Religious Experience Flashcards
Religious experience specification
Nature and influence of RE (mystical, conversion)
Ways it can be understood (union with a greater power, psychological effect, physiological effect)
What is a mystical experience
Gives a sense of oneness with divinity
What is a corporate experience
Religious experience shared by a group
WILLIAM JAMES DID NOT WRITE ON CORPORATE
What is a conversion experience
Sudden or gradual change in someone’s belief system with life-changing consequences
What is significant about William James being a psychologist
Took a scientific approach to religious experience
What were the lectures that James’ ideas were first revealed in
The Gifford Lectures, James based The Varieties of Religious Experience off of them
What are the four common features of of a religious experience
Passive
Ineffable
Noetic
Transient
Passive
The individual is not in control of the experience, showing something external is the cause
Ineffable
The experience is indescribable, beyond human understanding
JAMES SAID THIS WAS MOST OBVIOUS MARK OF RE
Noetic
Knowledge is gained, something external has to give this knowledge
Transient
The experience is short lived with long lasting impacts, shows the power of the experience
What does a commonality of source mean for religious experience
They are not all divine in origin, instead that they are GENUINE and the experient made an honest claim
What is important when we judge how genuine religious experiences are according to William James
not what CAUSES them, but the EFFECTS they have
Not root🌱 but by the fruit 🍇
What does James say about psychological/physiological explanations
There may be one of these at play but that DOES NOT DISCOUNT A SUPERNATURAL EXPLAINATION
One argument supporting the coexistence of physical and supernatural causes
They may be the way in which God is communicating with us
What were James’ three key principles
Pragmatism
Pluralism
Empiricism
Pragmatism
A theory should be treated as true if it works in practice and has value for us, the effects of an experience lean to it being true
Pluralism
Truth is in all faiths, experiences can be interpreted differently based on beliefs, but if they have positive effects they must be in some way true
Empiricism
The results of the experience are the empirical data (change in their life)
What is the strongest evidence of the divine according to James
Conversion experiences due to their observable impacts
St Paul’s conversion experience
On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, saw Jesus in a vision.
Converted and became a missionary who was ‘re-born’ into a Christian
What are some examples of the ‘fruits’ of a religious experience
- immense freedom and elation
- conviction of something beyond the human world
- a change in the emphasis of your life
What are Religious Experiences according to James
NOT undoubtably proof of God’s existence
COULD testify to the existence of something larger
How did James explain how religious experience gives us access to other forms of consciousness (difference between ordinary man and spiritual man)
Analogy of DRUNKENNESS
as a drunk is led into another state by alcohol, a mystic accesses different states of consciousness
What did Richard Swinburne argue about RE
They should be treated in the same way as regular, private experiences
Swinburne’s principle of Testimony
Assume people are telling the truth unless we have good reason to believe otherwise
Swinburne’s principle of Credulity
Unless we have overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we should believe that things are as they seem to be
What is the issue with Testimony
People can genuinely believe they are truthful, and still be sincerely mistaken about the cause of the experience
What is UNION with God
Mystical experience gives a sense of oneness with God/divinity
Teresa of Avila used the metaphor of a sponge being soaked with water 🧽💦
What is COMMUNION with God
Some experiences cause a sense of otherness and transcendence with God, such as numinous experience
E.g. Moses afraid at the burning bush
Happold’s conclusion on mysticism
This reality is only part of the ultimate reality of a ‘Divine Ground’. This can be known intuitively and rationally. Our purpose is to discover our true eternal self and unite with the Divine Ground
How does Otto explain mystical experience
Mysterium, tremendum et fascinans
Mysterious
Tremendous and terrifying
Fascinating and compelling
ALL IS NUMINOUS IN NATURE
What did Julian of Norwich have visions of
Christ bleeding in front of her and felt God’s unconditional love
What vitamin did some mystics have a deficiency in
Vitamin B
Can cause hallucinations according to neuroscientists
What did Teresa of Avila experience
Visions, her most famous being pierced by the golden tip of a spear, left with enormous elation and love.
