Mystical Experiences

[Senkaku]

I wanted this thread to be a place where people of all faiths speak about their various kinds of mystical experiences. mostly, I am curious to see what others experience outside of the Christian faith but Christian experiences are welcome too. Please limit your responses to ONLY mystical experiences and discussions about said experiences. I'm not looking for this to be a debate but more of a discussion.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

When someone knows the truth about "mystical" experiences, do you want that posted ?

There will be a lot of conflict from mystical experiences VS God's Word, as always. They cannot be reconciled.

 

[Dave G.]

My experience is that this is not a good path to pursue, it generally comes with a bad ending. Nuff said and I won't follow the thread beyond this point because this is bad medicine for a believing Christian. My advice is don't go there.

 

[essentialsaltes]

When I found my cat, dead at the side of the road, and carried her broken body back to my house, I had a cosmic epiphany that death is eternal and there is no such thing as a 'soul'.

 

[Occams Barber]

When I found my cat, dead at the side of the road, and carried her broken body back to my house, I had a cosmic epiphany that death is eternal and there is no such thing as a 'soul'.

Deep man.

 

[SeraTaru]

May I ask why you're curious about mystical experiences, including other religions?

 

[cloudyday2]

Thanks for starting this thread, because I have been reevaluating some of my mystical/hallucinatory experiences. Here are some random ideas:

(1) What makes an experience spiritual is not that it has no possible natural explanation, but that it seems to be uncannily suited to your needs. Synchronicities are an example of spiritual experiences with natural explanations. Visions are another example, because they can be easily explained as hallucinations or illusions. That doesn't necessarily make either experience bogus.

(2) I suspect there is a God that has been trying to help me live my life better through periodic spiritual incidents over the past 30 years with guidance.

(3) I think there might be evil spirits that have been harassing me in a limited way. Maybe they have tried to confuse the guidance from God too.

(4) As an ex-Christian, I am interested in evidence for a spiritual Jesus, but I haven't decided. I've seen Jesus in visions, but I wonder if my Christian upbringing distorted my experiences. Also the historical evidence against Christianity makes it hard to believe in a spiritual Jesus.

That's about it I guess.

EDIT: I hope those thoughts don't give the impression that I think I am some sort of expert. Lots of people have weird experiences, and mine are about average. Sometimes I dismiss them as "psychological" and other times I suspect they are guidance of some kind.

 

[jayem]

During my college days, many years ago, I drew a 3rd ace to make an aces and 10s full boat at a fraternity poker game. Closest thing to a mystical experience I've ever had.

 

[Sarah G]

A surprising lack of mystical experiences. The disciples of Christ seemed to have and witness many mystical experiences. Also in the OT. Is it strange that we don't have so many nowadays or do we just have ways of explaining these things now? I was hoping to read some cool tales.

 

[cloudyday2]

A surprising lack of mystical experiences. The disciples of Christ seemed to have and witness many mystical experiences. Also in the OT. Is it strange that we don't have so many nowadays or do we just have ways of explaining these things now? I was hoping to read some cool tales.

Some people apparently don't experience much mystical. I don't know if that is random chance or psychological stability or spiritual deafness. People that do have experiences, don't want to share sometimes because it is personal or because they expose themselves to "the giggle factor". (I don't care too much if people giggle at me, but I don't think most people are that interested in my experiences LOL)

 

[cloudyday2]

@Sarah G , a member here at CF referred me to a book called "Megashift" by James Rutz. I have just started reading it, but it has a lot of stories about modern miracles. I haven't done any research yet to see if the stories are bunk.
Megashift: Igniting Spiritual Power by James Rutz

EDIT: Here is a web page I found that is critical of "Megashift"
Megashift or Megaslip

 

[Sarah G]

@Sarah G , a member here at CF referred me to a book called "Megashift" by James Rutz. I have just started reading it, but it has a lot of stories about modern miracles. I haven't done any research yet to see if the stories are bunk.
Megashift: Igniting Spiritual Power by James Rutz

EDIT: Here is a web page I found that is critical of "Megashift"
Megashift or Megaslip

''Over a billion non-Christians may become highly active Christians in the next dozen years. A whole new form of Christianity promises to bring a far greater impact than the Protestant Reformation. Millions of ordinary people are doing miracles. God has brought hundreds of people back from the dead, mostly in the last 15 years. These are not near-death experiences, but real resurrections of actual corpses''

