Mistaking things for God out of ignorance

[Eddi]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

 

[icehorse]

One example is when people have felt or feel "a presence in the room".

Science now knows that this is usually (probably always), based on some temporary misfiring in the the brain:

Scientists Figured Out How to Make People "Feel" an Otherworldly Presence | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Young Earth Creationism explains the Cosmos, the Earth, and all life as a superstitous evejt six to ten thousand years ago, wirh all life being created in its current form.
Scientists and lots of non-scientists know the Big Bang spawned our Universe, amd that life evolved from a common ancestor over thebcourse of billiins of years.

 

[Onoma]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

Closest I could think of off the top of my head, is the voice Socrates heard

" You have often heard me speak of an oracle or sign which comes to me … . This sign I have had ever since I was a child. The sign is a voice which comes to me and always forbids me to do something which I am going to do, but never commands me to do anything, and this is what stands in the way of my being a politician "

~ Plato. Apology of Socrates. 40 b

In his day they attributed a voice like that to classic tutelary deities ( gods )

In our day we attribute them to our own internal dialogue

 

[PureX]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

You are assuming that if a phenomenon can be explained in terms of physiological process it negates the possibility of divine attribution. I don't think many theists would agree with this prerequisite, and so will be unable to participate in your quest.

 

[Thief]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

fire
earth, wind, water
thunder and lightning

the sun, the moon, the stars

 

[Thief]

and then using drugs they did not understand

the smoke was sacred
and the spirit dwelled therein

 

[Unveiled Artist]

One example is when people have felt or feel "a presence in the room".

Science now knows that this is usually (probably always), based on some temporary misfiring in the the brain:

Scientists Figured Out How to Make People "Feel" an Otherworldly Presence | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine

I think it's more physiology and physics, if that's the right word. The air pressure in the room shifts depending on how many people and so forth in the room. We can also sense other people in a space (as blind people do) maybe because of body heat or just plain instinct.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

Experiences of euphoria or heightened sense of self, connection with one's identity, finding connections between personal experiences, environment, and interpretation that they are not familiar with or comes out of the blue, personal oriented instinct, and such are examples of things people can't describe or say it's to personal to do so in some religious they attribute as the cause (or as without a cause) god itself.

I agree with @PureX. These experiences don't negate their divinity. I just personally find that when spoken of from a "scientific" point of view some people feel it depreciates their religion rather than complements it.

 

[Milton Platt]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

The cause of virtually anything that occurs.

 

[Onoma]

Personally, there's something that happened to me one night about 9 years ago, that radically changed my life, and despite my best attempts to explain it,.... I fell short

I gradually came to accept that it happened, but also felt that I was in between a rock and a hard place, as far as conveying it to others ( Not even my closest friends know )

It led me to consider that there are experiences that are not meant to be shared, the very nature of the experiences make them nearly impossible to convey any gravitas the person may have felt the experience carried

They are, personal experiences

 

[BSM1]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

Both camps would be right...and wrong.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Howdy.

I'd like to hear real-life historical examples of people attributing something that is unknown to them as being God (or even Satan) when to more knowledgeable people it is certainly not God.

Eg. a set of people X say that Phenomenon A is God, whereas set of people Y know it is not God, but Phenomenon A.

Thanks in advance

You mean like the weeping Christ statue that was assumed by the congregation to be a miracle, but was later found to be caused by a leaky drain pipe?

Jesus wept … oh, it's bad plumbing. Indian rationalist targets 'miracles'

 

[sun rise]

Cargo Cults. Specifically I'm thinking not of the general case but of this:

 

[Quintessence]

Just to keep something mind here - something is a god because we say it is. It is not about "mistaking" things for gods - deification is always an attribution we place onto things we encounter. This attribution is done for many reasons, but it is like a title that grants special status and says something about the relationship we have with things we deify. Deification grants things special status, one warranting awe and reverence (aka, worship). It is not a "mistake" to deify that which you find worthy of such things except in the minds of those who believe they have the only correct notion of what gods are.

 

[MonkeyFire]

If you have such a problem with religion why are you here?

 

[icehorse]

I think it's more physiology and physics, if that's the right word. The air pressure in the room shifts depending on how many people and so forth in the room. We can also sense other people in a space (as blind people do) maybe because of body heat or just plain instinct.

I guess you didn't glance at the article?

As for your second point, you're referring to proprioception, which is a real thing, but different than what the article is talking about.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I guess you didn't glance at the article?

As for your second point, you're referring to proprioception, which is a real thing, but different than what the article is talking about.

I read it. I was interesting. And. My opinion still stands. If I may ask, after reading the article would I agree with it?

How did you want me to react to the article assuming my opinion is purposely countering what's in the article?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I guess you didn't glance at the article?

As for your second point, you're referring to proprioception, which is a real thing, but different than what the article is talking about.

Now that I think of it, it reminds me of this test.

Scientists create phantom sensations in non-amputees

Scientists create phantom sensations in non-amputees

Agreeing or disagree aside. The articles are interesting. Happy read.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Here's something of interest.
VATICAN USES SCIENCE TO VERIFY MIRACLES

You mean like the weeping Christ statue that was assumed by the congregation to be a miracle, but was later found to be caused by a leaky drain pipe?