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Perceptions of Ultimate Reality > Religious Experience > Flashcards

Religious Experience Flashcards

1
Q

what are the recognisable features which accompany mystical experiences ? (4)

A
  • knowledge of ultimate reality gained
  • sense of freedom from limitations
  • sense of oneness and unity with the divine
  • sense of bliss and serenity
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2
Q

What are the 4 characteristics of mystical experience according to William James

A
  • ineffability
  • noetic quality
  • transiency
  • passivity
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3
Q

What does ineffability mean

A

the subject of a mystical experience cannot find words to describe it

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4
Q

What does noetic mean

A

The experience gives knowledge, gives insights into vital truths

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5
Q

What does transiency mean

A

the experience starts and stops

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6
Q

What does passivity mean

A

the subject is not the agent of the action

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7
Q

What did Julian of Norwhich learn about God?

A
  • God isnt angry, has already forgiven

- God is forgiving and lovely

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8
Q

Why did Julian of Norwhich feel close to God?

A
  • 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
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9
Q

What is special about Mirabai’s life

A
  • she suffered greatly

- visions of Krishna

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10
Q

What was the nature of Mirabai’s experiences (4)

A
  • moments of strong sensory experience
  • moments of enlightenment & realisation
  • seeing bright light
  • feelings of escape from real into ethereal alongside Krishna
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11
Q

What is revelation? (3)

A
  • divine self disclosure
  • new truths
  • could be an aspect of any type of religious experience
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12
Q

What is a propositional revelation?

A
  • communication of some truth by God to humans through super natural means
  • Truths given in word form, god speaking to someone
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13
Q

What are some examples of a propositional revelation?

A
  • the Qur’an
  • the Vedas
  • 10 commandments to Moses
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14
Q

What is non propositional revelation?

A
  • realisation which comes at the end of a period of reflection
  • human reflection and interpretation of events
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15
Q

Examples of non propositional revelation

A
  • Julian of Norwhich ~ revelation of divine love

- Buddha

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16
Q

What did Frank Davis think the 5 features of revelations are

A
  • 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
17
Q

According to Teresa of Avila, what are the 3 tests which determine whether an experience counts as a revelation

A
  • agree with teaching of the church
  • experience should be discussed with a spiritual advisor
  • should be some change in person’s life
18
Q

What are the challenged to religious experience? (7)

A
  • cannot be verified empirically
  • could be interpreted in non religious way
  • natural explanations
  • NO GOD
  • philosophical issues
  • issues of consistency
  • issues of reliability
19
Q

Why is it a problem that RE cannot be verified empirically

A
  • 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

20
Q

Why is it a problem that RE could be interpreted in non religious ways

A

John Hick - we can interpret in non religious ways and ‘accordingly cannot carry the weight of proof of God’s existence’

21
Q

What could be the natural explanation for RE

A
  • drugs / alcohol induces similar experiences
  • psychological causes - Freud & need for reassurance from caring father figure
  • psychopathological causes ~ epilepsy & God helmet
22
Q

What is Persinger’s God helmet

A
  • Helmet which uses electromagnetic fields to induce feeling of religious experience
  • could explain why people have religious experiences
23
Q

What did Richard Dawkins say about God and RE

A

’ 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…’

24
Q

What are the philosophical problems with RE

A
  • 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.
25
Q

What are the arguments supporting RE

A
  • Swinburne’s ‘god would want to interact’
  • inductive argument
  • pragmatic theory
  • cumulative argument
26
Q

Why does Swinburne think God would want to interact with us

A
  • God loves us and may simply show himself to particular individuals
27
Q

What is the inductive argument which supports RE

A

1 - if an entity is experienced then it must exist
2- people claim they experience God
3 - therefore God probably exists

28
Q

What is the pragmatic theory

A

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
29
Q

What is Swinburne’s principle of credulity

A

‘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.

30
Q

What is Swinburne’s principle of testimony

A
  • in absence of special considerations it is reasonable to believe witness of others.
31
Q

How does Jordan define mystical experience

A

‘mystical experiences are experiences where the recipient

feels a sens of union with the divine.’

32
Q

What did St Teresa of Avila say about ineffability

A

‘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.’

33
Q

Caroline Davis 5 main features in religious experience

A 
1 - sudden transient experience
2 - from external agent
3 - ineffable (William James) 
4 - received with utter conviction 
5 - numinous, knowledge is received.
34
Q

Rudolf Otto definition

A

‘mysterium tremdendum et fascinans.’

Always have a feeling of overwhelming fear and awe.

35
Q

Coutler: 4 main types of religious experience

A

vision, mystical experience, revelation, conversion.

36
Q

4 types of knowledge gained from religious experience.

A

1 - realisation of presence of god
2 - understanding of nature of god
3 - guidance/ inspiration
4 - scriptural knowledge.

37
Q

Hick’s three forms of vision

A

1 - corporeal: seeing a physical form
2 - imaginative: vision comes in the mind e.g dream.
3 - intellectual: the awareness of an abstract concept.

Perceptions of Ultimate Reality (6 decks)

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