Religious Experience Flashcards
what are the recognisable features which accompany mystical experiences ? (4)
- knowledge of ultimate reality gained
- sense of freedom from limitations
- sense of oneness and unity with the divine
- sense of bliss and serenity
What are the 4 characteristics of mystical experience according to William James
- ineffability
- noetic quality
- transiency
- passivity
What does ineffability mean
the subject of a mystical experience cannot find words to describe it
What does noetic mean
The experience gives knowledge, gives insights into vital truths
What does transiency mean
the experience starts and stops
What does passivity mean
the subject is not the agent of the action
What did Julian of Norwhich learn about God?
- God isnt angry, has already forgiven
- God is forgiving and lovely
Why did Julian of Norwhich feel close to God?
- she had a serious illness whilst young which let her experience what a body and soul experience in death, without actually dying.
- she suffered like Jesus Christ
What is special about Mirabai’s life
- she suffered greatly
- visions of Krishna
What was the nature of Mirabai’s experiences (4)
- moments of strong sensory experience
- moments of enlightenment & realisation
- seeing bright light
- feelings of escape from real into ethereal alongside Krishna
What is revelation? (3)
- divine self disclosure
- new truths
- could be an aspect of any type of religious experience
What is a propositional revelation?
- communication of some truth by God to humans through super natural means
- Truths given in word form, god speaking to someone
What are some examples of a propositional revelation?
- the Qur’an
- the Vedas
- 10 commandments to Moses
What is non propositional revelation?
- realisation which comes at the end of a period of reflection
- human reflection and interpretation of events
Examples of non propositional revelation
- Julian of Norwhich ~ revelation of divine love
- Buddha
What did Frank Davis think the 5 features of revelations are
- they are sudden and of short duration
- give new knowledge acquired immediately
- new knowledge given from external agent
- knowledge is received with utter conviction
- insights are impossible to put into words
According to Teresa of Avila, what are the 3 tests which determine whether an experience counts as a revelation
- agree with teaching of the church
- experience should be discussed with a spiritual advisor
- should be some change in person’s life
What are the challenged to religious experience? (7)
- cannot be verified empirically
- could be interpreted in non religious way
- natural explanations
- NO GOD
- philosophical issues
- issues of consistency
- issues of reliability
Why is it a problem that RE cannot be verified empirically
- no evidence if cannot be tested/ verified empirically
- Hare calls them a Blik, an unverifiable way of looking at the wolrd, its a personal interpretation
Why is it a problem that RE could be interpreted in non religious ways
John Hick - we can interpret in non religious ways and ‘accordingly cannot carry the weight of proof of God’s existence’
What could be the natural explanation for RE
- drugs / alcohol induces similar experiences
- psychological causes - Freud & need for reassurance from caring father figure
- psychopathological causes ~ epilepsy & God helmet
What is Persinger’s God helmet
- Helmet which uses electromagnetic fields to induce feeling of religious experience
- could explain why people have religious experiences
What did Richard Dawkins say about God and RE
’ if we are gullible enough we dont recognise hallucinations or lucid dreaming for what it is and we claim to have seen of heard a ghost, an angel or God…’
What are the philosophical problems with RE
- direct experience with God is impossible, finite cannot experience infinite
- all experience is mediated and interpreted by our senses, religious person interprets in religious framework, atheist as natural event.
What are the arguments supporting RE
- Swinburne’s ‘god would want to interact’
- inductive argument
- pragmatic theory
- cumulative argument
Why does Swinburne think God would want to interact with us
- God loves us and may simply show himself to particular individuals
What is the inductive argument which supports RE
1 - if an entity is experienced then it must exist
2- people claim they experience God
3 - therefore God probably exists
What is the pragmatic theory
the result of religious experience is proof of their existence
- William Jame - ‘the result of religious experiences are the only reliable basis for judging whether it is genuine experience of the divine.’
- Thompson gives example of Paul, Mohammed & Buddha which show results of religious experience
What is Swinburne’s principle of credulity
‘if it seems to a subject that X is present, then probably X is present’
- so if it seems to someone that God exists, then he probably does.
What is Swinburne’s principle of testimony
- in absence of special considerations it is reasonable to believe witness of others.
How does Jordan define mystical experience
‘mystical experiences are experiences where the recipient
feels a sens of union with the divine.’
What did St Teresa of Avila say about ineffability
‘i wish i could give a description of a least the smallest part of what i learned, but, when i try to discover a way of doing so, i find it impossible.’
Caroline Davis 5 main features in religious experience
1 - sudden transient experience 2 - from external agent 3 - ineffable (William James) 4 - received with utter conviction 5 - numinous, knowledge is received.
Rudolf Otto definition
‘mysterium tremdendum et fascinans.’
Always have a feeling of overwhelming fear and awe.
Coutler: 4 main types of religious experience
vision, mystical experience, revelation, conversion.
4 types of knowledge gained from religious experience.
1 - realisation of presence of god
2 - understanding of nature of god
3 - guidance/ inspiration
4 - scriptural knowledge.
Hick’s three forms of vision
1 - corporeal: seeing a physical form
2 - imaginative: vision comes in the mind e.g dream.
3 - intellectual: the awareness of an abstract concept.
