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

[Strider]

[Mental Outlaw]

I was looking over the wikipedia page on neurotheology and religious ecstasy and it occurred to me to ask if any other atheists have had such experiences and how they feel about them. There was a point in my life when I sought out such things and did find them. The simplest was through ecstatic dance, where you go to the club and cut a rug until you're covered with sweat and feeling glorious. Though I did this with MDMA a few times, normally I just ate healthy and kept clean (no alcohol, especially, or anything else mind altering) and went with a circle of friends. The feeling that comes on after you're past exhaustion and getting a second wind, the glorious floating, the energy, the love, I used to live for that. I never considered it supernatural, but it was undeniably religious and, I think, psychologically healthy. It helped me move past being an alienated, selfish teenager and learn compassion. While I have no illusions about it - it was a way of getting high, really, but it was still profound. I tried many other ways, including DMT and salvia, but for me, rhythmic dance was the best.

Anyone else ever had such an experience, or something similar - visions, near death, overwhelming awe, etc? Was it a positive? Can you be a rational, scientific atheist and still have a meaningful religious experience?

(this message brought to you by Late Nite disco at the 40 Watt, Athens GA)

I took about 4.5 grams of mushrooms one time, thought I saw the face of god himself. Turns out it wasn't god, it was just a hallucination, but damn the mind can do some crazy things with the right chemicals.

[Jenny A]

I sort of have. I sometimes get a wondrous tingly feeling with really good art, music, plays, novels, or scientific achievement. Once I got that reading a novel by C.S. Lewis. I make of it, that the novel "Til We Have Faces" was good.

[robvalue]

I think people have an inherent instinct to conform. If almost everyone around you starts acting crazy, many people would probably join in rather than risk standing out. Do that enough and your mind starts to accept it I guess.

I've started looking into meditation as well. It happened to be a Buddhist class I went to, I thought it would just be Buddhist techniques. But I got the whole crazy whack, and have since found out just how insane Buddhism is. It's full of much scarier, nutcase stuff than I realized. When you introspect to such extreme, it's not hard to imagine the mind playing crazy tricks on you I suppose.

[Pizza]

I think people have an inherent instinct to conform. If almost everyone around you starts acting crazy, many people would probably join in rather than risk standing out. Do that enough and your mind starts to accept it I guess.

I've started looking into meditation as well. It happened to be a Buddhist class I went to, I thought it would just be Buddhist techniques. But I got the whole crazy whack, and have since found out just how insane Buddhism is. It's full of much scarier, nutcase stuff than I realized. When you introspect to such extreme, it's not hard to imagine the mind playing crazy tricks on you I suppose.

Buddhism disappointed me. There was a time I was interested in Buddhism as a potential way of life. I was sadly disappointed by the large amount of dogma and supernatural hogwash.

[robvalue]

I'm not surprised! My wife has been listening to a tape about it, and by golly that's a lot of nonsense. Horrifically depressing too most of it, if you had any reason to think it was true. I don't know how they are reeling anyone in with that lot.

[Pizza]

They make a big deal about escaping the cycle of death and rebirth like they hate being alive. They're like the opposite of Christians they don't want a afterlife.

[robvalue]

The idea of infinite reincarnation is about the most depressing thing I can imagine. No fucking thanks, I've had more than enough of it already and I'm not even done with this life yet.

Not that reincarnation makes the slightest bit of sense of course.

[Pizza]

The idea of infinite reincarnation is about the most depressing thing I can imagine. No fucking thanks, I've had more than enough of it already and I'm not even done with this life yet.

Not that reincarnation makes the slightest bit of sense of course.

They're always iffy on what is actually be transferred to the other body. Is it memories? Big whoop-dee-do.

[Alex K]

Considering that people don't even recognize their own mothers if they get a stroke in wrong part of their brain, I am highly sceptical how much useful information this disembodied immortal soul actually carries with it. As the philosopher Eric Clapton famously asks: Will you know my name, if I saw you in heaven? Answer: probably not.