How Does Science Pose A Problem To Mystical Experince Flashcards
(15 cards)
How does science pose a threat
Scientific discoveries must be observed in order to be verified. Science therefore poses many challenges to RE, mainly entering around the idea that the only observable feature of a RE is the brain states which caused them
Sigmund Freud quote about religion
“Nothing can withstand reason and logic, and the contradiction which religion offers to both is all too palpable”
What des Freud claim
Religion and RE are simply ways to control fears of the unknown (death). He claims that RE are nothing more than hallucinations resulting from fear and desire to control the uncontrollable. Fr example, a child imagining a protector.
However aquinas RE counter= aquinas shows that beleif can come from reason and experience not emotion needs. For example, st teresa of Avila was highly rational not just emotional dreamer
Science argues that RE are nothing more than brain states
Temporal lobe epilepsy= people who suffer from temporal lobe epilepsy r more prone to RE
God Helmet= neuroscience has replicated many features of RE
Drugs= hallucinogenic drugs like LSD can be used to generate feelings of the divine cuz by altering brain chemistry, RE become more likely to
The fact that humans can induce ME makes them less meaningful as it would suggest that anyone can achieve union w god
How might religous believers respond to the idea that RE occur in the brain
God makes the experiences happen in our brain. Our brain is the way by which we experience everything,so of course RE must come via the brain, but these are caused by god.
Another criticism of RE is that it can be induced by humans which makes god seem less powerful
Problem for god of classical theism
But not a problem for James as humans can do things to induce RE e.g. yoga, drugs, prayer
Can RE be verified
It is generally accepted that gos cannot be proved by logical arguments howver, Swinburne principles suggest that our experience of the world suggest god probably does exst
Swinburne cumulative argument
There is a 5050 chance that god exist before experience
Theists cannot prove he exist but at the same time atheists cannot prove he does not exist
How might RE come into play to swinburnes CA
If we add religious testimony to the arguemnt, the scale tips towards the conclusion that god does in fact exist. The a posteriori knowledge of god means he probably exists
Pricinple of credulity
“What one seems to perceive is probably so”
If u think u’ve had an experience w god, u probably have. This is the first person section of the argument
Counter argument for how about liars and hallucinations in swinburnes CA
They are so few and far between that they don’t matter
Principle of testimony
If some1 says they have had a RE they r probably telling the truth
What does Swinburne say about the doubter
The onus/persons duty should be the doubter to show that god is not present, rather than the experiencer to show that He is
A third person cant prove that a person has not had a RE, or prove that they’re lying
Richard Dawkins critique of RE
No reason to believe in god cuz we have no empirical evidence.since no one has seen god, we have no reason to believe in Him
George Foreman REi
Experienced a profound RE after nearly dying in the ring
