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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?
Diablo Offline
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Religious Views: Atheist
Posts: 656
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Joined: July 25, 2014
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#31
RE: Have you had experiences you'd describe as sacred, mystical and/or religious?
August 20, 2014 at 4:21 pm
(August 20, 2014 at 4:08 pm)Michael Wrote: 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).

I didn't just mean from a scientific perspective. In business, for example, if you have to consider a plan, or an acquisition, you have to think critically through all the permutations, some known and some just guessed. That's how I'd define critical appraisal, the use of logic, deduction and intuition which we all employ.

Faith and science do overlap, where the one makes statements which the other can disprove; that's unavoidable. Outside of that, if any religious belief may be possible without breaking known rules, then you're entitled, of course; but I'd prefer a firmer basis before I made any life-changing decisions.
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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 Diablo - August 20, 2014 at 4:21 pm

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