mystical experiences Flashcards
(22 cards)
what is a mystical experience?
when one feels a sense of union with the divine
what are the features that are part of the experience someone goes through?
(4 points)
develop knowledge of the ‘ultimate reality’ e.g afterlife which is normally hidden from their way of thinking
feel sense of freedom from limits of time and space
feel sense of unity with the divine
feel a sense of bliss
who are the two most important philosophers in mystical experiences?
William James
William Stace
what did William James believe about the significance of religious experiences?
religious experiences we more important to religion/scripture/creeds
learn more about God/deity through a religious experience
what are William James’ 4 categories to identify a mystical experience?
passivity
ineffability
noetic quality
transciency
what is meant by passivity?
the person who is having the experience has no power when the supernatural being has power
what is meant by ineffability?
when the experiences are beyond the ability of our words to explain it
what is meant by noetic quality?
when a new knowledge is gained from the experience which is unlike the knowledge of any other human experience
what is meant by transciency?
means the person who has an experience have it for a very short time, rarely longer than half an hour, but the effects are lifechanging
what does William James say about the 4 categories for a mystical experience and what they don’t guarantee?
don’t guarantee that it is the work of God
what does William James say about whether experiences are genuine or not?
he claims the experiences are genuine and the person who had it is telling the truth
what does William James think about mind-altering substances causing religious experiences?
he has no problem with them
these substances do what all mystical experiences do- give access to a different level of consciousness
what does William James mean when he argues mystical experiences are ‘overbeliefs’?
people who often have an experience are just supporting what they already believe in
e.g a Christian is not likely to have an experience about a Muslim figure e.g Mohammed and vice versa
what did Stace believe mystical experiences were?
they must make no use of our senses so visions/voices etc were not mystical experiences
he believes they are non-sensuous and non-intellectual
development of Staces’ point of a mystic is a mystic:
a person should only be called a mystic if they have had a mystical experience themselves
(not people who are called mystics because they believe in mysticism)
development of Staces’ point of what mysticism is not:
visions/voices are not mystical experiences
some people use the term inaccurately as they use it in terms of sensuous experiences
development of Staces’ point of the central feature:
most important feature is feeling connected to the divine but not through our senses
Stace quote about true mystical experiences being non-sensuous:
they are ‘formless, shapless, colourless and odourless’
what are the 2 types of mystical experiences that Stace identifies:
introvertive mystical experience
extrovertive mystical experience
what is an introvertive mystical experience?
(4 points)
most important in history of mysticism
no use of senses and finding unity with the divine
superior power has control
non-sensuous and non-intellectual
what is an extrovertive mystical experience?
(4 points)
use physical senses as a way to find a mystical experience
often see God through senses
makes full use of senses and thoughts as you have to think about the experience as it happens
sensory and intellectual
what is an ‘induced experience’?
when mind altering substances have been taken which bring about a religious experience
