Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?

[Whateverist]

I wonder how many of us, atheist or not, have experienced subjective states outside what is ordinary for us which might be described as spiritual, sacred or mystical? Such experiences, when defined within a religious tradition, are what William James defined as "religious experiences".

From wiki:

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A religious experience (sometimes known as a spiritual experience, sacred experience, or mystical experience) is a subjective experience which is interpreted within a religious framework. The concept originated in the 19th century, as a defense against the growing rationalism of western society. William James popularised the concept.

Many religious and mystical traditions see religious experiences (particularly that knowledge that comes with them) as revelations caused by divine agency rather than ordinary natural processes. They are considered real encounters with God or gods, or real contact with higher-order realities of which humans are not ordinarily aware.

Skeptics or scientists may hold that religious experience is an evolved feature of the human brain amenable to normal scientific study. The commonalities and differences between religious experiences across different cultures have enabled scholars to categorize them for academic study.

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But the experiences themselves can be and have been described in a variety of ways, not all of them religious and in some cases not constrained within any existing system. I'm interested in how common such experiences are regardless of how people explain them. I don't really care whether they are what might be called altered states induced by spinning, sleep deprivation, physical exertion, drugs or in some other way. If you think you have and are willing to 'fess up, I'd be interested in your responses to this poll in which I'd like to look for commonalities.

Please choose just one of the first three, and then, if you chose 2 or 3 (maybe or yes), also choose all you think apply to what you experienced.

The questions:

1. No, I don't believe I have or am quite certain I have not.

2. Maybe, but it was too indistinct to be sure and/or is too poorly remembered to describe in any detail.

3. Yes, I believe so or am quite certain that I have.

4. What I experienced could be described as a merging with something greater than or less narrow than my ordinary self.

5. What I experienced could be described as a kind of disembodied or general awareness in which I was more a spectator than an actor.

6. What I experienced could be described as improved perception and insight and a correspondingly increased sense of power or confidence.

7. My experience was confusing, frightening or unpleasant.

8. My experience was largely uplifting, energizing or euphoric.

9. The experience I had made sense to me while it was happening within a frame of reference I already had. (Which one?)

10. The experience I had has not been one of which I've been able to make a great deal of sense.

11. The experience I had was one I've come to recognize as fitting a frame of reference I did not possess at that time. (Which one?)

12. The experience has made an enduring change which is quite clear to me. (Regrets or glad?)

13. The experience has probably changed me but it is hard to say exactly how. (Regrets or glad?)

14. The experience was transitory and I now feel back to normal or largely the same. (Regrets or glad?)

15. As a result of this experience, I now feel more connected to other people and/or something greater.

16. As a result of this experience, I now feel different and somewhat more estranged from other people than I used to.

17. What I experienced was a one time thing.

18. What I experienced was spread out over multiple events.

19. Whatever it was, it was something I'd like to experience again.

20. Whatever it was, it was something I wouldn't expect to experience again.

[Sejanus]

A resounding 1.

[Michael]

Yes, and it was that experience that led to my 'conversion' from atheist to theist. It was/is best described simply as a profound sense of the numinous. Or, I relate to John Wesley's beautifully understated description of 'his heart being strangely warmed'. It was and is positive, but it was somewhat disorienting at the time (it just didn't fit my world view at the time).

[Whateverist]

Thank you Sejanus.

What is really dirty pool is it is about to get dark here so I have to run out and walk the dog. Then I'm turning in early to make up for a shitty night of sleep. (Hmm, wonder if that is why this comes up?) So my own votes and explanations will probably have to wait until tomorrow.

[Sejanus]

Yes, and it was that experience that led to my 'conversion' from atheist to theist. It was/is best described simply as a profound sense of the numinous. Or, I relate to John Wesley's beautifully understated description of 'his heart being strangely warmed'. It was and is positive, but it was somewhat disorienting at the time (it just didn't fit my world view at the time).

But how did you go from there (deism?) to Christianity?

[Michael]

But how did you go from there (deism?) to Christianity?

Well, I don't think religious experiences are really compatible with deism, or at least not an experience of a loving numen. But the short answer is, I think, mostly because Christianity is the natural cultural setting for me to explore this sense. I imagine if I were in India I would have explored it through Hinduism.

[Polaris]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit for the first time made me a Christian.

[Sejanus]

But how did you go from there (deism?) to Christianity?

Well, I don't think religious experiences are really compatible with deism, or at least not an experience of a loving numen. But the short answer is, I think, mostly because Christianity is the natural cultural setting for me to explore this sense. I imagine if I were in India I would have explored it through Hinduism.

It seems you're implying that the god you think exists is essentially a personal deist god... you're saying a god exists, and religions are just the different interpretations of said god? why call yourself a Christian then?

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Experiencing the Holy Spirit for the first time made me a Christian.

It must've been some high-proof stuff, that Holy Spirit. I should check it out.

[Anomalocaris]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit for the first time made me a Christian.

Experiencing holy spirit for the first time made me drunk. But I quickly became sober.

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It must've been some high-proof stuff, that Holy Spirit. I should check it out.

It's the stuff in moonshine that makes you blind.

[vorlon13]

This one:

The experience I had was one I've come to recognize as fitting a frame of reference I did not possess at that time.


When my friend Brian was dying of AIDS I was aware I was having an unprecedented reaction to Brian, death, life, and sobriety. At the time, Brian was like #12 or so of people I knew that were dying/dead from HIV. I assumed ~12 was the number I could 'take' and my reaction that seemed triggered by Brian was actually just the accumulation of losing 12 so quickly.

I wound up depressed (and depressing) and was on Zoloft for quite a while. Progress was slow.

I realized some years later the 'big deal' with Brian was that I was in love with him. That condition was not obvious to me (although my BF at the time knew something was up) since Brian and I never had a happy or joyful moment, were never intimate, and he quickly and steadily succumbed to AIDS. Years later, I was pondering what was triggering with Brain, and I clearly recall saying to myself, " . . it's not like I was in love with Brian." and at that moment I had my answer. I was aware of the tremendous power unleashed when I encountered Brian, but I had already seen so much horror and knew there was so much more to come, but I didn't realize the special place in my heart Brian would always have. Lacking the true explanation as to what 'power' Brian possessed, I had decided he was a charismatic type, and the HIV had given him a 'gift' amid all the destruction it also brought. I was aware no one else seemed that much affected by Brian, and it was puzzling to me. Rich, my BF at the time, definitely knew I was in deep distress over Brian, and he was not able to reach me in my despair.

I have since learned these events were interpreted by Rich as a 'calling' to go full time in helping HIV patients. And yes, he did his work in and for a Catholic religious order. I didn't exactly put an old boyfriend in a monastery, but he never regretted his choice, and I am not inclined to argue with it either.

Brians been gone 25 years, and he was 25 when he died. He'd be 50 now, I'd fuck up the timeline to have him back . . . .