What is a spiritual experience?

[CarlinKnew]

Continuing from another thread:

Now here, it does get a little circular. God is the result of the experience. Yahweh is a specific concept of God, the product of millennia of speculation on what those experiences mean. Which makes Him a convenient explanation for those who have such experiences now.

I agree that after having a mystical experience, Yahweh is a convenient explanation for Christians, and I go further by saying any god is a convenient explanation for anyone.

But first, what exactly is a spiritual experience?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Any experience that a person has and defines as such.

 

[CarlinKnew]

Any experience that a person has and defines as such.

True, I'm interested in how they define it.

 

[Storm]

Continuing from another thread:

I agree that after having a mystical experience, Yahweh is a convenient explanation for Christians, and I go further by saying any god is a convenient explanation for anyone.

But first, what exactly is a spiritual experience?

First off, I was referring to mystical experiences, a term I use in the very specific context of neurotheology. Spiritual experience was your phrase.

A spiritual experience can be anything, it's a vague term.

OTOH, mystical experiences in the sense I mean are trance states with a very specific neurology. Not being a neuroscientist, I can't recall all the hallmarks, but one is altered functioning in the occipital pareital lobe, specifically the area that regulates awareness of the body's spatial boundaries and orientation.

I'd be happy to discuss them with you as best I can, but if you're really interested in the topic, I highly recommend Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

But first, what exactly is a spiritual experience?

It is my understanding that when the animating principle of a mortal, (aka self aware spirit, soul, etc..) leaves the body, then it is undergoing a spiritual experience as it re-integrates with the omnipresent universal spiritual field.

When such self aware spirit returns to the body after a temporary OBE, and some of the residual impressions of the experience are available to memory, then the person can be aware that a spiritual experience occurred but it an error for that person to claim that it was they who had the spiritual experience. IOW, only spirit can experience spirit, the mortal mind can not ever experience it, nor can it even know directly what spirit is, but it can experience a unique blissful experience coincident/parallel with the period of the spiritual experience of the soul.

Lastly, concerning the actual spiritual experience itself as it relates to the larger omnipresent universal field, it does not concern the mortal mind except in a general way in such religious concepts as 'being born of the spirit', angels, etc., in order that it becomes aware of, and prepare for its ultimate fate when the indwelling spirit leaves it for the last time,..from clay man is created and to clay he returns, but the 'fruits' of such a life may last forever.

 

[Katzpur]

Continuing from another thread:



I agree that after having a mystical experience, Yahweh is a convenient explanation for Christians, and I go further by saying any god is a convenient explanation for anyone.

But first, what exactly is a spiritual experience?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but what do you mean when you say it's a "convenient" explanation? Convenient in what way? If I'm understanding you correctly, I couldn't disagree more.

 

[InfinityUnlocked]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but what do you mean when you say it's a "convenient" explanation? Convenient in what way? If I'm understanding you correctly, I couldn't disagree more.

Convenient because regardless of the belief/religion practiced, people from all walks of life have experiences they deem to be spiritual... since the phenomena is not christian-specific, naturally the explanation given to you is... convenient. Read up on some NDE's and you'll quickly see that believers of practically every faith have them as well as non-believers. Simply put... spiritual experiences are not and never have been exclusive to christians or any other group of people that proclaim to be "the" way.

 

[Katzpur]

Convenient because regardless of the belief/religion practiced, people from all walks of life have experiences they deem to be spiritual... since the phenomena is not christian-specific, naturally the explanation given to you is... convenient. Read up on some NDE's and you'll quickly see that believers of practically every faith have them as well as non-believers. Simply put... spiritual experiences are not and never have been exclusive to christians or any other group of people that proclaim to be "the" way.

Well, in that case, I find them to be inconvenient. Anyone who has had any kind of a spiritual experience is at a loss to be able to adequately convey it to anyone else. Spiritual experiences are by their very nature deeply personal and subjective. This doesn't make them imaginary, and it doesn't make the person who is unable to explain the experience crazy or a liar. It's far more convenient, in my opinion, to the person who doubts, who can simply say, "You can prove nothing, therefore nothing really happened."

 

[zenzero]

Friend CarlinKnew,

What is a spiritual experience?

Personally would state that there is nothing as *spiritual experience*.
In fact there is nothing as spiritual.
These are just labels which our very own mind gives to create dulaity and this duality keeps is kind of behind a veil or maya is created by the mind and the individual remains separated instead of merging.

Those who make such claims are again using the very minds of others to exploit the misunderstanding already existing.
Love & rgds

 

[Storm]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but what do you mean when you say it's a "convenient" explanation? Convenient in what way? If I'm understanding you correctly, I couldn't disagree more.

Since I was the one that brought it up, I hope you don't mind if I answer.

I firmly believe that mystical experiences have fairly universal characteristics. However, most people who experience one interpret it in the context of their predominant cultural framework. That's what I mean by "convenient." It's a handy-dandy premade explanation that you only have to accept.

 

[blackout]

Yes, I agree that most people hardwire their mystical experiences
to their pre-concieved notions, labels, and constructs.

This is why most people do not ever experience the paradigm/reality shifts
that these experiences are capable of bringing about.

Mostly people like to try and make things fit into the construct/s
they are already comfortable in.
So that is how they name, explain and hardwire their experience.

The problem with this in the end,
is the mystical experience itself is then said/thought to be "proof" or "evidence"
that the pre-existing construct IS in fact some higher spiritual "truth".
(when all it is, is a personal/cultural/religious association made by the experiencer)

I say this because I have experienced the same types of mystical/spiritual (whatever) "heightening"
as Roman Catholic, non Catholic Christian, non Christian, Gnostic Christian, Sourceress, Occultist, etc etc etc
I no longer "hardwire" my experiences to any particular world/gOd/religious view.
Of course I still do bring mySelf to the experience though.

I like having my world view/s blown wide open.