Religious Experience

[shrewsbury]

My professor, Dr Young, quoted his book in our lecture, these two sentences are quite brilliantly written, so I thought I would share.
The class is, the introduction to the study of religion, which is about studying religion from various disciplines and approaches, not scrutinizing them or looking for truths or lies.

here is the quote;

religious experience involves an immediate awareness of something that transcends the realm of ordinary experience and ordinary ways of comprehending experience. This does not necessarily mean that the experience does not involve the events and things of ordinary experience, but rather that a new dimension is added to our perception of them.

Youn Woon ko, Introduction to the Study of Religion, 2012, zip publishing

[habsheaven]

How can you "study" something without scrutinizing it? What does this actually mean? "which is about studying religion from various disciplines and approaches" Can you give a practical example of something you "study" and what that involves?

[Wickabee]

So what you're saying is the experience is normal and even explainable but the perception is not.

Sort of plays into the bit about there being no reality, only perception. Perhaps he is actually talking about our perception being removed so reality can be seen.

Don't worry, I won't go off trying to debunk the course. I don't see this as attacking anything so I, personally, see no need to attack any aspect of this post or your personal life.

[JustAlex]

I'd like to know how it's possible for various people from very different religions to have "experiences" if they contradict each other.

For example, there are people that say they have memories of their formal lives (these are the ones that believe in reincarnation).

And then there are people who have claimed to have seen heaven.

Both these beliefs contradict each other, so there are various possibilities.

#1 Someone is lying or incorrect.

or

#2 They have experienced something which is not what they perceive.

[xpucksx]

what this says to me is that experiences that are life changing in some way happen to everyone, and are not rooted in some kind of dogmatic catalyst or are specifically motivated by a defined spiritual being,entity or motivation. They are also not confined by the same principals. An atheist can have a religious moment as much as the pope, and they both come from the same place....

the issue is the definition and explanation of that place. In the past, it has been explained as an "event from the Gods" because htere was no scientific way to explain it. Today, some would explain it using the idea of the subconcious, which still is a very young area/idea to be studying, as well as other ideas about how outside energies interact and influence us.

To me specifically, it is the sudden interaction and mix of ideas that flow from infinite past influences that combine to bring on a new realization of a situation. This is not a religious event. It is purely a worldy energetic event.

[shrewsbury]

alex,

in relation to this particular course on the teachings of Dr Young, it is about non bias observation for the purpose of academic study. the study of religion can take a sociological, anthropological, historical, scientific, feminist, psychological, or philosophical approach.

Habs, perhaps the easiest way to explain it is we study not only the religion itself and its effects on society, politics, the arts, and such, but also study various theories and approaches to religion by scholars, theologians, historians, and even feminists.

wickabee, no I am saying the experience can involve a simple daily action, a dream, a thought, a near death experience, a eureka moment, a light bulb going off, enlightenment, satori, and it does not have to be about a divine being. it is something that seems not to be extraordinary but cannot be explained by words. on school of thought refers to it as love, something that cannot be experienced by words alone, you could say agnostic = it can't be known

[Wickabee]

So...thinking...

[mrveggieman]

My professor, Dr Young, quoted his book in our lecture, these two sentences are quite brilliantly written, so I thought I would share.
The class is, the introduction to the study of religion, which is about studying religion from various disciplines and approaches, not scrutinizing them or looking for truths or lies.

here is the quote;




Youn Woon ko, Introduction to the Study of Religion, 2012, zip publishing

I have absolutely no problem with this at all. Your professor is attempting to teach religion in an objective and unbiased manner without attempting to convert anyone. He will provide you with the information it is up to you what you do with it.