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Mystical Experiences

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Mystical Experience

Aashi Shah, Izzi Rissbrook and Lola Alba


Mystical Experience Overview 
• 'Mystical Experience' is a broad term that encompasses various types of religious
experience, including dramatic accounts where people have had visions and hear
voices, or moments where people feel an overwhelming sense of being in the
presence of God or even a sense of unity with God whichever way they feel like
they can describe the experience. 
• The term 'mysticism' was introduced in the late 19th and early 20th century in an
attempt to search for common ground between the major world religions. There
was a growing movement in which people wanted to demonstrate how world
religions, although different in practice, came from the same beliefs about the
nature of the world and our ultimate reality which we experience as human
beings.
• When religious experience is referred to as 'mystical', therefore it carries
connotations of the idea that underneath the different doctrines and practices,
perhaps everyone is connecting with the same God, even though this may be in
various unique ways. 
William James 
• Overview:

William James defined religion as a personal experience, he once stated 'the feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to
stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine'

His perception of religious experiences led him to suggest that mystical experiences have a common core:

1. Passive – people feeling they were not in control of the experience and as if another power was acting on them 

2. Ineffable – the experience was difficult to put into words

3. Noetic – the experience provided insight or knowledge grasped through intuition. This can be called a 'revelation'

4. Transient – the experience lasted a short tie (perhaps a few minutes or less than 30 minutes) but had a much more significant effect on the person. 

As the quote suggests, James argued that the roots of religious experiences could be found in these common features of mystical experiences. And these mystical experiences can be
varied and include  different visions and perspectives. 

The criteria for religious experience and the main arguments of 'The Varieties of Religious Experience':

1.    In James’ view, the spiritual value of religious experience is not undone even if we can find a evident and psychological explanation for the experiences. He did not accept the
view that religious experience was the result of a repressed sexuality (Freud’s suggestion) He saw this as an attempt to discredit religion by those who started with an antipathy
towards it.

2.    He did not agree that there was one single element of religious experience that defines it, for example humans have a feeling or ‘something there’

3.    The experiences of great religious figures can set patterns for the conventional believer to study. He cites examples of ‘saintliness’ in people such as St Teresa of Avila. He shows
how such Christians can be strong people who help others to progress and for people to learn from

