR) game, Pokémon GO, which blends the physical world with digital objects, is taking the young adult world by storm. “Pokémon GO” (Pokémon means: Pocket monsters) is now the top free app on apple’s iTunes, and has more users than Twitter, by one count. And that’s just since its release on June 06. It has become so popular that it has glued users even more to their mobile phones than before, and now generates GO-themed bar-crawls and other meet-ups for users.
Players use their smart phone GPS and camera devices to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, such as goblins, fish and frogs who live in trees, rivers, rocks and sky, and who appear on their screens as if they were in the same real-world location as the players. Approximately ten percent of all Android smartphone users have downloaded Pokémon GO. Forbes reports that 46 percent of US players are between the ages of 18 and 29, 45 percent of them make over $50,000 per year, and 63 percent are female.
The game is, in a way, a religion, specifically, Japanese animism. They represent the gods of nature, and therefore you find them in the great outdoors. If you feed the Pokémon and offer them incense, they become your allies, giving you points and items you can use in the game. If you ignore them they can turn vindictive, run away and resist capture. Pokémon even have names that sound like they could be demons; Bulbasaur (frog), Whiscash (a water/ground catfish), shiftry (a goblin), barboach (loach), quagsire (seal) and Corphish (crab), which are quite similar to the gods of Japanese mythology. It’s a kind of “tecno-animism,” says Anne Allison, scholar of contemporary Japan.
But it is more than that. Pokémon GO is preparing users to communicate with devils. In the ‘90s, Pokémon was a popular handheld game with the object of catching and training anime monsters with occult powers to fight against other trainers and their Pokémon. A whole generation of children raised on Pokémon and Harry Potter can now revisit occult themed entertainment as adults in the new world of augmented reality (AR).
Unlike decades of virtual reality (VR) where gamers shut themselves off from the outside world, interacting only with other gamers, AR enthusiasts tout the benefit that Pokémon GO forces you to get outside and travel, enhancing what you see, hear, feel, and smell.
Why is the game so popular with young adults? It offers an escape, or “palliative diversion,” from the continual and depressing cycle of murder, mayhem and political trash talk that drives the news, and gives disillusioned millennials a sense of power in a world where they often feel powerless.
Similarities to the paranormal are significant. Pokémon GO suggests that there are beings in the world around us lurking just outside our vision and just beyond the reach of science. And if we are “connected,” we’ll be able to communicate with, fight or capture them. Pokémon GO creates a world around us that parallels the true spiritual world of unseen realities. With the right tools (i.e. smartphone technology) that reach beyond our five senses, it teaches that this normally unseen “spiritual” world is now accessible to everyone. “The only way to engage in this world existing side-by-side with us, is to extend our senses through the use of smart phone technology.” Pokémon GO permits the user to inhabit both worlds at the same time. And that’s the occult. It is spiritualism in modern technology. It is not just an innocent game.
Games with occult themes offer a false sense of power by controlling, manipulating, and destroying others. When Christ’s disciples were awed by their power over demons, Jesus warned them not to take pride in this, but to rejoice because their names were written in heaven. Luke 10:17-20.
While Pokémon GO and similar forms of occult fantasy seem harmless, it gives satanic agencies that seek our destruction access to our lives. Worse, it squanders time and our more productive and useful lives. Instead, we should transform our reality by blessing and uplifting others and preparing them and ourselves for the ultimate reality of heaven and the new earth. While the pocket monsters of Pokémon cannot touch us, Satan can, and through them ensnare those who do not recognize his tools.
Satan uses augmented reality to blur the difference between the real world and the world of unseen demons bcalled Pokémon, and gets people acclimated to interacting with them. This does not teach them the truth about the great controversy. Pokémon GO is a “lying wonder” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). It does not reflect the truth concerning the unseen realities.
Cares, riches, pleasures, all are used by Satan in playing the game of life for the human soul. The warning is given, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:15, 16. He who reads the hearts of men as an open book says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life.” Luke 21:34. And the apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit writes, “They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. Christ’s Object Lessons, page 55, 56
Source References
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How ‘Pokémon GO’ took over the World
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Who’s playing Pokémon GO?
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Pokémon GO is now the biggest mobile game in U.S. history
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What does Pokémon GO mean for the next generation of iPhones?
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A World of Digital Spirits: How Pokémon GO Has Haunted the Planet With Online Ghosts
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If Pokémon Go feels like a Religion, that’s because it kind of Is
‘Pokémon Go’ Number of Downloads: How Many People Are Playing It?
Pokémon Go tops Twitter’s Daily users, sees more Engagement than Facebook
Article Updated: Our article previously stated. “Approximately ten percent of all smartphone users worldwide spend an average of one or more hours a day hunting for Pokémon (pocket monsters).”
Comments
Pastor Alex
Thursday August 11th, 2016 at 03:28 PMI don’t play, but could you please provide sources for your information? I’m quite skeptical of your understanding.
admin
Thursday August 11th, 2016 at 03:33 PMOur sources are always posted at the bottom of the article…
Pastor Alex
Thursday August 11th, 2016 at 03:30 PMParticularly the 10% figure. I couldn’t find that in a reputable source.
Daniel
Saturday August 13th, 2016 at 11:34 AMI play it and half of that, what you claim to be in game is just not true. To don’t sacrifice things to your Pokemon and other stuff you say.
