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Spiritual Experiences in various religions

faith_observer

New Member
Hi, for the last couple years, I have been trying to learn about the spiritual experiences people of various faiths have. I was raised in a particular faith that emphasized spiritual experiences, and I am now trying to put those experiences into a wider context. If you are interested, you can see a lot of the first hand accounts of spiritual experiences I have collected on this site:

*link removed*

Do any of you have miraculous or spiritual experiences that lead you to or confirmed your faith? I'd love to hear about them.

Thank you!
 
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Desert Snake

Veteran Member
Hi, for the last couple years, I have been trying to learn about the spiritual experiences people of various faiths have. I was raised in a particular faith that emphasized spiritual experiences, and I am now trying to put those experiences into a wider context. If you are interested, you can see a lot of the first hand accounts of spiritual experiences I have collected on this site:

*link removed*

Do any of you have miraculous or spiritual experiences that lead you to or confirmed your faith? I'd love to hear about them.

Thank you!

Hi, one thing I am personally cautious of is claims of 'experiences' regarding religion. There are many issues one would have to look at first like, is this 'confirmation bias' etc.
The biggest issue for me is 'experience of the 'all', I mean, sure, what does that mean exactly? Anyone can claim this but it's pretty vague.
 
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1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
93.

I've had one truly significant "spiritual" experience, but such things hold no objective validity and are so subjective and based on personal experience that discussing them is rather vain and pointless.
 

Whiterain

Get me off of this planet
These phenomenon usually take place in the "minds eye" and can be vivid and
overwhelmingly convincing. The medical industry and perhaps the Government has
grown quite pervasive and tenacious while handling these "delusions" and often times
will consider it a sign of mental illness, while hallucinating is indeterminately a mental
illness or from drug use.

I've had numerous experiences including various deities, while practicing little to no
religion or pagan practices. It's something that started on it's own and I have received
kind guidance from the Gods through that medium, like not mentioning it. The Gods
seem more omniscient than omnipotent or omnipresent, while they may be. I am not
left questioning that they can be ruthless, merciless and do not believe in sharing much
argument with Man over their right and Command, it's not always democracy although
they may choose diplomacy, if they desire.

I don't question the feature sounding insane, either, as these presences do question
the sanity of it, as well. It's not like imagination, it's amazing and I have found out
it is a node in the brain that does it and is being studied. So many people
are fed up with religion and the idea of judgement, more than anything, and it does
seem the science industries are working on trying to put legitimate explanations
together, as well as most religious people not being able to satisfy the minds of
people that want facts and more evidence, other than the massacres, monuments.

The idea of a prophet or messenger is a league of difficult to do, being people
are supposed to take your word for it. You would have to be quite convincing
and trusted, while facing mockery and humiliation. You more than likely won't
be crucified this age, unless some real sick lunatics get a hold of you.

Spirituality getting more reasonable as technology, science and religion work out
what is tangible. I approve and love science as would my Pagan ancestors,
science is helping religious people more than they appreciate it. While the
Atheist can be rude and downright insulting they often create a very good
argument. Even though I've had an otherworldly and convincing experience I
do not question some people are just totally insane. The only thing I may
question from time to time is the deviance of a religious organization. So
many innocence fell victim to persecution, execution and I would like to see
the church reflect back on these atrocities, but it seems like there is no
looking back. As well as the constant disregard for excellent apocrypha,
which should continue to be reflected on as well.

I would have to sit down and really try to put the things I've learned in my mind
together to make it appreciable, I can't throw down the blasphemy here without
some forethought on how I would articulate it, it's a claptrap.


In closing, go with Christ.

Even with his sacrifice I am left to see the coming Vikings and Crusades as the un-venerated wrath of God,year to date.


Now that that doesn't sound kosher, assume things like they told me the government lies and all the conspiracy
theories I could come up with as subversive to various agenda's. The Crusades seem to have involved more
than just the enforcement of Christs worship, like Constantinople, among various things. Anyway, it there that
things go a little gray when you go off the beaten path and way off into conspiracy as well as telling which religions
wrong, like Islam and Judaism and Judaism.

