Religious Experience

Question 1

Numinous

Answer 1

Relating to the power and presence of a deity

Question 2

Empirical

Answer 2

Things experienced by the senses

Eg. A corporeal vision

Question 3

Immaculate conception

Answer 3

The Catholic doctrine that Mary is born without Original Sin

Question 4

Original sin

Answer 4

The first sin of Adama and Eve

St Augustine taught that original sin is inherited seminary by all their descendants

Question 5

Imaginative

Answer 5

A vision seen in the mind usually through a dream experience

Question 6

Corporeal

Answer 6

A vision seen in the real world eg. At Bernadette. Not a dream, it actually appears.

Question 7

Intellectual vision

Answer 7

A vision without any kind of visual image - it is an illumination of the soul

Question 8

Sui generis

Answer 8

In a class of its own, one of a kind.

Question 9

transcendent

Answer 9

God is above and beyond the space time universe

Question 10

Noetic

Answer 10

An aspect of mystical religious experience

The knowledge is spiritual and non transferable as well as authoritative

Question 11

Transiency

Answer 11

An aspect of mystical religious experience

Though they are generally short the effects are long lasting

Question 12

Passivity

Answer 12

An aspect of mystical religious experiences

The experiencer isn’t in control but is controlled

Question 13

Non sensous

Answer 13

Not involving the physical senses

Question 14

Non intellectual

Answer 14

The ‘I’ of the rational intellect is replaced by pure consciousness

Question 15

Clairvoyance

Answer 15

The ability to gain information about things by means that are beyond the normal methods of perception

Question 16

Extrovertive

Answer 16

A half way house to introvert is religious experience

Sense experience is still active but objects are transformed by the unity that shines through

Question 17

Introvertive

Answer 17

Sense experience is totally suppressed and the conscious ‘I’ is replaced by pure consciousness/the one/ the void

Question 18

Ineffable

Answer 18

The aspect of mystical religious experiences not describable in words

Question 19

Entheogen

Answer 19

Drugs like LSD that are known to generate religious experiences

Question 20

Hallucinogenic

Answer 20

Drugs that cause hallucinations

Question 21

Ineffable define

Answer 21

When the experience goes far beyond human powers of description - it cannot be described or transferred

Question 22

Noetic define

Answer 22

When the person received knowledge or feeling directly from God - authoritative and non-transferable

Question 23

Transient define

Answer 23

Non permanent, generally no longer than 2 hours but long term impact - a changed view of the universe

Question 24

Passive define

Answer 24

The person is not in control but is taken over by the experience from God

Question 25

William James’ basis quote ‘God meets’

Answer 25

‘God meets the individual on the basis of his personal concerns’

Question 26

St Teresa quote on ineffable

Answer 26

‘I wish I could give a description of at least the smallest part of what I have learned but.. I find it impossible’

Question 27

William James 4 characteristics of mystical experiences

Answer 27

Ineffable Noetic Transient Passive

Question 28

Mysterious tremendum et fascinans

Answer 28

A tremendous and fascinating mystery

Question 29

Otto quote on religious experience

Answer 29

‘The idea of the Holy’

Question 30

2 stories in the Bible about numinous experiences

Answer 30

The call of Moses | The call of Isiah

Question 31

CS Lewis on a ‘mighty spirit’

Answer 31

If you were told there was a tiger in the room next to you, you would feel fear of the danger you were in If you were told it was a mighty spirit, the disturbance would be profound but not necessarily fear

Question 32

CS Lewis quote on the ‘other’

Answer 32

‘Wonder and a shrinking feeling of inadequacy to cope with this ‘other’ ‘

Question 33

Mysterium

Answer 33

Wholly other Blank wonder Stupor

Question 34

Tremendum

Answer 34

Full of awe, terror, dread of the ‘wrath of God’

Question 35

Fascinans

Answer 35

Potent charm, attracted to it in spite of fear

Question 36

Otto holds that, although the numinous is inconceivable..

Answer 36

It is somehow within our grasp. We apprehend it in a feeling JOHN MACQUARRIE

Question 37

STACE quote on proof of God

Answer 37

‘Either God is a mystery or He is nothing at all. To ask for proof of the existence of God is on par with asking for proof of the existence of beauty’ STACE

Question 38

STACE 5 characteristics of mystical experiences

Answer 38

``` Non sensuous and non intellectual Not occult Not Visions and voices Transcends our consciousness Extroversive and introversive ```

Question 39

Introvertive

Answer 39

Unitary consciousness Non spatial but a sense of reality Feeling blessed, peace, holy, divine

Question 40

Extrovertive

Answer 40

The unifying vision, all things are one Concrete apprehension of the One - inner subjectivity and life in all things Objects in the physical world are transfigured