Religious experiences

[Kat34]

I don’t think I ever had one, but I know many of you will feel that you did when you were Christians. I’m interested in reading about profound religious/ spiritual experiences in people from other (preferably non Abrahamic) faiths or no faith. This might sound silly but I have to be really careful with what I google as I’m very easily triggered so if anyone has any links to articles they recommend that would be fab.

 

I am also interested in hearing about anyone’s past experiences and how they interpret those now and in any articles on psychological explanations of such experiences.

 

 Thank you!

[Thurisaz]

As for the Asatruar who I am...

 

...I started down this path the day I started reading the Poetic Edda, out of sheer curiosity. Can't describe the feeling that rolled over me before I finished the first page, but after some thinking I decided for myself that, if I ever had a religious experience/revelation in my entire life, it was at that moment. That was the day I went into downtown to get me my first Mjolnir necklace.

 

Some years later, at work on night shift, alone in the office (risky decision it had been by the boss, we're not allowed to work all alone - what if something happens to us and no one can notice?), around 1am or so I saw there must be thunderstorm going on somewhere quite a bit south. Put call forwarding from office phone to my cell phone, went outside with my coffee mug and watched the light show for a while (just barely heard a little thunder but the lightning looked spectacular). All of a sudden I felt an urge to just raise my mug (in lieu of a horn of mead ) and went "Hail Thor, nice to see you're around tonight!...

 

...and a moment later, a single chain of cloud-to-cloud lightning right above my head. Then it all continued far south.

 

Whoah. That feeling was...!

 

Not all that spectacular maybe, but that's my story. Mostly.

[Joshpantera]

9 hours ago, Kat34 said:

I don’t think I ever had one, but I know many of you will feel that you did when you were Christians. I’m interested in reading about profound religious/ spiritual experiences in people from other (preferably non Abrahamic) faiths or no faith.

 

If you want a non Abrahamic example, I tend to get a type of religious experience sometimes just sitting in a nice botanical garden taking it all in. Feeling the strong inter-connectivity of the natural world. Especially if I'm speaking to others about pantheistic nature philosophy while there. It's identical to the same feelings I'd get from a church service full of group energy back in the day. I feel pretty religious about the ocean, too. The last time I was in Vegas it was very surreal - being displaced from the ocean based tropics to the desert. I was looking around at the dry desert mountains and landscape and it occur'd to me why deserts have traditionally held so much spiritual value. Being alone with one's thoughts and what not. Go out into the desert, come back transformed. 

 

[ag_NO_stic]

I no longer use the term "religious experiences," but I get an even MORE peaceful acceptance of the world feeling when I'm in certain nature environments. The beach, natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, pretty sunny days or snowy landscapes.... Some days, I still get what I used to term "a kiss or wink from God," I'll just stop and look out at everything around me with complete wonder and awe.  I just know now that I was attributing that feeling of awe to god, when now it's just a general feeling of amazement and appreciation.

[Joshpantera]

@Kat34

 

I have a civil discussion going at Christforums at the moment. I'm going to leave a link to the current discussion and invite you to watch the back and forth between myself and the christians there: https://www.christforums.com/topic/15788-why-doesnt-god-heal-amputees/#

 

You can decide based on the exchanges who you think may be more correct than the other, as far as that goes.

[Geezer]

2 hours ago, Joshpantera said:

@Kat34

 

I have a civil discussion going at Christforums at the moment. I'm going to leave a link to the current discussion and invite you to watch the back and forth between myself and the christians there: https://www.christforums.com/topic/15788-why-doesnt-god-heal-amputees/#

 

You can decide based on the exchanges who you think may be more correct than the other. These christians quote John a lot, John being the most mystical gospel and oriented towards bringing Gnostics into the orthodoxy. So I intend to use the language of John's mystical bent to communicate with them. And we'll see what happens. I may or may not get some of these points through to them. But I will try. It's not a stand offish, usual atheist verses christian exchange. Just laid back and casual discussion. 

 

I read a couple of pages from the link and I honestly don’t see the point of engaging Christians about theological issues. I know what they are going to say and they know what I’m going to say. Even if the conversation can be kept civil and respectful nothing of substance is going to be accomplished by either party. 

 

The reality is that they don’t hear a word that we are saying, and we aren’t listening to them either. Until a believer developes doubt, on their own, they have no interest in why we left the faith. And the reverse is also true. Unless we have some sort of religious epiphany we aren’t interested in what they have to say either.

 

An atheists and a Christian discussing theology is a total waste of time and effort. I’ve been down that road too many times to waste   another trek knowing that road leads nowhere. 

[NeverHealed52Years]

 had one 2-3 years ago..... I had just finished reading the book of Jude about beware of false teachers and doctrines of men.....thought to myself, it is all just doctrines of men, all of it. I am done with it. I slammed the bible shut (and have not opened it or read any of it since).

 

Sat down on my floor mat to stretch. Shut my eyes only to try to relax and focus on what I was doing when I felt a presence like I have never felt before or since.

 

It was like an incredible flow (for lack of a word that adequately describes it) of pure energy, love, very gentle. And total peace. It was right in front of me. I was afraid to open my eyes or move or even just twitch a muscle or think a thought or say anything because it might leave if I did and I didn't want it to leave, ever. I also held my breath.  I wanted to but wouldn't ask it to heal me because I was concerned if I asked for anything it would leave.

