challenges of verifying religious experiences

Question 1

problem with religious experiences being experienced alone?
+example

Answer 1

only have the persons testimony as to see what happened

can’t be tested/proven right or wrong

e.g when St Bernadette saw Mary witnesses said they only saw Mary talking to an ‘unseen someone’

Question 2

problem with religious experiences portraying figures in different ways:

Answer 2

for example some see the figure as God and others see a completely different form

Question 3

problem with religious experiences being the result of mind altering substances:

Answer 3

may not be seen as a true religious experience due to substances being used that alter the mind

Question 4

problem with religious experiences being subjective:

Answer 4

no objective criteria to be able to judge the experience
not empirical or proven as we can’t test them
it is a private decision whether it is a religious experience or not so can be deceptive
even if it leads to conversion there is no evidence the experience is accurate as it could just be to meet personal needs