Spiritual Experiences

[tayla]

Have you had one or more spiritual experience(s)?

Yes, many experiences from many sources that you list.

 

[Curious George]

I interpreted the OP to be referring to what I call "mystical" experiences, rather than what I call "spiritual" experiences.

And I think that is fair. I tried to write the OP to be inclusive of what anyone might define as a spiritual experience from the near death experience to the experience of being in the zone and connected with one or more individuals (or all of nature). Shamans for instance often have drug induced interactions with the spirit world on a regular basis. Are these part of what falls into your mystical experience or are they part of what you define as spiritual? We, or at least someone, can always posit reasons for experiences. I am less concerned with trying to figure out if a person's experiences qualify to be called spiritual/mystic than I am about whether the individual defines them as such. But what I am most interested in is who has these experiences, from their own definitions, and why, and who does not and why.

 

[Curious George]

Yes, many experiences from many sources that you list.

Can you offer any insight regarding question D?

 

[QuestioningMind]

People have spiritual experiences. These experiences can vary in form. These experiences can also vary in how they are induced. Some come from groups; some come from music; some come from drugs; some come from trauma; some come from meditation; some come from isolation; and some are even spontaneous. While the substance of these experiences are questionable, the existence of these experiences is often accepted. What I am wondering is:

A) Have you had one or more spiritual experience(s)?

B) what was/were the experience(s)?

C) how was/were the experience(s) induced?

D) Are particular people more apt to such experiences? If so, what commonalities do such people share?

All spiritual experiences are the result of having a certain part of the brain stimulated. Researchers are able to stimulate this portion of the brain with electrical currents and induce what people describe as a 'spiritual experience'. It's been determined that the manner if which many religious buildings are constructed are designed to stimulate this portion of the brain, in the same manner that witnessing scenes of great natural beauty can do so as well.. The same holds true for certain religious chants and types of music.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

People have spiritual experiences. These experiences can vary in form. These experiences can also vary in how they are induced. Some come from groups; some come from music; some come from drugs; some come from trauma; some come from meditation; some come from isolation; and some are even spontaneous. While the substance of these experiences are questionable, the existence of these experiences is often accepted. What I am wondering is:

A) Have you had one or more spiritual experience(s)?

B) what was/were the experience(s)?

C) how was/were the experience(s) induced?

D) Are particular people more apt to such experiences? If so, what commonalities do such people share?

A and B. Most are dreams. Sometimes I feel like information is being downloaded into my head. A couple of times I have kinda switched views with birds and it allowed the birds to figure out I was trying to help them. I can also sense "destiny", which sucks most of the time, though it has helped me out of a few scrapes.

C. I dunno.

D. I think it helps to "think outside the box" as it makes you more open to novel thoughts. Genius and crazy are just matters of degree.

Yet, according to her, the experience taught her to love wholly and freely and without strings. Should she "demand a refund on it" because she never figured out the source?

I'm a "practical theist". If it gets the job done, who cares about anything else?

 

[Curious George]

All spiritual experiences are the result of having a certain part of the brain stimulated. Researchers are able to stimulate this portion of the brain with electrical currents and induce what people describe as a 'spiritual experience'. It's been determined that the manner if which many religious buildings are constructed are designed to stimulate this portion of the brain, in the same manner that witnessing scenes of great natural beauty can do so as well.. The same holds true for certain religious chants and types of music.

What portion of the brain? Is this portion more developed in some than others?

 

[Sunstone]

All spiritual experiences are the result of having a certain part of the brain stimulated. Researchers are able to stimulate this portion of the brain with electrical currents and induce what people describe as a 'spiritual experience'. It's been determined that the manner if which many religious buildings are constructed are designed to stimulate this portion of the brain, in the same manner that witnessing scenes of great natural beauty can do so as well.. The same holds true for certain religious chants and types of music.

All that you say is very true -- and even more than you've said here is very true. Have you had a chance yet to read any of Andrew Newberg's books on the relationship of brain activities to mystical experiences? If not, I highly recommend any of them.

However, as Newberg himself would point out, the fact that mystical experiences are correlated with certain activities in the brain does not provide conclusive evidence that mystical experiences are solely the products of our brains. When I see a tree or a cat, those too are correlated with certain activities in my brain, but that correlation does not logically entail I must think of the tree or cat as existing only in my head. It is, of course, quite possible the tree or cat exist independent of my brain.

In the same manner, if one has a mystical experience of something one interprets as deity, the correlation of that experience to certain brain states neither proves nor disproves that the experience was actually of deity.

I think about some things, we are required to either remain agnostic, or to take a leap of faith into either belief or denial.

 

[Sunstone]

What portion of the brain? Is this portion more developed in some than others?

The parietal lobe is especially well correlated with certain aspects of mystical experiences. Specifically, mystical experiences of oneness and/or of god are heavily associated with reduced activity in that lobe.

Among other things, the lobe plays a key role in allowing us to distinguish between what is us and what is not us, or between one thing and another thing. So, you can perhaps see how reduced activity in that region might be associated with the perception on oneness -- a.k.a. the perception that all things are in some way one.

 

[Sunstone]

The parietal lobe is especially well correlated with certain aspects of mystical experiences. Specifically, mystical experiences of oneness and/or of god are heavily associated with reduced activity in that lobe.