That all sounds a bit far out! It makes me think of the claims (and films) of The Last Reformation. They have also claimed bringing people back from the dead (and curing cancer). It is speculated that every 500 years a reformation takes place, I wonder if we are in a genuine reformation or if people are cashing in on the concept. I don't tend to believe big claims like this with a financial motivation behind them. The idea of house churches performing miracles makes me think of Victorian parlour seances etc. In fact the very idea of house churches gives me the heebs because it can be very difficult to raise issues in small groups and peer pressure and manipulation are easier (in my experience). Well, now I am going to read the critique of the book...oh yay, it is super-long and has very small font. I instinctively believe it

I like cute miracle stories like the time my mother was walking alone on the beach as a teenager and the sea came in around her trapping her. She could not make it to the slipway and was being forced into the wall. Suddenly she saw steps in the wall which she was able to go up and get to safety. When she told her aunty about it later her aunty insisted there were no steps. They went back to the beach and indeed, there were no steps in the wall. My mum (now 78) still believes in angels and believes that they have helped her many times in what has been a very difficult life. It brings me much comfort to know that she has that belief. I am far away from her and she is going quite blind and whatnot now so I like knowing that she has these beliefs to help her through difficult times.

 

[Spikey]

When I saw my wife for the first time.

 

[Ana the Ist]

During my college days, many years ago, I drew a 3rd ace to make an aces and 10s full boat at a fraternity poker game. Closest thing to a mystical experience I've ever had.

Ahhh!!! I played a lot of Texas Hold Em in college, and though it was statistically unlikely, I held one straight flush and saw another in a space of maybe a dozen games.

I was such a nice guy back then I actually told my friends not to bet...I didn't want to take their money on a hand that I felt was impossible to beat.

 

[jayem]

Ahhh!!! I played a lot of Texas Hold Em in college, and though it was statistically unlikely, I held one straight flush and saw another in a space of maybe a dozen games.

I was such a nice guy back then I actually told my friends not to bet...I didn't want to take their money on a hand that I felt was impossible to beat.

As I recall, I didn't win that much on the hand. About 6 of us were playing regular 5 card draw. I should have played it cool, but I bet the max (about $5 back then) when I drew my full house. All but one other guy folded, and he called my bet. So the pot was only the ante, the first round bets, and the 10 bucks from the 2 of us who stayed in. Still--it was one of those experiences you don't forget.

 

[Ana the Ist]

As I recall, I didn't win that much on the hand. About 6 of us were playing regular 5 card draw. I should have played it cool, but I bet the max (about $5 back then) when I drew my full house. All but one other guy folded, and he called my bet. So the pot was only the ante, the first round bets, and the 10 bucks from the 2 of us who stayed in. Still--it was one of those experiences you don't forget.

Yeah, play enough poker and you remember those hands. I had one where I busted out a friend on the first hand of the game...and it couldn't have gone any other way.

I had flopped 4 Queens...two on the board and two in pocket. I smooth checked it on like nothing happened, and sure enough my buddy had the misfortune of holding two pair...2-10s and the 2 Queens on the board. So each round, he's raising up...and I'm spending like 1-2 minutes pretending to debate on whether or not I should call. When he finally gets a 10s over queens boat...he pushes all in, I immediately call and give him the bad news. An ace was on the board...so he thought I was working on a straight...nope.

I went into the second hand with double the chips of everyone else and he had to buy back in (like 20$).

 

[Dave-W]

mostly, I am curious to see what others experience outside of the Christian faith but Christian experiences are welcome too. Please limit your responses to ONLY mystical experiences and discussions about said experiences.

What experiences in Christianity do you consider "mystical?"

 

[Senkaku]

When someone knows the truth about "mystical" experiences, do you want that posted ?

There will be a lot of conflict from mystical experiences VS God's Word, as always. They cannot be reconciled.

They can post in their own words, I want it to be as raw as possible. I'm fully aware that their will be conflict and I'm ok with that, I want to see what others experience and hear their take on things without judging them.

 

[Senkaku]

(4) As an ex-Christian, I am interested in evidence for a spiritual Jesus, but I haven't decided.

thats a really interesting point

 

[Senkaku]

@Sarah G , a member here at CF referred me to a book called "Megashift" by James Rutz. I have just started reading it, but it has a lot of stories about modern miracles. I haven't done any research yet to see if the stories are bunk.

this is a really important principle. we must be able to rule out when something is truly of God and not just in our minds.