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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%
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Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?
Michael Offline
Junior Member
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Religious Views: Benedictine
Posts: 222
Threads: 2
Joined: August 7, 2014
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#29
RE: Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?
August 20, 2014 at 4:08 pm (This post was last modified: August 20, 2014 at 4:13 pm by Michael.)
Hi Diablo.

Well I'm a scientist (25 years post-doc work in biomedical sciences). If you mean by 'critical appraisal' the application of scientific method, then I would say that faith lies outside of the purview of science. The scientific method explores a nature that could depend on a creator and sustainer God, or have no dependence on any God; there's nothing in the scientific method that is going to distinguish between the two. I'm happy to let science shape my wider world-view, but you should probably bear in mind that you rarely find people taking a highly literalistic reading of scripture here in the UK; so I've never tried to fit science together with young earth creationism, for example (that just has never been an option for me from the start; I start from the premise of an ancient Earth and life that has evolved, and is evolving, from the very simplest life to more complex forms).
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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 4:08 pm

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