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Philosophy basics > Religious Experience > Flashcards

Religious Experience Flashcards

1
Q

Religious experience specification

A

Nature and influence of RE (mystical, conversion)
Ways it can be understood (union with a greater power, psychological effect, physiological effect)

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2
Q

What is a mystical experience

A

Gives a sense of oneness with divinity

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3
Q

What is a corporate experience

A

Religious experience shared by a group
WILLIAM JAMES DID NOT WRITE ON CORPORATE

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4
Q

What is a conversion experience

A

Sudden or gradual change in someone’s belief system with life-changing consequences

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5
Q

What is significant about William James being a psychologist

A

Took a scientific approach to religious experience

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6
Q

What were the lectures that James’ ideas were first revealed in

A

The Gifford Lectures, James based The Varieties of Religious Experience off of them

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7
Q

What are the four common features of of a religious experience

A

Passive
Ineffable
Noetic
Transient

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8
Q

Passive

A

The individual is not in control of the experience, showing something external is the cause

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9
Q

Ineffable

A

The experience is indescribable, beyond human understanding
JAMES SAID THIS WAS MOST OBVIOUS MARK OF RE

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10
Q

Noetic

A

Knowledge is gained, something external has to give this knowledge

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11
Q

Transient

A

The experience is short lived with long lasting impacts, shows the power of the experience

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12
Q

What does a commonality of source mean for religious experience

A

They are not all divine in origin, instead that they are GENUINE and the experient made an honest claim

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13
Q

What is important when we judge how genuine religious experiences are according to William James

A

not what CAUSES them, but the EFFECTS they have
Not root🌱 but by the fruit 🍇

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14
Q

What does James say about psychological/physiological explanations

A

There may be one of these at play but that DOES NOT DISCOUNT A SUPERNATURAL EXPLAINATION

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15
Q

One argument supporting the coexistence of physical and supernatural causes

A

They may be the way in which God is communicating with us

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16
Q

What were James’ three key principles

A

Pragmatism
Pluralism
Empiricism

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17
Q

Pragmatism

A

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

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18
Q

Pluralism

A

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

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19
Q

Empiricism

A

The results of the experience are the empirical data (change in their life)

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20
Q

What is the strongest evidence of the divine according to James

A

Conversion experiences due to their observable impacts

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21
Q

St Paul’s conversion experience

A

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

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22
Q

What are some examples of the ‘fruits’ of a religious experience

A
  • immense freedom and elation
  • conviction of something beyond the human world
  • a change in the emphasis of your life
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23
Q

What are Religious Experiences according to James

A

NOT undoubtably proof of God’s existence
COULD testify to the existence of something larger

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24
Q

How did James explain how religious experience gives us access to other forms of consciousness (difference between ordinary man and spiritual man)

A

Analogy of DRUNKENNESS
as a drunk is led into another state by alcohol, a mystic accesses different states of consciousness

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25
Q

What did Richard Swinburne argue about RE

A

They should be treated in the same way as regular, private experiences

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26
Q

Swinburne’s principle of Testimony

A

Assume people are telling the truth unless we have good reason to believe otherwise

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27
Q

Swinburne’s principle of Credulity

A

Unless we have overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we should believe that things are as they seem to be

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28
Q

What is the issue with Testimony

A

People can genuinely believe they are truthful, and still be sincerely mistaken about the cause of the experience

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29
Q

What is UNION with God

A

Mystical experience gives a sense of oneness with God/divinity
Teresa of Avila used the metaphor of a sponge being soaked with water 🧽💦

30
Q

What is COMMUNION with God

A

Some experiences cause a sense of otherness and transcendence with God, such as numinous experience
E.g. Moses afraid at the burning bush

31
Q

Happold’s conclusion on mysticism

A

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

32
Q

How does Otto explain mystical experience

A

Mysterium, tremendum et fascinans
Mysterious
Tremendous and terrifying
Fascinating and compelling
ALL IS NUMINOUS IN NATURE

33
Q

What did Julian of Norwich have visions of

A

Christ bleeding in front of her and felt God’s unconditional love

34
Q

What vitamin did some mystics have a deficiency in

A

Vitamin B
Can cause hallucinations according to neuroscientists

35
Q

What did Teresa of Avila experience

A

Visions, her most famous being pierced by the golden tip of a spear, left with enormous elation and love.

36
Q

What did Teresa of Avila say about RE

A

They should be subject to testing (Positive change, whether it fits in Church teachings)

37
Q

How did Teresa refute rumours of the sexual nature of the experience lending itself to her repression

A

The experience did not leave her with feelings of guilt and disgust, yet they did not.

