Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?

[Strider]

I don't think anybody has mentioned meditation yet. A year ago I was trying very hard to learn to meditate, so I would sit and stare at a candle for an hour every day. A couple of times it began to get very interesting, blissful, and disturbing all at the same time. I need to meditate regularly, but it is harder for me than most people. It takes me about an hour instead of 20 minutes, and that is exhausting.

I've been interested in meditation in the past, but I never pursued it. Give this article from The Atlantic a read. It explores a side of meditation that is never mentioned. I found it rather disturbing. I doubt it's very common, but you never hear about potential negative outcomes from meditating.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archiv...ls/372766/

It's kind of like anything could come out once meditation opens the door to the deep mind.

I 'spoke in tongues' when I was a teenager, after having it explained to me that I need to just let the sounds come out. It turns out I can do that at will, atheist or no. It felt fake.

There were certainly times when I felt fervor while praying in a group, especially at 'altar calls'.

In retropsect, there doesn't seem to be anything supernatural about it, just psychology and peer pressure.

I can see that if I hadn't been separated from it, I might still believe it. Joining the military and getting out of that bubble was part of my 'process'.

I've been in a church where people were speaking "tongues"; that instance was one of the strangest, most bizarre occurrences of my life. They also "laid hands" on people at that place. Fucking weird.

I do recall altar calls eliciting a feeling from me as well. Those were usually accompanied by "Come as you are" with the preacher speaking very melodically. However, I never felt the inclination to go up there.