It would be a blast but it goes outside the agenda of unification and globalization,
multi-culturism - ect. Most people that want God want a universal super deity without
individualism, choice or judgement or no God, generally no God. Then people
question other Kingdoms like Asia and all, which were completely different Kingdoms,
like the South Americans the Mayans and Aztecs, they got reamed the wurst in this, but,
they were cannibalistic heathens, now the Pope is Argentinian; what a gas this has become.

I find it hysterical and more often depressing most of the time.



Edition:

Going on, you have to take in the benefit of a doubt and how controversial what someone has to say, but it rarely is so outrageous.

I am quite confident a lot of what a "Prophet" would have to say would be controversial
over compromising to today's society, as I said compromise; like religious organizations
and governments are doing. I also wrote in another big post about how anyone truly
communicating with the Gods would be orchestrated in handling the message intelligently,
if they desired such a thing, since they don't exist. Other than that you're more than likely
not going to be adequate or good enough to appease peoples desires, and not have anything
to say that they want to hear.



Like Judaism is supposed to be abolished or something unconscionable like a few races are supposed to be extinct.

God didn't make you how you are, bad breeding and genetics did and that the Lord believed in eugenics, not the special Olympics,
horrible, insensitive information like that.





3P1eQIJ.jpg
 
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Whiterain

Get me off of this planet
Good god, I wrote all that for nothing, what's new...

Going on, of course it sounds insane, because it is.

Remember back in the school yard when we used to make fun of each other's races supposed to be extinct doe? Such warm memories of the school yard...

Denken Sie daran, wenn Ihre Leute sollten ausgestorben. jejejejej

But, seriously, the penial gland is like the seat of imagination and artistic creativity too. I think some people don't even have one, but, it's discovery explains a lot about people.

The good evil scientists have also discovered fluoride in particular does ruin it, I can't imagine what other elements of our diet may be bad for our brains.
 
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faith_observer

New Member
Wow, thanks for sharing! Sorry for the delayed response. It does sound like some of you have had some amazing experiences. TDz86, your experiences may be totally different than what I've heard before. If you feel like elaborating, I'd love to hear about any specific experiences.

1137 and disciple, I agree at least a little in that it's hard for someone to make claims about objective reality because of spiritual experiences, especially, since people have so many different types of them. But, dang, they sure are interesting, and I love to hear about them anyway! I will just continue to form my own opinions about what they all mean, and respect the opinions and experiences of others.

PS- it looks like my link got removed. If anyone cares to see it, just google (with quotes) "Testimonies of other faiths".

Thanks, everybody!
 

Whiterain

Get me off of this planet
Wow, thanks for sharing! Sorry for the delayed response. It does sound like some of you have had some amazing experiences. TDz86, your experiences may be totally different than what I've heard before. If you feel like elaborating, I'd love to hear about any specific experiences.

1137 and disciple, I agree at least a little in that it's hard for someone to make claims about objective reality because of spiritual experiences, especially, since people have so many different types of them. But, dang, they sure are interesting, and I love to hear about them anyway! I will just continue to form my own opinions about what they all mean, and respect the opinions and experiences of others.

PS- it looks like my link got removed. If anyone cares to see it, just google (with quotes) "Testimonies of other faiths".

Thanks, everybody!

I'm mostly implying you must take people with a grain of salt regarding the spiritual aspects of life. I don't need to express my views to extensively, they're militaristic. It's just trying to seperate what is possibly true and what is an escape and delusional fantasy, for a sense of closure. The type of "spiritual" practices most people engage in is creating fantasy now with God that is without judgement or individuality, except what they desire; creating their own Gods.

I try to be brutally honest with myself, my views are grim.
 

Setepenaset

Follower of Isis
Over the course of my life I've been several different religions, and I have had religious or spiritual experiences in all of them. People have told me that I seem to be a very spiritually-attuned person (not sure exactly what that means, tho).
 

faith_observer

New Member
I try to be brutally honest with myself, too- and what that means right now is, I just don't know exactly what all this means at the moment. I have some ideas, but I can't really prove anything.
 

Setepenaset

Follower of Isis
The fact that I have had these kinds of experiences in several religions has led me to the conclusion that all of them are valid paths, since I was able to commune with the divine in all of them.
Arguing over which religion is the One True Faith is like arguing over whether Spanish, French or English is the One True Language. Which one is the right one depends on the individual
 

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
1137 and disciple, I agree at least a little in that it's hard for someone to make claims about objective reality because of spiritual experiences, especially, since people have so many different types of them. But, dang, they sure are interesting, and I love to hear about them anyway! I will just continue to form my own opinions about what they all mean, and respect the opinions and experiences of others.