38
Q

What did Teresa and Julian experience prior to their experiences

A

Illness.
Mystics experienced self-mortification (self-denial)

39
Q

What did James say conversion experience does to a person

A

‘Religious ideas previously peripheral in his consciousness, now take a central place, and that religious aims form the habitual centre of his energy’

40
Q

James’ psychological explanation of conversion

A

It plays a role, the subconscious may be active, but may not be the WHOLE explanation

41
Q

What are the two types of conversion experience

A

VOLITIONAL - gradual change and slow development of new moral and spiritual habits
SELF-SURRENDER - sudden, pivotal experience followed by a change

42
Q

Edwin Starbucks on conversion experience

A

Conversion is a side-effect of the anxieties associated with adolescence.
Most conversion is between 15-24 yrs old and

43
Q

Two types of conversion to STARBUCK

A

GRADUAL - volitional
SUDDEN - self-surrender

44
Q

Sigmund Freud in religious conversion

A

Wishful thinking
Hallucinations that are the product of childhood insecurities from our subconscious

45
Q

Antony Flew on Religious Conversion

A

Interpretation relies on our background rather than anything supernatural
(Raided in a Christian country, take it as Christian)

46
Q

Ludwig Wittgenstein on Religious conversion

A

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

47
Q

Galatian’s quote on fruit of the spirit

A

‘The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control’ Galatians 5:22-23

48
Q

Biblical examples of Conversion: St Paul

A

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

49
Q

Biblical examples of Conversion: St Paul

A

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

50
Q

Carl Jung on St Paul’s conversion

A

Emotional breakdown, triggered by his guilt at condemning Christians to death

51
Q

Physiological explanation to St. Paul

A

Effects (bright light, loss of sight) symptomatic of temporal lobe epilepsy.
His writings on a thorn in his side may be a recurring illness

52
Q

William James on St Paul

A

Strongest evidence for the divine because of the observable effects
This changed Christianity AND occurred outside his faith (Judaism)

53
Q

Davey Falcus’ conversion

A

Renowned, violent criminal from Newcastle. Saw Jesus and broke 15 yr drug habit

54
Q

Nicky Cruz conversion

A

Notorious Puerto Rican gang member, Met David Wilkerson (Christian preacher) he was overwhelmed by guilt and became a preacher himself

55
Q

Nicky Cruz conversion

A

Notorious Puerto Rican gang member, Met David Wilkerson (Christian preacher) he was overwhelmed by guilt and became a preacher himself

56
Q

Why are corporate experiences significant

A

May be more external verification to the experience

57
Q

Corporate: Pentecost (Acts 2)

A

Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, they began speaking in different languages (spread the gospel) they never knew

58
Q

Corporate: Toronto Blessing

A

Started Toronto Airport Church in 1990s. Manifestation of the Holy Spirit led to speaking in tongues, animal noises, and uncontrollable laughter

59
Q

What did William James not write about

A

CORPORATE

60
Q

Mass hysteria and social conformity

A

People begin to follow the majority to avoid social rejection

61
Q

Speaking of tongues makes no sense because…

A

Why would a loving God communicate in a way we can’t understand

62
Q

Bertrand Russell on good effects

A

A good effect can even be caused by books, not only something real

63
Q

Bertrand Russell on good effects

A

A good effect can even be caused by books, not only something real

64
Q

David Hay on volume of RE

A

30% of people questioned that they have had experience of a powerful spiritual force
Significant volume - not easily dismissed

65
Q

Similarities

A

Similarities of descriptions (bright lights, love and bliss)

66
Q

FEUERBACH on psychological effects

A

God is a human invention formed of human desires. (Desire for control: omnipotent God)
We created him in our image

67
Q

FREUD: psychological effects

A

Religion is a neurosis, a case of wishful thinking in constructing a father figure who will protect us

68
Q

Physiological causes: hormones

A

Effect brain function, causes hearing voices or visions

69
Q

Physiological causes: drugs/alcohol

A

Mind-altering effects
Russell, seeing snakes

70
Q

Physiological: Dawkins

A

As we evolved religious ideas became useful to our survival

71
Q

Physiological: Persinger’s God helmet

A

Stimulated the temporal lobes with electrical activity that causes a sense of religious experience

72
Q

Bertrand Russell on Physiological

A

If you eat too little you see visions; if you drink too much you see snakes.

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