4.    He believed that religious experience was more important than focusing on a study of religious institutions for example the church as these were examples of secondary religion. 
Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
• Tereas of Avila checked her visions with her own spiritual
adviser due to the extent of their unusual nature, one of the most
famous visions was a golden-tipped spear which was on fire,
piercing her side and leaving her with an immense feeling of
elation and love. Teresa struggled to explain her feelings and
experiences (ineffable) although she was able to write and reflect
on her experiences. 
• St. Teresa describes the effects of these visions:  “That majesty
and beauty remain so impressed that they are unforgettable ….
The soul undergoes a change; it is always absorbed; it seems that
a new, living, high degree of love is beginning.” 
• https://www.coraevans.com/blog/article/the-incredible-life-of-st.
-teresa-of-avila
F.C Happold 
• In the 1960s, F.C Happold introduced his study of mysticism, this was at a time
where freedom of speech, recognition of people's thoughts and behaviours were
growing in popularity, particularly throughout younger generations. 
• Happold argued that, although mysticisms is found throughout the world in all
different cultures contextually, there are similar features which we can use to draw
to some kind of conclusion;
• The mystic understands that this physical, material world is only part of reality,
and that it comes from a 'Divin Ground'
• Human nature is such that people can know the 'Divine Ground' not through
reason but through intuition
• People have two distinct natures: the ego, which is the part of which we are
always conscious and the spiritual 'eternal self – the spark of divinty within him'
• The purpose of humanity is to discover this 'external self' and to unite it with the
'Divine Ground'. 
Biblical Experiences 
• Moses saw a burning bush that didn’t seem to be on fire and he heard the voice of God with
a message asking him to save the people who were enslaved in Egypt and lead them to the
promised land. At 1st, Moses refused God and asked him to send someone else but God
insisted it be him and said that his brother Aaron will help Moses alongside supernatural
powers to help him convince the Pharaoh he speaks for God. Moses returned to Egypt and
asked the Pharaoh to free the slaves and the pharaoh said no, which made God angry and he
sent 10 plagues to Egypt. The 10th plague – the one that killed all firstborn sons made
Pharaoh give up his slaves and the the Israelites escaped and stole lots of jewels and treasure.
The israelites met the Red Sea and realised they were trapped – God told Moses to lift up
and the Red Sea allowed them to pass. The Israelites were freed but had nowhere to live but
God made sure that they had water and food to survive; 3 months of traveling for them to
reach the foot of Mount Sinai. God asked Moses to meet him at the top and Moses climbed
into a thunderstorm waiting for God. God gave him 10 commandments that would tell his
people to right way to live for example, thou shalt not kill.
• Jonah ( Old Testament) God wanted to send Jonah to Ninevah and it was an enemy of his
original country so he didn’t want to go. Jonah tried to escape God and tried to travel
elsewhere by ship  but there was a storm and he was so desperate not to go he asked sailors
to throw him to sea but Jonah did not drown as God sent a large whale to swallow him, then
Jonah prayed to God and thanked him as the fish had dropped Jonah to dry land. Jonah went
to Nineveh and warned the people that they must confess their evil deeds to God or else God
would destroy their nation and the people obeyed him. God forgave the people and did not
destroy Nineveh. Jonah wanted to destroy Nineveh as he rivaled the country but God told
him that he cares about the people from every nation regardless of any rivalry. “Sailed for
Tarnish to flee from the LORD” - meaning can never escape God either. These sort of
experiences can not be described and are personal majority of the time.
Biblical Experiences Continued
• Saul on the road to Damascus – Saul was saying threats against the lords disciples and as he
neared to Damascus on his journey – a light flashed from around him and and he fell to the
ground and said “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” – JESUS. “I am Jesus whom you are
persecuting”. The men traveling with Saul are speechless and heard the voice. Saul was blinded
for 3 days and did not eat or drink. The lord told a disciple called Ananias to come and restore
Sauls sight, and immediately he could see again. He began preaching Jesus is the son of God and
turned to Paul.
• Jesus appeared to his disciples on the road to Emmaus- the resurrection had happened and later
that day Jesus walks with 2 of his disciples and they head to the village of Emmaus. They
discuss the crucification and the empty tomb, but when they arrive they ask Jesus to stay with
them. When he is breaking the bread and blessing It do the people of Emmaus realize who he is,
and he immediately vanishes. Power of mystical moment – watch the links below.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOSadLyqshg – Jonah 
•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3QkZsKLU2o – road to Emmaus 
Strengths and Weaknesses of Mystical Experiences
Strengths  Weaknesses
• William James argues that although there are psychological • Vicious circle challenge- the idea that people see what they wish to
elements to religious experience, similarities could point to a see, it is wishful thinking. For example, Catholics may expect to
common source, the divine. Mystical experiences are reliable see the Virgin Mary, Evangelical Christians may see the risen Jesus
because they have similar features, many having all four of the core and Hindus may see the goddess Carly. People see what their
that James identified (passive, transient, noetic, ineffable.) religion has brought them up to visualize. If they have been
worshipping someone all their life based upon religion, it is likely
that their psyche feels connected with that person and so they see
who they are wishing to see. This challenge is  supported by Freud,
who talked about "illusion based on wish- fulfilment" i.e., these
experiences are psychological crutches. I.e., in times of crisis,
people are likely to pray and have visions of their desired person. 

• Schleiermacher argues that there is more to our existence than the • There is too much of a subjectivity to this, unconscious and
physical and if we stop and reflect, we can encounter something irrational experience that cannot be tested empirically cannot be
other. There is therefore a deep- seated sense of the divine. Mystical accepted as true by another person. We cannot verify if they are
experiences are therefore self- authenticating, and do not need to be reliable or not. A change in character or perspective could be due to
tested to prove that they are genuine. several non- religious factors, for example, it could be possible for
a novel or a film to have a similar impact upon a person. In addition
to this, psychologists continue to study the mind and have made
progress in understanding how the brain works, neurology may one
day have a scientific and empirical explanation for such
experiences. 
Strengths and Weaknesses of Mystical Experiences
Strengths Weaknesses
• Qualities which make them reliable--> Passivity: seeing as • Lack of empirical proof--> seeing as mystical experiences
they are not desired or expected, it suggests that there is are almost impossible to explain, and generally tend to
something external that encounters someone in a personal happen to just one person on their own, there is no real
way. Noetic effect: Indicates the presence of the divine empirical evidence that they happen. Aquinas argued that
because it is almost impossible to explain this deeper we cannot know if it is really God, seeing as the difficulty
knowledge and understanding which is beyond that of lies in defining him. He argued that we can never
every day. Ineffable: this quality alludes to the fact that really understand God truly because he is mysterious. This
they are unlike any other experience. Transient: shows the is supported by Kant who argued that we are part of the
reliability of mystical experiences because they only last a phenomenal world (empirical) and God is part of the
short time but have a huge impact upon the person. To noumenal (non spacio- temporal) and therefore it is
have such a huge impact on the person (with impossible for us to experience anything from without our
observable effects) suggests something mystical to have world. We cannot experience the phenomenal. AJ Ayer
happened. An example of this is conversions (a type of also suggests that if religious experiences are ineffable,
mystical experience) and if we look at the effects upon the this is ultimately a weakness because if we cannot prove
person, there is a somewhat stronger sense of certainty that them, we cannot believe them. 
a mystical experience has taken place.  

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