(July 25, 2009 at 3:48 pm)Purple Rabbit Wrote: I did not dismiss the experiences itself but only the unverifiable claims that are based on it. I do believe some people sincerely have these experiences. And as a matter of fact I hold that the spiritual is taken hostage by the religious and the proponents of the occult. Atheists should reclaim the spiritual from its theistic captivity. Stripped to its essence the spiritual refers to very human personal contemplation and feelings of unity and harmony with others, life and the universe. So far I'm with you.
I do not believe however that the majority of the religious is tapping into these experiences at all. Do you have any evidence to substantiate this.
I can't quote you any studies I'm afraid, just anecdotally I'd say that the 'oneness' the religious claim to feel with god during prayer, seems to me to be linked to the stripping away of 'the self' associated with deeper forms of meditation. But this is admittedly conjecture on my part. I'm extremely interested in this side of religion as atheists can never win the long term argument with the religious so long as there's denial that people can have life-changing, or life affirming spiritual experiences or seek to reduce the validity of said experiences.