What did Teresa of Avila say about RE
They should be subject to testing (Positive change, whether it fits in Church teachings)
How did Teresa refute rumours of the sexual nature of the experience lending itself to her repression
The experience did not leave her with feelings of guilt and disgust, yet they did not.
What did Teresa and Julian experience prior to their experiences
Illness.
Mystics experienced self-mortification (self-denial)
What did James say conversion experience does to a person
‘Religious ideas previously peripheral in his consciousness, now take a central place, and that religious aims form the habitual centre of his energy’
James’ psychological explanation of conversion
It plays a role, the subconscious may be active, but may not be the WHOLE explanation
What are the two types of conversion experience
VOLITIONAL - gradual change and slow development of new moral and spiritual habits
SELF-SURRENDER - sudden, pivotal experience followed by a change
Edwin Starbucks on conversion experience
Conversion is a side-effect of the anxieties associated with adolescence.
Most conversion is between 15-24 yrs old and
Two types of conversion to STARBUCK
GRADUAL - volitional
SUDDEN - self-surrender
Sigmund Freud in religious conversion
Wishful thinking
Hallucinations that are the product of childhood insecurities from our subconscious
Antony Flew on Religious Conversion
Interpretation relies on our background rather than anything supernatural
(Raided in a Christian country, take it as Christian)
Ludwig Wittgenstein on Religious conversion
They have meaning to those who interpret them, as religion is not an area in which we have facts. It is true in the context of their belief
Galatian’s quote on fruit of the spirit
‘The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control’ Galatians 5:22-23
Biblical examples of Conversion: St Paul
On the way to Damascus to persecute Christians he is struck by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus. Blind for three days and converts to Christianity from Judaism
Biblical examples of Conversion: St Paul
On the way to Damascus to persecute Christians he is struck by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus. Blind for three days and converts to Christianity from Judaism
Carl Jung on St Paul’s conversion
Emotional breakdown, triggered by his guilt at condemning Christians to death
Physiological explanation to St. Paul
Effects (bright light, loss of sight) symptomatic of temporal lobe epilepsy.
His writings on a thorn in his side may be a recurring illness
William James on St Paul
Strongest evidence for the divine because of the observable effects
This changed Christianity AND occurred outside his faith (Judaism)
Davey Falcus’ conversion
Renowned, violent criminal from Newcastle. Saw Jesus and broke 15 yr drug habit
Nicky Cruz conversion
Notorious Puerto Rican gang member, Met David Wilkerson (Christian preacher) he was overwhelmed by guilt and became a preacher himself
Nicky Cruz conversion
Notorious Puerto Rican gang member, Met David Wilkerson (Christian preacher) he was overwhelmed by guilt and became a preacher himself
Why are corporate experiences significant
May be more external verification to the experience
Corporate: Pentecost (Acts 2)
Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, they began speaking in different languages (spread the gospel) they never knew
Corporate: Toronto Blessing
Started Toronto Airport Church in 1990s. Manifestation of the Holy Spirit led to speaking in tongues, animal noises, and uncontrollable laughter
What did William James not write about
CORPORATE
Mass hysteria and social conformity
People begin to follow the majority to avoid social rejection
Speaking of tongues makes no sense because…
Why would a loving God communicate in a way we can’t understand
Bertrand Russell on good effects
A good effect can even be caused by books, not only something real
Bertrand Russell on good effects
A good effect can even be caused by books, not only something real
David Hay on volume of RE
30% of people questioned that they have had experience of a powerful spiritual force
Significant volume - not easily dismissed
Similarities
Similarities of descriptions (bright lights, love and bliss)
FEUERBACH on psychological effects
God is a human invention formed of human desires. (Desire for control: omnipotent God)
We created him in our image
FREUD: psychological effects
Religion is a neurosis, a case of wishful thinking in constructing a father figure who will protect us
Physiological causes: hormones
Effect brain function, causes hearing voices or visions
Physiological causes: drugs/alcohol
Mind-altering effects
Russell, seeing snakes
Physiological: Dawkins
As we evolved religious ideas became useful to our survival
Physiological: Persinger’s God helmet
Stimulated the temporal lobes with electrical activity that causes a sense of religious experience
Bertrand Russell on Physiological
If you eat too little you see visions; if you drink too much you see snakes.
