key facts introduction

1. Religious Experiences
Philosophy

2. What is a religious experience
• A religious experience can be described as a
mental event which a person undergoes either
spontaneously or through intensive training and
self-discipline. This experience can make a person
feel like they have a closer and deeper
understanding of God. A religious experience can
sometimes encourage someone to live a better
life. There are many different types of religious
experience, for example visions, numinosity,
conversion and a mystical experience.

3. Visions
• Visons occur when an individual believes that they have seen or
heard something supernatural or a supernatural being. There are
three ways in which an individual may experience a vision.
• An intellectual vision brings knowledge and understanding such as a
revelation from God
• An imaginary vision where something that strengthens the faith is
seen with the mind’s eye
• A corporeal vision is where the figure is externally present such as
St. Bernadette’s visions of the virgin Mary
• Sometimes dreams are considered to be visions. For example
joseph’s dream in Matthews gospel where joseph is warned in a
dream to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect them from Herod.

4. Numinosity
• Numinosity refers to the sense of being in the
presence of a great power but also feeling
separate from it. A numinous feeling doesn’t
have to be considered a religious experience
but is often called that as people have no
other explanation for this feeling.

5. Numinosity continued
• Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) suggested that
religion must derive from a being that is
totally separate from this world. The existence
of this being is what causes numinosity. Otto
called Moses’ vision of the burning bush a
numinous experience. Other Scholars argue
that visions are far more than a numinous
experience because they involve a much
stronger and direct encounter with God.

6. Conversion

7. Mystical Experince
• Mystical experience: a direct and intimate
experience of God.
• Recipient feels the sense of ‘reunion with the
Divine’ or usually referred to as God.
• Spiritual recognition of truths beyond normal
human understanding.
• ‘Ultimate reality’ knowledge hidden from human
intellect.
• Freedom from reality.
• Closest that human actually meeting the ‘Divine’

8. Mystical Experience continued
• The 4 classes of Mysticism.
• Ineffability: the experience cannot be communicated
in normal speech. E.g. the dissolution of personal ego
or the sense of peace and sacredness.
• Noetic Quality: the mind gaining knowledge and
understanding. E.g. understanding and gaining
knowledge of the truth.
• Transiency: refers to the fact that religious experiences
only last for a limited time.
• Passivity: refers to the fact that religious experiences
occurs without any action on part of the recipient.

9. Mystical Experience continued
• Types of Mysticism
• Mysticism of love and union.
• Mysticism of knowledge and understanding
• Aspects of Mysticism
• Soul-Mysticism: does not deal with the concept of union of God or with
the existence of God. This relates to the finding the soul and therefore this
completes self-fulfilment. (This can also relate to Buddhists.)
• Nature-Mysticism: observing the beauty or vastness of nature triggers a
mystical experience.
• God-Mysticism: meditating on the attributes of God and the desire to be
one with God triggers mystical experience. For example some Sufi
Muslims seek this on their many ways of worshipping.