When I was 16, I had what I thought was a religious experience.
On a week end retreat, at monastery with the rest of my year 11 class. We were in the chapel. A monstrance was set up, with exposed host. One of the priests, sitting behind us, gave a homily on the Eucharist. After about 10 minutes, I felt 'suffused', 'light', with a deep peacefulness. Of course I ascribed this as the presence of the holy spirit. These days; not so much.
At 23 had another, even more intense experience; I solved a Zen koan ,which had been in my head for about 5 years. The experience was one of intense awareness of my surroundings. The feeling lasted for some minutes, then faded, never to return. The non verbal answer to the koan was also gone.
Today I'm convinced such experiences have nothing to do with so-called spirituality or mysticism. They are physical responses to stimuli. Pretty sure such experiences can be repeated with some drugs, such as mescaline , peyote, and LSD. As well as exercises without drugs; eg various Yogic and Zazen practices.
I've also seen it in a happy clappy church, which I consider as spiritual as my dog. To me, very obviously inducing mass hysteria/mass hypnosis. The techniques used include some classic practices used in hypnosis, such as repetition and external focus.
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(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory),[1] is the vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican churches for the more convenient exhibition of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic host during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is also used as reliquary for the public display of relics of some saints.[2] The word monstrance comes from the Latin word monstrare,[3] while the word ostensorium came from the Latin word ostendere. Both terms, meaning "to show", are used for vessels intended for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, but ostensorium has only this meaning.[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monstrance
Zazen (literally "seated meditation"; Japanese: 座禅; simplified Chinese: 坐禅; traditional Chinese: 坐禪; pinyin: zuò chán; Wade–Giles: tso4-ch'an2, pronounced [tswô ʈʂʰǎn]) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition.[1][2] The precise meaning and method of zazen varies from school to school, but in general it can be regarded as a means of insight into the nature of existence. In the Japanese Rinzai school, zazen is usually associated with the study of koans. The Sōtō School of Japan, on the other hand, only rarely incorporates koans into zazen, preferring an approach where the mind has no object at all, known as shikantaza.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen
On a week end retreat, at monastery with the rest of my year 11 class. We were in the chapel. A monstrance was set up, with exposed host. One of the priests, sitting behind us, gave a homily on the Eucharist. After about 10 minutes, I felt 'suffused', 'light', with a deep peacefulness. Of course I ascribed this as the presence of the holy spirit. These days; not so much.
At 23 had another, even more intense experience; I solved a Zen koan ,which had been in my head for about 5 years. The experience was one of intense awareness of my surroundings. The feeling lasted for some minutes, then faded, never to return. The non verbal answer to the koan was also gone.
Today I'm convinced such experiences have nothing to do with so-called spirituality or mysticism. They are physical responses to stimuli. Pretty sure such experiences can be repeated with some drugs, such as mescaline , peyote, and LSD. As well as exercises without drugs; eg various Yogic and Zazen practices.
I've also seen it in a happy clappy church, which I consider as spiritual as my dog. To me, very obviously inducing mass hysteria/mass hypnosis. The techniques used include some classic practices used in hypnosis, such as repetition and external focus.
.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory),[1] is the vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican churches for the more convenient exhibition of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic host during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is also used as reliquary for the public display of relics of some saints.[2] The word monstrance comes from the Latin word monstrare,[3] while the word ostensorium came from the Latin word ostendere. Both terms, meaning "to show", are used for vessels intended for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, but ostensorium has only this meaning.[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monstrance
Zazen (literally "seated meditation"; Japanese: 座禅; simplified Chinese: 坐禅; traditional Chinese: 坐禪; pinyin: zuò chán; Wade–Giles: tso4-ch'an2, pronounced [tswô ʈʂʰǎn]) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition.[1][2] The precise meaning and method of zazen varies from school to school, but in general it can be regarded as a means of insight into the nature of existence. In the Japanese Rinzai school, zazen is usually associated with the study of koans. The Sōtō School of Japan, on the other hand, only rarely incorporates koans into zazen, preferring an approach where the mind has no object at all, known as shikantaza.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen
