Have any of you had an overwhelming religious experience?

[Scarlett Wampus]

I've had some astonishing, life-moving moments in my life.
But nothing I would describe as religious.
If I were spriritually inclined, I would be more comfortable describing certain moments in my life as religious somehow.. Love, being a salient one. There's too much rationality in me for inclination to describe anything in my life as an overwhelming religious experience.

Describe an overwhelming loving experience in that case. I'd certainly like to read it.

The experience shook me to my core, and continued on a nightly basis for 2 months. I went to see my mom that Christmas 2 months later, and never came back. They still don't understand why I left. :run:

Anyways yeah that was pretty overwhelming.

Woah, I'm stunned. I'm sorry you went through all that.

 

[Blackdog22]

Describe an overwhelming loving experience in that case. I'd certainly like to read it.


Woah, I'm stunned. I'm sorry you went through all that.

Eh, I turned out all right. Other than running head first into the nearest wall anytime someone mentions Jesus, I think I turned out fairly normal.:beach:

 

[Wotan]

No, I have never had any delusional experiences. Hopefully never will.

 

[Twig pentagram]

I've never had a vision of or visit from any holy gods, angels, demons, jinn, or devils. If that's what you mean by religious experience.

 

[blackout]

I crossed the valley of the shadow of death,
and recieved new eyes... and new life... on the other side.

Major Paradigm shift,
and heightened reality experience.
Like a three month drug high,
without any drug.
I became instant "Seer".
I suddenly became alive.
My world suddenly came to life.

This is what happened when I LEFT religion.

 

[Misty]

I think I would be questioning my mental health if I had an overwhelming religious experience.

 

[Friend of Bill W]

It's been interesting reading your replies; and I myself have not had any overwhelming religious experiences, but I have had a spiritual awakening, also known as a change of attitude; quite a major one.

I'm an alcoholic that works a 12 Step programme and before I entered AA I was a train wreck; I'd harmed many people in my past and I just wanted to die. AA was my last resort prior to suicide. I was somewhere between atheist and agnostic; spirituality and/or religion meant nothing to me; and life looked bleak, which is why I wanted to kill myself.

But I saw other alcoholics, many of whom were like myself, who were happy and they 'blamed' their happiness on the 12 Steps (google for them if you wish to see them; they're easily found).

So, I started working on the Big Book and the 12 Steps - not thinking that they would do anything - and guess what? They worked and I had a spiritual experience, but one of the 'educational variety'; one that just creeps up on you over time.

My spiritual experience at first was one of joy, because my obsession to drink myself to death was removed (at about the three month point), and I no longer had to fight with myself to not drink. This was a huge thing for me; a huge weight was removed from my shoulders.

But other stuff happened. I'm less selfish and self-centred; not all the time; but I love helping others and trying to put others first. I'm more understanding of other people; particularly the people who have the capacity to annoy me. I enjoy the company of others now. I pray and meditate; they help me keep a good positive frame of mind and I'm surprisingly enjoying my spiritual journey.

And most of all, life doesn't look bleak anymore; I can enjoy the simple stuff like the countryside, my dog, and the remnants of my family that will still speak with me (most have disowned me; but I'm working on making amends to them).

I don't believe in any standard Christian God, but I have a vague concept of a god, or a Higher Power; which is AA speak; and I thank you all for your input.

PS. This is probably my alcoholism (I'm a greedy git and always want more), but I do want a positive overwhelming religious experience, so to those who've had one, I think you're extremely lucky.

 

[Friend of Bill W]

I've never had a vision of or visit from any holy gods, angels, demons, jinn, or devils. If that's what you mean by religious experience.

No, I meant a religious experience being something which happens to you which has a dramatic effect on your attitude and outlook upon life. It doesn't really have to do with anything weird like demons or devils.

I believe Eckhart Tolle (the Power of Now guy) had what could be classed as an overwhelming spiritual/religious experience; one which radically altered his perception to life.

 

[Friend of Bill W]

I think I would be questioning my mental health if I had an overwhelming religious experience.

Why? If you had an overwhelming religious experience and it left you with a whole new attitude and outlook upon life; one that let you truly enjoy the simple things; and remove the human condition of often suffering from all the things we suffer from (eg. wanting stuff, illness, jealousy, fear of death, etc), what would be so bad about that?

Whether it could be explained from a religious point of view, or a psychiatric point of view, would that really matter?

 

[Levite]

To answer the OP, yes.

I was raised Orthodox (Jewish), and in my teen years became agnostic to the point of near-atheism, stopped observing, etc. In my early 20s, I went to High Holiday services with my family (they really wanted me to come), and when standing there wondering what on earth I was doing there, I suddenly had this incredible feeling. It was almost like feeling a hand on my shoulder, but not at all literally. But I felt a presence near me, almost holding me close. And I didn't quite hear something. It wasn't literal hearing, but feeling like I had just missed a whisper or an echo that I knew had happened, but hadn't heard. And even without hearing anything, I suddenly had this total certainty that God was there-- God was present in the World-- and that God was aware of me personally, and that somehow, everything was going to be OK.

I didn't change everything overnight, but that got me to believe in God, and that got me slowly finding my way back to the Jewish path. That was over 15 years ago, and today I am a rabbi. It's never been that clear, that intense since then, but sometimes I can still feel God's presence. It's really cool.

 

[wmjbyatt]

Existence itself is a powerful, overwhelming religious experience, isn't it? Contemplate only as little as all that information with which you are in direct contact right now, and the mind quakes at the power of it all. This is my religion.

 

[cynic2005]

When I was severely ill and bleeding out at the hospital, and my healing experiences afterward where I couldn't stop shaking uncontrollably (perhaps from septic shock) and full of mind-blowing internal pain and sickness, my perspective on reality and my mortality was turned upside down on it's head.

I can also say giving birth without anesthesia was an experience I can't describe well.

Religious experiences? For me, they are. But I think within the personal scope, that's all that matters. They're both deeply intimate life experiences.

So how was your perspective on reality and mortality turned upside down?

 

[Misty]

Why? If you had an overwhelming religious experience and it left you with a whole new attitude and outlook upon life; one that let you truly enjoy the simple things; and remove the human condition of often suffering from all the things we suffer from (eg. wanting stuff, illness, jealousy, fear of death, etc), what would be so bad about that?

Whether it could be explained from a religious point of view, or a psychiatric point of view, would that really matter?

I prefer to be human thanks, and in charge of my own mind!

 

[YmirGF]

In answer to the OP, yes, as a matter of fact, I have had many life altering experiences. After each event I never looked at reality in quite the same way. The main paradigm shifts happened when I was very young and that was a very long time ago. If you can imagine it, after several such adventures, one does get somewhat used to it.

If you ever manage become fully conscious, while you are in the dream state, you might begin to understand what areas I am playing in.

 

[YmirGF]

I prefer to be human thanks, and in charge of my own mind!

I cannot imagine having it any other way, myself.

 

[Revasser]

I have had what you might call a profound "religious experience." Not the kind of warm fuzzies or moment of clarity most people seem to have the pleasure of receiving when having a religious experience, unfortunately. It was intimidating, frightening and oppressive. I've not experienced a feeling of such unadulterated dread before or since. It was followed very closely by some major upheavals in my life.

Despite that, it fit quite well into the pattern of the religious/spiritual direction I was exploring at the time. If I wanted to I could - with only a little mental gymnastics - shoehorn it into the path I'm now taking a more detached interest in, pointless as that might be.

For now I'm more inclined to chalk it up to a fragile state of mind at the time influenced by several environment factors coninciding.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

So how was your perspective on reality and mortality turned upside down?

My definition of what "I" see as "me" was obliterated. All phenomena became utterly dazzling and beautiful, vivid beyond everything I'd imagined...from the people around me to the ants crawling up a tree to the cracks in the pavement to the air in the ER and the ICU. I'd never felt, seen, heard, sensed everything - EVERYTHING - as freakin beautiful as then.

It was all so beautiful. And "I" was part of it all.

Dang it, I wish I could explain bliss better. There have been other experiences, but none as overwhelming as that.

 

[I Keep Unicorns]

Describe an overwhelming loving experience in that case. I'd certainly like to read it.