Please do not talk about things you only read about from perhaps one unreliable source.
admin
Sunday August 14th, 2016 at 09:47 AMIf half of what we documented from credible sources is true, then it would be a game to give a wide birth to.
We gave many credible sources for our report. See the list at the bottom of the report. Please advise which ones are not valid.
R. Lindsey
Saturday August 13th, 2016 at 01:54 PMI always cringe when I read these articles because they seek to focus on truth/reality but then present a completely fictional narrative of what is involved. None of the people I know, in the games most popular demographic, 18-29, thinks that they are actually interacting with inter-dimensional beings that posses any power rooted in reality. It is what some like to call a game. The creator of Pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri, is a game designer who wanted to make a game that captured his childhood joy of going outside and collecting insects. Oh, and most of the people I know who play, myself included, turn off the Virtual Reality feature because it drains the battery. I fully understand that Christ warned us about watching out for Satan’s deceptions, but sometimes I think we can be too eager to find him in literally everything.
admin
Sunday August 14th, 2016 at 09:49 AMNo one said that those who play the game think they are they actually interacting with inter-dimensional beings. The deception is made more powerful when those involved don’t recognize it.
Assuming it is “just a game,” what of the time spent? Would there not be much more profitable things to do with the same time? Amusements are clearly forbidden in the word of God.
J. Tellins
Friday August 19th, 2016 at 07:33 AMCan you please explain where God say’s amusements are forbidden?
I believe that, as with everything, moderation is key. If you want to play Pokemon Go, as long as it doesn’t negatively impact your life (school, work, family, worship, etc.) then it is fine. God does not tell us not to have fun, he does implore us to be out in nature which the game accomplishes.
Perhaps this is just meant to be a sensational article to detract from our lives and to lure unsuspecting readers in, which makes it just as bad as you claim Pokemon go to be. But it is clear you have never played the game, watched the show, or understand the purpose of any of it. Entertainment is not forbidden by God and if you truly believe it is I feel sorry for you and will pray for you as your life will be difficult without it.
admin
Friday August 19th, 2016 at 09:59 PMI do not plan to get into an extended argument with you online over such an elemental concept. However, I kindly recommend that you upgrade your knowledge and understanding of scripture if it is so unclear to your mind that amusements are forbidden by the God of heaven. We are to have the mind of Christ, which Pokeman Go does not induce. The study of the bible itself, which would have a far better effect on you than Pokemon Go, would also go a long way in helping you overcome this lack of understanding. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Unless you have a true sense of God’s righteousness and the high standard of his law, you will never understand how Pokemon Go will damage you spiritually.
For starters, here are a few verses that may be able to help you.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. Philippines 4:8. How does search for little monsters achieve this level of purity required of the word of God?
“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:34-36 How does playing Pokemon Go help the player prepare to stand before the Son of man blameless?
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Luke 8:14 How does Pokemon Go prevent the good seed from being choked out of the heart?
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Tim 3:4-5. Loving the pleasures of this world will prevent the Pokemon Go player from being a lover of God.
And for a clear application of these verses, here is a statement from Adventist Home Page 431…
“A half service, loving the world, loving self, loving frivolous amusements, makes a timid, cowardly servant; he follows Christ a great way off. A hearty, willing service to Jesus produces a sunny religion.”
Streams of Light __ Charles Placide
Wednesday October 5th, 2016 at 02:17 AMTruth! (agreeing with uncle Hal and Keep The Faith family) (see why my reason that I agree in the Link below) …This is important. Follow Jesus ONLY.. only where He goes!(says Revelation14:1-5 “wherever He goes” only).. (He ONLY ever goes by His word – Psalms119:105 ..).
There’s a 2nd witness speaking out against “Pokemon” (and many Animated cartoons, Japanese cartoons, etc) affecting the children on TV: see that Jesus warns us by His Spirit greatly! — http://www.littlelightstudios.tv/former-witch-doctor-shares-thoughts-pokemon/#comments
.. an insightful testimony!..
See to claim the Lord’s Promises ~(written in Habakkuk1:13) “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?”
……. (see too Matthew6:21-23)”For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The lamp of the body is the EYE. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of LIGHT. But if your eye is bad, your WHOLE body will be full of DARKNESS. If THEREFORE the light that is in you is darkness, how GREAT is that darkness!” ..
(2Corinthians3:4-5 says) “But even if our GOSPEL is VEILED, it is veiled to those who are PERISHING, whose minds [Satan] the god of this age has BLINDED, who do not believe, lest the LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL of THE GLORY of Christ, who is the image of God, SHOULD SHINE on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants FOR JESUS’ SAKE.”
… [again]. We may say that we are fine, and see. ..But, Jesus says to us to Laodicea (in Revelation3 .. Laodicea.. is the Last Church for this Earth’s history.. whom we are) we are “BLIND”. We need to Wakeup! (Paul says, we read) it’s “FOR JESUS’S SAKE[!]” …. It’s for us, it’s for Jacob. Be careful with the things that only seems right, and are not “TESTED” by the Law of God in His’ word.
We need to be ready to STAND! by Jesus and His words of the Hope of our Life !
“The counsel of Christ to the Laodicean Church was being acted upon, and all who were feeling their poverty were buying
-gold (faith and love [Me: “fire” represents Love***] ),
-white raiment (the righteousness of Christ),
-and eye salve (true spiritual discernment).”
Ms21-1893 1.7
..
(Me: the brackets are my emphasis)