Religious Experience

Question 1

William James summary?

Answer 1

19th-20th century Philosopher and Psychologist

Question 2

Did James care about the cause of a religious experience?

Answer 2

No

Believed that even if the cause of natural (e.g. taking drugs)

The results of it show whether or not it was supernatural e.g. someone starts praying

Question 3

Ineffable

Answer 3

beyond description

Question 4

Noetic

Answer 4

having the property of imparting knowledge

Question 5

Transient

Answer 5

temporary

Question 6

Passivity

Answer 6

The idea that the person having the religious experience is having it done to them, they are not involved

e.g. a massage

Question 7

James’ 4 characteristics of a religious experience?

Answer 7

Ineffable

Noetic

Transient

Passivity

Question 8

Give an example of an ineffable experience? think khaola

Answer 8

being in love

Question 9

James’ 3 characteristics of a legitimate religious experience?

Answer 9

Pragmatism

Empiricism

Pluralism

Question 10

Pragmatism

Answer 10

If it seems to work, it must be true

e.g. if someone says they’ve seen God, and they suddenly become deeply religious, it must be true

Question 11

Empircisim

Answer 11

James’ version is the changes we can see in a person’s behaviour

For example, a criminal who has a religious experience and stops offending

Question 12

Pluralism

Answer 12

There is truth in all faiths

As all are similar in their core

Question 13

What is James’ personal religious views?

Answer 13

Believes we live in an imperfect world

There exists a higher spiritual realm

We can get closer to it through prayer

Our purpose is to unite with this spiritual realm

Question 14

Mystical experience

Answer 14

Direct experience of God

Question 15

F.C. Happold summary

Answer 15

19th - 20th century

Psychologist

Question 16

What did F.C. suggest?

Answer 16

This world is only part of a true ultimate reality, the ‘Divine Ground’

This ‘divine ground’ can be known intuitively and not rationally

We are made up of our ‘ego’ and ‘eternal self’

The ‘eternal self’ has a divine spark and once the true version of it is discovered, we can unite with the ‘Divine Ground’

Question 17

St Tersea of Avila summary

Answer 17

16th century Spanish Nun

Question 18

Example of a religious experience? (St…)

Answer 18

St Tersea of Avila

Supposedly saw the spirit of Jesus next to her in Church

‘Jesus Christ seemed to be beside me’

Question 19

Rudolf Otto summary

Answer 19

19th - 20th century

German Theologian and Philosopher

Question 20

Numinous experience

Answer 20

An experience of awe in the presence of almighty God

Question 21

Difference between a numinous experience (from Otto) and James’ idea of religious experience?

Answer 21

James’ experience: united with everything

Numinous experience (Otto): more so just in acknowledgment of our own insignificance in the world

Question 22

What did James believe in relation to the centre of energy?

Answer 22

Believed that a true conversion has happened when there is a change in the centre of energy (what a person focuses on)

e.g. if you love video games, just because you then become PM, doesn’t then mean that your consciousness isn’t still obsessed with video games

Question 23

Example of a conversion?

Answer 23

St Paul on the Road to Damascus

Question 24

What did Edwin Starbuck believe about conversion?

Answer 24

Believed that it was explainable away with science

For instance, he found out that most conversions happen between 14-17

He also followed non religious children

And realised that both say this time is impactful to them just because it’s when they discover themselves

Question 25

What are Starbucks 2 types of conversion?

Answer 25

Volitional - gradual

Self-surrender - sudden

Question 26

Arguments for religious experiences being valid?

Answer 26

Many overlap

Too many for it to be anomalies

Effects too real to be fake (e.g. people start praying)

Question 27

Swinburne time period?

Answer 27

Contemporary Philosopher

Question 28

Swimburne’s 2 cases for religious experience?

Answer 28

the principle of credulity

the principle of testimony

Question 29

the principle of credulity

Answer 29

created by Swinburne

believe what has happened to you unless you have a good reason to not

Question 30

the principle of testimony

Answer 30

created by Swinburne

believe what people tell you unless you have a good reason to not

Question 31

Criticisms of Swinburne?

Answer 31

Religious experiences are different to ordinary experiences because they are usually not physical

Peter Donovan makes a distinction between ‘feeling certain’ and ‘being right’

Different interpretations can lead to conflicting ideas

Question 32

Why specifically did Bertrand Russel say that good effects are not useful?

Answer 32

because you can get good effects from anything

e.g. a movie

doesn’t therefore mean its real

Question 33

What did Ludwig Feuerbach think of religious experiences and who was he?

Answer 33

19th century Philosopher

Thought ‘God is man written in large letters’

Meaning that God isn’t real and our ideas of God’s nature are just created by ourselves

Question 34

What did Freud think about God + his summary?

Answer 34

19-20th century Philosopher

God is just created to make us feel comfortable

Therefore, religious experiences are just hallucinations like dreams

Question 35

What did Dawkins call religious experiences?

Answer 35

‘memes’

Ideas we have been evolved to believe as it is helpful for survival but which aren’t true

Question 36

Summary of Michael Persinger + his discovery?

Answer 36

Contemporary Psychologist

Created the God Helmet

This helmet created magnetic fields around people’s brains

That made a lot of people feel as if they’re having a religious experience