Only if you have a secularist Western mindset. Other cultures, including our own in previous centuries, have shamans, mystics, the cursed, etc!
Very good point. And you are quite right, I must have a secularist Western mindset. I wasn't thinking about other cultures at all– which is pretty dumb of me, considering I'm interested in folklore and I did a unit on anthropology! *hits self on head*
For the issue of "giftedness", you may want to check out a comment I made to sinande