Personal relationships with deities

[ignoramus]

I've heard voices before. Voices that almost certainly did not come from any human, or any device playing human voices. Nothing like that was close enough at the time for me to reasonably have heard them with such volume.

I've heard such voices on several occasional. They've even spoken my name. So I am not without bizarre experiences.

How come you're not mad then, Rob?

[Edwardo Piet]

I've heard voices like twice but it was not enough symptoms to warrant a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

[robvalue]

Hehe! Not sure how to answer that

I'm aware my brain is far from infallible, and so I don't jump to any conclusions about rare occurrences that no one else can verify. I look for the most likely explanation given the evidence I have.

Hearing voices has, I think, been exclusively just after I've woken up. I've also seen very strange things in that same time period. Most likely, my brain is not as awake as it tells me it is.

[Edwardo Piet]

Yeah that sounds pretty normal to me right after waking up... in a half asleep state you know. Sounds like a kind of mini, panicky, suddenly woken up night terror type thing.

[robvalue]

Yeah, that's what I reckon.

I just remembered something from a few weekends ago when my wife did the sponsored hike. I felt I was awake, and I went over to the window overlooking the sea. I saw a load of people gathered on the beach, performing some really weird kind of ritual. I found it disturbing, and went back to bed. When I awoke later, I really couldn't tell if that had happened, or if I had dreamt the whole thing. Maybe I did awake, and did look out the window, but my brain added the strange activity on the beach.

[Edwardo Piet]

I heard a voice once when someone who was talking to me had a second copy of their voice talking over the top of them but saying something completely different and things that only I could know... but in their voice. It felt really real and scary but I could tell it was my mind playing tricks because the 2nd voice didn't sync with them, because it made no sense and because it was about private stuff only I know about.

[robvalue]

Wow yes, that must have been really freaky!

When it comes down to it, we are entirely at the mercy of our brains, so to speak. It can show us, or not show us, whatever it sees fit. To assume that these messages always correspond 100% to reality is naive. And of course, that's also assuming that there is a reality outside our minds.

[jenny1972]

no its not reasonable for someone who has not themselves experienced communication with God to believe such a thing is possible a person just has to experience it themselves nothing else in my opinion could be convincing . i would not believe had it not happened to me and i dont expect anyone to believe just because i say it happened ,even if their was a way to measure such communication i would be surprised if it convinced anyone .

Is it reasonable for someone who has had those experiences to realize that it was just wishful thinking?

if a person has convincing evidence that the experience is just wishful thinking then yes it is reasonable for someone to believe it is wishful thinking .

---

I heard a voice once when someone who was talking to me had a second copy of their voice talking over the top of them but saying something completely different and things that only I could know... but in their voice. It felt really real and scary but I could tell it was my mind playing tricks because the 2nd voice didn't sync with them, because it made no sense and because it was about private stuff only I know about.

it is sad and amazes me how so many people are not open to the possibility of God and attribute everything to their " mind playing tricks on them " despite their mind never doing such a thing before or after and despite other people not experiencing such a mind trick .

[Losty]

Is it reasonable for someone who has had those experiences to realize that it was just wishful thinking?

if a person has convincing evidence that the experience is just wishful thinking then yes it is reasonable for someone to believe it is wishful thinking .

I didn't need any evidence to prove that it was god speaking to me in my mind.

Isn't the fact that it's going on in my mind evidence enough that it's wishful thinking?
Everything that happens within your mind is something created by your mind, right?

[jenny1972]

if a person has convincing evidence that the experience is just wishful thinking then yes it is reasonable for someone to believe it is wishful thinking .

I didn't need any evidence to prove that it was god speaking to me in my mind.

Isn't the fact that it's going on in my mind evidence enough that it's wishful thinking?
Everything that happens within your mind is something created by your mind, right?

no not if your mind doesnt recognize the thoughts as a product of itself , who is more of an expert on your mind and thoughts other than your own mind ? yes usually everything in your mind is created by your mind that is why when something is not your mind takes notice and recognizes it as different .