 

But, after  several seconds, don't know 10, 20, 60 or ?, I had NO concept of time, but it was just long enough for me to think the thoughts (above) and contemplate what it is or could be.... so it  wasn't very long. And then it was gone. Whatever it was it was in front of me, outside of me, I felt no sensations inside my body, or on my body. no increased heart rate, euphoria etc. It was totally outside of but very near me. I was wide awake, totally alert, rationally, clearly thinking before, during the visit and after. No woo or euphoria of foggy brained, nothing like that.

 

Been to lots of big name and every other size Christian gathering, and have felt thousands of times, the warmth, peace, surge of power, electricity, euphoria, energy etc. What we were all told was and believed was the presence of  one or more of the trinity...so I am very familiar with the sensations from the human energy, hypnosis and trances we were put into... this experience was unlike any of those other times.

[♦ Fuego ♦]

My most profound experience wasn't tied to anything religious. I was asleep and as I was waking I saw a light circling in front of my eyes, out of focus, and I felt like I'd been cradled in the arms of God all night. Complete and utter peace. I didn't want to open my eyes or even talk that day (which annoyed my brother). This was back in when I was a teen, probably before I started going to church. No idea why this happened. I've often wished I could give that peace to others.

 

I've felt what I can only describe as "home" or maybe "mom" while standing in a certain spot in a crystal shop, near books on witchcraft. I asked the owners of the shop and they said there is a "vortex" there, which is why they chose that location for their shop. I've no idea what a spiritual vortex is supposed to be, but it was repeatable for me.

 

My wife feels all of the crystals, while I don't usually. On rare occasions, certain ones seem to make me very dizzy, or I feel a high-pitched vibe from certain ones in my palm. I've experimented with holding one in my hand, and "moving" its energy through my body into the bodies of my wife and her sister (we were all holding hands). They could tell which direction I was causing it to go (if indeed it was happening).

 

We three were in an apartment in Sedona, and they both felt the presence of an old lady who had died but was stuck on this side. They talked with her and guided her to the other side. Instantly there was a powerful smell of potpourri in the air (like roses), and then it was gone.

 

The only other time was sitting in a hot spring up to my nose in water, snow was falling, drops of water were making rings in the water, the river in the distance was rushing powerfully and was white with flowing snow/water. Very deep peace and calm. I like to imagine being there when I need such calm.

[PurpleLilac]

I enjoyed reading these. 

I remember being in the shower as a young adult and the hot water gave out (probably because we had a small well). Anyway,I cried out in frustration for more hot water and I was alarmed and surprised when hot water started up again. It’s funny to me now,but I still think about it when I step into a shower. 

[NeverHealed52Years]

My brother-in-law was very ill.  I was not even slightly close to him at all. We had zero in common and had never emotionally connected, bonded or cliqued in any way. I only saw him a few times in my life.  But, when he died I felt incredible peace and joy. Not my joy, but joy of whatever, whoever:  angels, spirits, someone or something's joy. And I heard beautiful harmonic sounds, singing, no words.  Just beautiful sounds. It was that situation where you are not hearing sound coming into your ear. And it doesn't seem to be your brain. But you hear it.

This happened before I got the phone call that he was gone. He was 3500 miles from me when he died.

 

Same exact peace, joy, rejoicing, awesome harmonic sounds/singing, as described above, when my Mom died. But this time occurred at the same time as my intense emotional state;  crying, hurting, grieving etc.  And this time it was immediately after I was told she was gone. Not just before like B-in-law.

 

This is going to sound weird, but we were going through the effort to convince the graveyard owners to allow us to bury my brother-in-laws urn of ashes in the same spot another family member was buried (it is what he wanted). So we had his urn in our home until we knew what we could do.  As I was going about my day, cooking, cleaning etc. Totally not ever thinking about what was on the shelf. Not giving it a second thought. I had forgotten it was there. Often I noticed I would feel his presence when I would work in or get something from that room. I was really sad he had died but was not in any extreme intense emotions or grieving that would cause my brain to malfunction to cause this. This lasted for a month. I knew that I knew that I knew he was there. I could feel and sense him.

 

Had what seemed to be visits from my mom and my dad a few months after they died. A couple times with mom. Once with dad. I couldn't hear or see them but could sense that they were there and that they were letting me know that they were Ok. That they were happy. I felt like they were joyful and at peace. My mom was so happy she was giddy.

 

 

 

 

[Kat34]

Wow thanks everyone, I’ve never had anything like any of these amazing experiences, I wonder why not?!! 

 

@Joshpantera thank you for sharing that link, I have to avoid Christian discussion at the moment - still too easily triggered...

[DevilsCabanaBoy]

I seem to be oddly lucky, like when I'm down and out something always keeps me from falling flat on my face. Even when I go and shoot myself in the foot a dozen times events seem to synchronise and get me out of my predicament,  it's become ridiculously obvious. I really shouldn't say what am I going to do now? But, what are you going to do next universe. 

 

Although it doesn't work on the slot machines, go figure.