Actually I didn't say that you can't make claims about objective reality regarding spiritual experiences, I said in sugar coated terms that most of it is experiences that I wouldn't put any stock in. The reason why this matters is that if you treat everything the same you're mixing legit concepts, and people, in with quacks hacks and even liars. That isn't good company, so you won't get many real anecdotes that way.
-cheers
 

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
The fact that I have had these kinds of experiences in several religions has led me to the conclusion that all of them are valid paths, since I was able to commune with the divine in all of them.
Arguing over which religion is the One True Faith is like arguing over whether Spanish, French or English is the One True Language. Which one is the right one depends on the individual



I agree. I find concepts like "this religion is the only correct one" to be ridiculous.

One thing about Xianity, 'spiritual experiences' don't take precedence over faith, there isn't a hierarchy of conceptual ways in which one adheres to the religion.
 
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faith_observer

New Member
Actually I didn't say that you can't make claims about objective reality regarding spiritual experiences, I said in sugar coated terms that most of it is experiences that I wouldn't put any stock in. The reason why this matters is that if you treat everything the same you're mixing legit concepts, and people, in with quacks hacks and even liars. That isn't good company, so you won't get many real anecdotes that way.
-cheers

Yes, there are people with amazing experiences that are genuine, at least to them, and, yes, there are quacks and liars. How do you tell them apart?
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Yes, there are people with amazing experiences that are genuine, at least to them, and, yes, there are quacks and liars. How do you tell them apart?
That is a most critical question. Experiences can be helpful - as a signpost that you're traveling in the right direction. And they can be transformative, causing a change for the better. Otherwise I don't think they have any lasting value.

My personal marker is that if I have an experience which tells me or which I seize on to inflate my sense of self-worth, ego, then it's not a true spiritual experience no matter the appearance.

And this applies to others. And sometimes someone can have a genuine experience that they misinterpret. So it's tricky as you pointed out.
 

gsa

Well-Known Member
I am not sure if this is a spiritual experience, but I have had some personally meaningful coincidences that correspond to deaths. So for example:

1. a relative of mine died across the country, and it turned out that a co-worker at the time was on a retreat at the place where he would be buried, at that exact moment.

2. I ran into an old friend I had not seen in about a decade, but had remained in contact with online and by phone, just over three months before he died unexpectedly. This was a chance in encounter on the streets of Chicago, and his death was completely unexpected.

3. I had a weird anxiety/panic attack and felt a sense of foreboding (I guess that is what you would call it) completely unexpectedly and out of the blue, with the lines of American Pie ("this'll be the day that I die") stuck in my head. The next day I learned that a family friend had died the night before.

I do not know if these are "spiritual" in any sense, and I was not really practicing any religion at the time of experience, but they are partially responsible for turning me from an atheist into a "spiritual but not religious" type.
 

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
Yes, there are people with amazing experiences that are genuine, at least to them, and, yes, there are quacks and liars. How do you tell them apart?



It's a good question. I would say using your own judgment, but I think people don't want their stories to be included in a bunch of anecdotes they find dubious. The problem as well is that as much as we try to 'separate' dubious from legit anecdotes, when they're all bunched together it can get tedious. I don't think the 'problem' of discernment is on your side, don't get me wrong, I'm saying I bet many people are reluctant to relate their experiences in this sort of format.
But, it's fine as well, I like to read these anecdotes as well.
 

faith_observer

New Member
Fair enough. For me, though, it was a powerful way to compare my own experiences to the experiences of others. It was super valuable and even spiritual for me.
 

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
Fair enough. For me, though, it was a powerful way to compare my own experiences to the experiences of others. It was super valuable and even spiritual for me.

That would be nice. I created at least one thread of a similar theme but I mostly got troll/joke responses. Oh well lol.
 

faith_observer

New Member
I believe it, haha... Sorry to hear it, though. I can appreciate not wanting to share something so important in a place it would be ridiculed. I'm hoping to avoid that.
 
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