general
monist
theist
subjective experience interpreted in a religious framework
inner space 25-40% have had RE exp
mystical
more to reality, aware of ego and spiritual
e.g. teresa
+F.C.Happold. individual belief is key. mysticism is an underlying aspect of religion
+rudolph otto. believed in awe and mystery. god is mysterious, important, and attractive yet dangerous
- Marx, outward manifestation of drug induced state
- davies, spider
conversion
e.g. acts 9 - Saul to Paul
stages of conversion
+william james, pragmatic. religions have common core which transcends culture. a posteriori, inductive reasoning - look at is it plausible?
e.g. s.h.hadley
noetic quality, transicene, ineffability, passivity
- falsificationism
- subjective
corporate
Pentecost, acts 2
solar miracle of Fatima
- Mary appeared to 3 kids, would appear on 13th of each month
- 13th oct 1917. 70,000 people. sun danced/zigzagged/coloured
+ more people
- hysteria
- children
- nickel, sundog
- Dawkins, why didn’t the rest of the world see it
- flew, 10 leaky buckets
RE scholars
happold
Otto
swinburne
- credulity and testimony
however. .. Mackie (probability and cultural conditioning); Martin (atheists); gale (not everyday experience); franks Davies (not face value)
schleiermachere
- everyone has sense of divine, clouded by other concerns (+descartes)
- re exp are self authenticating
- feel wholly dependent (monist)
NDEs
1/5 of people who have survived cardiac arrest
- bright light
- e.g. eben alexander, meningitis induced coma
howveer
- mobbs and watt, tunnel vision, medication
- oliver sacks, migraine
psychological/phsyiological
Feuerbach (mind = projected outwards)
winnicott (comfort, childish)
freud (superego, infantile neurosis. God is father figure)
persinger and god helmet
- weak magnetic signals
- told it was a relaxation exercise
- 80% reported a presence/apparition
however. . only 1% saw god
mobbs and watt (ndes)
