Religious experience Flashcards
Features of visions?
Sensory?
Sensory experiences are external events perceived as real, such as waking visions when fully conscious. An example is Saint Bernadette’s vision of Mary at Lourdes. These experiences can be individual or communal and are sometimes called corporeal.
Dreams?
Dreams occur during sleep or meditation, typically individual, and may involve a series of images or a narrative. An example is Jacob’s vision of a ladder to heaven, as described in Genesis 28:12: “He had a dream in which he saw a ladder resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”
Intellectual?
Intellectual experiences are perceived through the mind, bringing knowledge and understanding not gained otherwise. They can offer inspiration, insight, or instruction. An example is St. Ignatius of Loyola, who gained understanding without a physical vision.
Conversion?
Conversion involves a shift in perspective, often life-changing but not always permanent. It can be from unbelief to belief, changing religions, or strengthening faith. William James describes the conversion process in three stages, using Leo Tolstoy as an example:
Loss of pleasure and a divided self – the person feels disconnected from their desired self.
Tolstoy: “My life had come to a stop… I had not one single desire, the fulfillment of which I could feel to be reasonable.”
A desperate search for relief – the person seeks answers.
Tolstoy: “Will anything real and positive come out of my life and what?”
Self-surrender and reunification – clarity and contentment are achieved.
Tolstoy: “What am I? - Part of the infinite. In those few words lay the whole problem.”
Individual/communal
Individual conversion is a personal, private experience, such as Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9:1. Communal conversion involves a group and is a public experience, like the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-47.
Sudden/gradual?
Sudden conversion occurs in a specific moment, often unconscious, involuntary, or unexpected. Gradual conversion is a slow process with conscious effort, driven by choice or destiny.
Conversions can be intellectual (accepting new ideas), moral (adopting a new behavior), or social (joining a new group or lifestyle).
Examples of famous conversion stories include Muhammad Ali, Cat Stevens, St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and John Wesley.
Mysticism?
Mystical experiences are difficult to define, but Ed Miller summarizes key features:
Transcendent: beyond the material world
Ineffable: cannot be explained in ordinary language
Noetic: provides unique knowledge
Ecstatic: creates euphoria or rapture
Unitive: a sense of oneness with the divine
These experiences are non-rational and based on ancient religious texts. They involve a temporary removal of the ego, creating unity with the divine.
Mysticism can be:
Kataphatic: positive claims about the divine
Apophatic: negative claims about the divine
Introvertive: inward-looking union
Extrovertive: outward-looking union
Theurgic: induced through rituals
Non-theurgic: passive acceptance of divine intervention
Prayer serves various purposes like worship, thanksgiving, repentance, petition, and communication. Contemplative prayer, as championed by Saint Teresa of Avila, is a deep, reflective practice focused on the divine, ultimately leading to a union with God.
Garden analogy?
Teresa compared the soul to a garden, which can be watered in four ways, each representing stages in prayer:
The Bucket: Hard work, like the initial effort in prayer, which can be exhausting.
The Windlass: Easier but still laborious, representing prayer becoming a routine.
The River: The burden of prayer lessens, as God starts to take over.
The Rain: No effort is required, symbolizing full union with God through established contemplative prayer.
Each stage reflects the soul’s growth and increasing closeness to God.
Mansions analogy?
eresa compares the soul to a castle with seven mansions, each representing stages of spiritual progress.
First mansion: The soul is distant from God, distracted, and influenced by external temptations. Humility is learned here.
Second mansion: The soul seeks knowledge but is still vulnerable to distractions. Self-control and discipline are developed.
Prayer of Quiet: The soul is influenced by the Divine, experiencing a peaceful stage of mysticism.
Spiritual Union: God’s presence fills the soul, leading to deeper closeness and a desire to remain with Him.
Mystical Marriage: The soul reaches a complete and irreversible union with God.
Each mansion represents the soul’s increasing intimacy with God, overcoming distractions and achieving spiritual fulfillment.
Mystical experience?
William James identified four key characteristics of mystical experiences:
Passive: Mystics feel overwhelmed by a divine power, whether the experience is spontaneous or induced.
Ineffable: Mystics struggle to describe their experience, often using specialized religious language.
Noetic: Mystics gain intuitive, authoritative knowledge that cannot be obtained by reason or intellect.
Transient: Mystical experiences are temporary but leave lasting awareness and impact.
James acknowledges that mystical experiences, ranging from trivial feelings to deep consciousness, often convince individuals of other realms beyond this one.
Rudolf Otto, while admiring James, viewed religious experiences as unique, using the term numinous to describe encounters with something greater than oneself. He identified four aspects of the numinous:
Sense of insignificance in the vast presence of God.
Wholly other: A sense of the divine as completely different from humans.
Dread and awe that compel reverence.
Fascination: A simultaneous pull and terror.
Otto’s concept of Mysterium Tremendum captures the mystery, awe, and attraction of numinous experiences, which he believed were most intensely felt in Christianity, representing the peak of spiritual development.
