What is a spiritual experience?

[George-ananda]

There are different uses of the term 'spiritual experience'. One example would be an experience of the interconnentedness of all consciousness in God/Brahman.

 

[David1967]

Technically, a long lasting, uplifting feeling and experience that makes you balanced, healthy, intuned with self, others, and/or environment. Holistic experience not necessarily related to religion or spirituality. Think of your passion that you can't live without. When you're around that something, someone, or involved in your passion, you get a feeling of connection. Some call it spiritual. Fancy term.

Wow Carlita. That's good.

 

[idav]

A spiritual experience is a connection with what that particular experiencer considers divine or holy. It could be temporary, brief or last for a long time. Often accompanied with feelings of exaltation and inner connectedness. It may be possible to feel that way without considering it spiritual, depends how the individual labels it. Often times a spiritual experience is so profound as to be life changing.

 

[YmirGF]

These two are both excellent answers.

Technically, a long lasting, uplifting feeling and experience that makes you balanced, healthy, intuned with self, others, and/or environment. Holistic experience not necessarily related to religion or spirituality. Think of your passion that you can't live without. When you're around that something, someone, or involved in your passion, you get a feeling of connection. Some call it spiritual. Fancy term.

Pretty much. In theory, anything and I do mean anything can launch one into a spiritual experience.
Even the ineffable smell of ones morning coffee...
...speaking of which...

*runs off to commune with the divine coffee pot*

I especially like the mention of it being a holistic experience as it is healing, balancing, grounding etc...

Once I had an experience where the world around me transformed from its usual conglomeration of solid objects, shapes and colors into layers and layers of a transparent mesh of fine symbols. Living symbols that glowed and hummed and through which waves and whorls flowed this way and that. (There was more to it but this suffices for now).

I was around 11 at that time. After that I suddenly became very good at Mathematics which seemed to become an intuitive language for me to grasp and describe reality.

A splendid description with a real world connection. Thanks for sharing this, @sayak83

My take on what constitutes a so-called spiritual experience is those times when you go past your ordinary mental boundaries and you are empowered by the experience in subtle ways. It's not just about making connections, but rather, about making valid connections.

 

[WalterTrull]

What is a spiritual experience?

Actually, they all are. What we tend to call spiritual experiences are the ones we recognize as such.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

What is a spiritual experience?

I define it as the simultaneous sense of mystery, awe, gratitude, and connectivity.

 

[Ponder This]

Spirit refers to essence. It has many uses and when you examine those uses you may begin to see the pattern.
1. non-physical
2. specific emotion or mood
3. quality of courage, energy, and determination
4. real meaning or intention behind something as opposed to strict verbal interpretation
5. strongly distilled liquor
6. convey rapidly and secretly
7. the non-physical part of a person manifested as an apparition after their death: a ghost
8. a supernatural being
9. short for Holy Spirit

A spiritual experience is an experience of the essence of something which is normally secret or hidden behind the outward appearance of a thing.

For example, when you sing a song, the spirit of the song would be something beyond the simple the sounding of the notes.

A spiritual experience is not necessarily one of joy or euphoria. Rather, those experiences may be particular examples of spiritual experiences to the extent that they are manifestations of the otherwise hidden essence of a thing. In other words, if a person is outwardly faking that he is joyful while inwardly he is sorrowful, then he has disguised his spirit instead of revealing it.

 

[YmirGF]

5. strongly distilled liquor

Um, what does this have to do with anything other than inebriation?

 

[Ponder This]

Um, what does this have to do with anything other than inebriation?

When you distill something you are separating the essence of the liquor from other things. In this way you reveal the essence of what makes a liquor a liquor: the alcohol within it. Moreover, a liquor has a particular affect on a person who imbibes it: it is mood altering. Because it is mood altering, inebriation from alcohol is associated to things spiritual. Wine has special significance in some religions because of the association of the experience of inebriation to spiritual experiences. Generally speaking, wine has a higher percentage of alcohol than beer.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

Do you have a living loved one that you know but doesn't live with you (far away) but then you think about him/her, give her your wishes, and think about her sometime? Maybe have a picture of her-say if she went off to war and you wanted to do something to remember she is still alive fighting?

It's similar (for me). Have you had a loved one passed away and you go to visit where they are at rest, put flowers, cards, or food on their grave, and say something on their behalf? It doesn't need to be religious in nature.

It's the same. Except instead of isolated respect such as going to your loved one on their birthday or thinking of your loved one once in awhile while overseas, you have a deep seeded need to constantly give respect to the point of making it part of your life. It's constant gratitude.

Another thing I would change is they aren't deceased, they are still living in spirit. I read that we can talk to our family in spirit just as we talk to them as they were here because they are. Some families believe the spirit of their loved ones are in their living loved ones and infants. So, it's family and family in spirit.

I don't experience the death of a loved one in the same way.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

Um, what does this have to do with anything other than inebriation?

The drunker you get the more likely you are to find God.

 

[YmirGF]

The drunker you get the more likely you are to find God.

Apparently. Guess alcoholics are just getting closer to god.

 

[Ponder This]

Apparently. Guess alcoholics are just getting closer to god.

Not all spiritual experiences are godly (it appears to be a common misconception that they are), but it's possible they feel closer to Bacchus (aka Dionysus):

The cult of Dionysus was the main religious focus for the unrestrained consumption of wine in Greek culture.

 

[YmirGF]

Not all spiritual experiences are godly (it appears to be a common misconception that they are), but it's possible they feel closer to Bacchus (aka Dionysus):

The cult of Dionysus was the main religious focus for the unrestrained consumption of wine in Greek culture.

Okie dokie.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You mean like when someone realizes none of it is real and they become an atheist?

For example what is not real. The teachings of Jesus match what is foretold in the old Hebrew Scriptures.
What I find is Not real are false clergy teachings being taught as Scripture but Not Scripture.
Jeremiah 10:23 's words have proved true that man can't direct his step.
That is why God will have Jesus step in to bring justice and peace to Earth because man can't.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

A spiritual experience is a connection with what that particular experiencer considers divine or holy. It could be temporary, brief or last for a long time. Often accompanied with feelings of exaltation and inner connectedness. It may be possible to feel that way without considering it spiritual, depends how the individual labels it. Often times a spiritual experience is so profound as to be life changing.

...and I find such an experience can change one's focus from feeling or thinking like an 'outsider just looking in' to being an 'insider now looking outward'. Even focusing more now on others than on self.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

The drunker you get the more likely you are to find God.

Well, apparently Not so according to 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Peter 4:3 and Proverbs 23:20.
Jesus taught we find God through the pages of Scripture. Jesus referred to Scripture as religious truth at John 17:17.
In other words, the knowledge of God is found within the pages of Scripture.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

Well, apparently Not so according to 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Peter 4:3 and Proverbs 23:20.
Jesus taught we find God through the pages of Scripture. Jesus referred to Scripture as religious truth at John 17:17.
In other words, the knowledge of God is found within the pages of Scripture.

I do not care what Jesus thought or about your silly book.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I don't experience the death of a loved one in the same way.

Sorry you lost a loved one, would you care to relate your experience with the death of a love one.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I do not care what Jesus thought or about your silly book.

You don't have to care. Caring is Not a needed contributing factor to the existence of Scripture.