I was sent to a religious school as a child. My family were never religious and religion did not play any part in my life except for what I was being taught at school.
One day the teacher told us all to pray and this time to really open our hearts and ask for Jesus to enter and fulfil us with his spiritual gooeyness ... or whatever words she used. So being respectful of authority as I was at the time I did as I was told. I bowed my head not really knowing what would happen. I asked inside for Jesus to enter my heart and to fulfil me with the holy spirit. I then waited.
And nothing happened.
I expect a lot of children in that class who had been brought up in a religious household and who were being conditioned throughout their lives by their parents would have triggered an emotional response that they had previously experienced when praying with their family or at Christmas. They would then have attributed this to Jesus entering their hearts when asked.
It's the equivalent of lighting incense sticks each time you meditate. Over time Pavlovian conditioning means that just lighting the incense sticks puts you in a similar calm mindset.
One day the teacher told us all to pray and this time to really open our hearts and ask for Jesus to enter and fulfil us with his spiritual gooeyness ... or whatever words she used. So being respectful of authority as I was at the time I did as I was told. I bowed my head not really knowing what would happen. I asked inside for Jesus to enter my heart and to fulfil me with the holy spirit. I then waited.
And nothing happened.
I expect a lot of children in that class who had been brought up in a religious household and who were being conditioned throughout their lives by their parents would have triggered an emotional response that they had previously experienced when praying with their family or at Christmas. They would then have attributed this to Jesus entering their hearts when asked.
It's the equivalent of lighting incense sticks each time you meditate. Over time Pavlovian conditioning means that just lighting the incense sticks puts you in a similar calm mindset.