There have been times in love (which still happen: for their addictive nature, I don't discourage myself from feeling them) I've felt convinced that Angels and invisible entities must have brought me and my lover together, that he and I were were likely crafted by Angels for one another in the womb, that I must surely have been made specifically for my lover (despite myself understanding Darwin's theory of evolution; but when I get a "love rush", I either abandon sanity out-right, or it falls away in favour of this feeling), and that Heaven truly exists on Earth in the form of he and I being intertwined. Everything about him and his presence deeply intoxicates me and I positively feel drunk on the experience. I've believed I must have done something incredibly good to have been boasted with euphoria like that - a "what have I done to deserve this? This is unreal..." kind of feeling.
It has felt very religious, and when I see footage of people in Churches falling to their knees in worship or as a result of the feeling they're experiencing, crying, holding their hands up, etc, I can see that in myself but directed towards my partner.

When the sensation subsides, I go back to understanding I'm experiencing a very strong attraction to someone with whom I would likely produce successful offspring with due to our combination of traits. And the feeling I get is not given by Angels or invisible enitites, but the presence of chemicals like serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine which invoke this drug-like state of addiction which betters our chances of us having sex and reproducing. It sounds colder, and perhaps less romantic but the explanation is tangible.

 

[Octavia156]

As per the title, have any of you had an overwhelming religious experience? I'm not talking about a William James 'spiritual awakening of the educational variety', but a big - life altering, perception changing - overwhelming religious experience.

If so, what was it like?

I believe true religious experiences occur when one has a vision of one's place here on Earth. An inspirational affirming moment that tells you that you are on the right track.

Yes - I have had a number of life-altering, perception changing and overwhelming religious experiences on high doses of psychedelic drugs. :rainbow1:

It was like I was Communicating with something Greater than my current self. :cover:

On some occasions I saw glimpses of my future which then manifested. I've also recieved instructions which I followed, sometimes completely altering my direction in life as a result.

This experimental Alchemy did achieve great results - the summit of which was a form of chemically controlled annihilation of mind.:thud:

However - these results certainly can be achieved without the use of psychedelics.

Life-altering Perception-changing religious experiences can be achieved by choosing a path of Initiation through the practise of Mysticism.

The whole purpose of a Ceremonial Magick is to whip the magician into a heightened state of awareness, for the specific purpose of changing one's perception in order to alter one's life.

Since I discovered Ceremonial Magick 4 yrs ago I have found no need for psychedelics.
You can achieve lasting and significant results through the 8 limbs of Yoga and the practise of seeking No-Mind.
Through the use of any of a variety of Magickal techniques you are able to change yourself and thus you change your Universe.

I believe the cessation of conscious thought - by that I mean the complete Silencing of the Internal Dialogue - must be the ultimate mystical ecstacy.:angel2:

I think that is what Enlightenment must be like. Complete Silence.

It would explain the woodcutter story. After Enlightenment he continues to chop wood, but he does so in Perfect Happiness.

 

[cynic2005]

There have been times in love (which still happen: for their addictive nature, I don't discourage myself from feeling them) I've felt convinced that Angels and invisible entities must have brought me and my lover together, that he and I were were likely crafted by Angels for one another in the womb, that I must surely have been made specifically for my lover (despite myself understanding Darwin's theory of evolution; but when I get a "love rush", I either abandon sanity out-right, or it falls away in favour of this feeling), and that Heaven truly exists on Earth in the form of he and I being intertwined. Everything about him and his presence deeply intoxicates me and I positively feel drunk on the experience. I've believed I must have done something incredibly good to have been boasted with euphoria like that - a "what have I done to deserve this? This is unreal..." kind of feeling.
It has felt very religious, and when I see footage of people in Churches falling to their knees in worship or as a result of the feeling they're experiencing, crying, holding their hands up, etc, I can see that in myself but directed towards my partner.

When the sensation subsides, I go back to understanding I'm experiencing a very strong attraction to someone with whom I would likely produce successful offspring with due to our combination of traits. And the feeling I get is not given by Angels or invisible enitites, but the presence of chemicals like serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine which invoke this drug-like state of addiction which betters our chances of us having sex and reproducing. It sounds colder, and perhaps less romantic but the explanation is tangible.

:run: