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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 20, 2015 at 3:50 pm
(January 20, 2015 at 1:04 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: 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.
(January 20, 2015 at 1:43 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: 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.
"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~ Benjamin Franklin
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 20, 2015 at 4:04 pm
(January 18, 2015 at 2:49 am)tantric Wrote: 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.
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 20, 2015 at 4:35 pm
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.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 3:37 am
(This post was last modified: January 21, 2015 at 3:39 am by 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.
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 5:01 am
(January 21, 2015 at 3:37 am)robvalue Wrote: 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.
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot
We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 5:11 am
(This post was last modified: January 21, 2015 at 5:12 am by 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.
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 6:24 am
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.
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot
We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 6:25 am
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.
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 6:36 am
(January 21, 2015 at 6:25 am)robvalue Wrote: 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.
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot
We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
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RE: Atheists: have you ever had a religious experience and what did you make of it?
January 21, 2015 at 6:40 am
(This post was last modified: January 21, 2015 at 6:41 am by 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.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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