Among other things, the lobe plays a key role in allowing us to distinguish between what is us and what is not us, or between one thing and another thing. So, you can perhaps see how reduced activity in that region might be associated with the perception on oneness -- a.k.a. the perception that all things are in some way one.

Here's a fun game the whole family can play! Our normal, waking, everyday consciousness divides the world between us and not us. It also divides one thing from other things. Meanwhile, some mystical experiences perceive the world as in some sense "one". Now which is the true?

Well, if we expect the answer to be that our normal everyday consciousness has got it right, then we might expect the brain would have to do something special for us to perceive -- in a mystical state -- the wold as one. But that's not the case.

That is, the brain doesn't become more active when we perceive the world as one. At least the key region associated with these things -- the parietal lobe -- doesn't become more active. Instead, it becomes less active.

In other words, it's as if the brain must make an effort to see the world as divided between self and not self, between one thing and another thing, but does NOT have to make an effort to see the world as one.

That's pretty much what you would expect to be the case if seeing the world as divided was a fiction and seeing the world as one was the truth revealed.

Not that it means anything for certain, of course, but....

...Something fun to think about, eh?

 

[tayla]

Can you offer any insight regarding question D?

I think a sociologist or psychologist would have to answer this. Perhaps there are studies done.

 

[Curious George]

Here's a fun game the whole family can play! Our normal, waking, everyday consciousness divides the world between us and not us. It also divides one thing from other things. Meanwhile, some mystical experiences perceive the world as in some sense "one". Now which is the true?

Well, if we expect the answer to be that our normal everyday consciousness has got it right, then we might expect the brain would have to do something special for us to perceive -- in a mystical state -- the wold as one. But that's not the case.

That is, the brain doesn't become more active when we perceive the world as one. At least the key region associated with these things -- the parietal lobe -- doesn't become more active. Instead, it becomes less active.

In other words, it's as if the brain must make an effort to see the world as divided between self and not self, between one thing and another thing, but does NOT have to make an effort to see the world as one.

That's pretty much what you would expect to be the case if seeing the world as divided was a fiction and seeing the world as one was the truth revealed.

Not that it means anything for certain, of course, but....

...Something fun to think about, eh?

Do you think all people are equally capable of lowering activity in the parietal lobe? Or is this a function of something else? In other words are some more capable of pursuing and achieving these experiences? If so, what external commonalities do you think these people share?

 

[Jesster]

A) Have you had one or more spiritual experience(s)?

Not that I'm aware of.

B) what was/were the experience(s)?

N/A

C) how was/were the experience(s) induced?

N/A

D) Are particular people more apt to such experiences? If so, what commonalities do such people share?

I'm not aware that they even happen at all. I just know that some people say they have them. I can't really answer this question appropriately.

 

[QuestioningMind]

What portion of the brain? Is this portion more developed in some than others?

" A new study from a team of neuroscientists shows that what they feel (spiritual experience) is caused by activating the brain’s reward circuits that control our ability to feel pleasure. It’s the part of the brain associated with sex, drugs, music as well as love. "

I saw no data indicating if this is more developed in some than in others.

 

[Curious George]

I'm not aware that they even happen at all. I just know that some people say they have them. I can't really answer this question appropriately.

Are you aware that others experience pain?

 

[Jesster]

Are you aware that others experience pain?

Yes. I also experience pain. Can you explain the relevance of this to me?

 

[Sunstone]

Do you think all people are equally capable of lowering activity in the parietal lobe? Or is this a function of something else? In other words are some more capable of pursuing and achieving these experiences? If so, what external commonalities do you think these people share?

I simply don't know.

 

[Curious George]

Yes. I also experience pain. Can you explain the relevance of this to me?

The question is meant to contrast a phenomenon we experience with one we do not. Pain is subjective. People experience pain in different degrees. What is painful to you, may not be painful to me. Yet you can understand and accept this because you do, in fact, experience pain.

Now technically speaking, you are not aware that others experience pain at all. You are just able to relate and you then take others' word that they too experience pain. But there are other things we can observe beyond just their statements of pain. We can observe how those experiences impact their actions, we can observe their consistency in relaying their experiences, we can compare those experiences to other testimonies, we can even observe brain function and how it differs.

It could be an act, but that doesn't really jive with our other observations of other people. So it is with claims of spiritual experiences. Maybe not all, but it is relatively clear that some people are experiencing something that they largely relay as a spiritual experience. Now either a) you have not experienced the same thing as the people making the claims or b) you have experienced the same thing and would use different language to describe that experience.

If a) why have you not experienced this. If b) then what induced the experience and how do you describe it?

 

[Curious George]

I simply don't know.

How many spontaneous experiences have you had?

 

[Sunstone]

How many spontaneous experiences have you had?

Somewhere around a dozen, near as I can recall. I try to forget them. Most weren't life-enhancing, or life-changing, but just curiosities in the sense I had no rational explanation for them.

 

[Curious George]

Somewhere around a dozen, near as I can recall. I try to forget them. Most weren't life-enhancing, but just curiosities in the sense I had no rational explanation for them.

Can you think of any grouping for them? Temporal, geographical, social, etc?