Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: July 26, 2025, 8:02 am
Atheist Forums › Community › Religion v
Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?

Poll: Have you had such experiences?
This poll is closed.
No, I don't believe I have or am quite certain I have not.
23.94%
 17 23.94%
Maybe, but it was too indistinct to be sure and/or is too poorly remembered to describe in any detail.
1.41%
 1 1.41%
Yes, I believe so or am quite certain that I have.
9.86%
 7 9.86%
What I experienced could be described as a merging with something greater than or less narrow than my ordinary self.
4.23%
 3 4.23%
What I experienced could be described as a kind of disembodied or general awareness in which I was more a spectator than an actor.
5.63%
 4 5.63%
What I experienced could be described as improved perception and insight and a correspondingly increased sense of power or confidence.
4.23%
 3 4.23%
My experience was confusing, frightening or unpleasant.
0%
 0 0%
My experience was largely uplifting, energizing or euphoric.
8.45%
 6 8.45%
The experience I had made sense to me while it was happening within a frame of reference I already had. (Which one?)
8.45%
 6 8.45%
The experience I had has not been one of which I've been able to make a great deal of sense.
0%
 0 0%
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?)
7.04%
 5 7.04%
The experience has made an enduring change which is quite clear to me. (Regrets or glad?)
4.23%
 3 4.23%
The experience has probably changed me but it is hard to say exactly how. (Regrets or glad?)
4.23%
 3 4.23%
The experience was transitory and I now feel back to normal or largely the same. (Regrets or glad?)
1.41%
 1 1.41%
As a result of this experience, I now feel more connected to other people and/or something greater.
4.23%
 3 4.23%
As a result of this experience, I now feel different and somewhat more estranged from other people than I used to.
0%
 0 0%
What I experienced was a one time thing.
2.82%
 2 2.82%
What I experienced was spread out over multiple events.
7.04%
 5 7.04%
Whatever it was, it was something I'd like to experience again.
0%
 0 0%
Whatever it was, it was something I wouldn't expect to experience again.
2.82%
 2 2.82%
Total 71 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Thread Modes
Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?
Michael Offline
Junior Member
**
Religious Views: Benedictine
Posts: 222
Threads: 2
Joined: August 7, 2014
Reputation: 10
#15
RE: Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?
August 20, 2014 at 2:06 am
Ah, I see. I think that's a little unusual use of the term deism (which usually implies a Crewtor god who then takes no further interest in creation), but I see what you're saying now.

With regards different religions I think there are various ways of looking at it from a Christian perspective. Those have been summed up as:

1. Christianity is right. All others are wrong, and all others will be damned. We might call this 'fundamentalism'.
2. Christianity is right and other religions are true in as much as they align with Christianity (e.g. 'Do as you you would want done to you' and 'care for others'). We may assume that those seeki goodness in other Christians would, and will, embrace Jesus when they see Jesus for who he is. Sometimes such people in other faiths are known as 'anonymous Christians'.
3. All faiths are equally good paths up the same mountain.
4. Different faiths have different degrees of 'truth'. People of all faiths may catch glimpses of the fullness of truth, but no faith contains all truth, because 'Truth' is bigger than any faith. It is possible, however, to be led down bad paths, away from rather than towards the fullness of truth.

I would be somewhat of a mix of 2 and 4 and probably lean more one way one day, and lean the other on another day.
Find
Reply


Atheist Forums › Community › Religion v
Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?

Messages In This Thread
RE: Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious? - by Michael - August 20, 2014 at 2:06 am

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  A thing about religious (and other) people and the illusion of free will ShinyCrystals 268 36141 June 23, 2025 at 10:23 pm
Last Post: arewethereyet
  Jesus had no parents Ferrocyanide 21 3298 October 7, 2021 at 8:42 pm
Last Post: Ferrocyanide
  Persistent Non-Symbolic Experiences Ahriman 0 709 August 18, 2021 at 4:05 pm
Last Post: Ahriman
  So Noah had crab lice Fake Messiah 0 680 July 18, 2021 at 3:57 am
Last Post: Fake Messiah
  An Atheist Tries on Sacred Mormon Underwear AFTT47 7 1931 May 27, 2019 at 1:21 am
Last Post: Rev. Rye
  Awkward School Religious Experiences? Jade-Green Stone 14 2032 December 8, 2018 at 8:30 am
Last Post: Jade-Green Stone
  Came across something on YouTube and had a very immature thought GODZILLA 20 4248 October 5, 2018 at 9:30 am
Last Post: onlinebiker
  Theists, please describe how you experience your god I_am_not_mafia 161 25544 June 15, 2018 at 9:37 am
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Had an interesting encounter with a so called Christian on social media today GODZILLA 16 3405 May 24, 2018 at 12:19 am
Last Post: Astreja
  I have a question about religious parents Der/die AtheistIn 22 4853 January 25, 2018 at 7:56 pm
Last Post: brewer



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)