Types of Religious Experience 1 - Conversion
- Created by: Laura McClelland
- Created on: 20-05-19 09:24
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- Types of Experience - Conversion
- Refers to the change in direction or the turning around of someones life --> transform
- It can be the product of or resulting in...
- dissatisfaction with a system of ideas
- a person begins to seek a way forward on an emotional and intellectual level
- searching leads to a point of crisis and a decision is made
- a sense of relief of pain
- A change in direction or purpose
- W. James
- identified with movements of pragmatism and empiricism
- 'Varieties of Religious Experience'
- he suggested the psychological rationale for conversion
- 'the unifying of the inner self'
- believed it is the result of experience that gives it positive value, rather than the experience itself
- a process which results in "smoothness"
- self becomes unified
- sick souls - pessimist
- healthy minds - optimist
- self-surrendring
- transforming
- results of conversion
- loss of worry
- perceiving truths
- happiness
- Moojan Momen argues there are 6 types of conversion experiences
- 1. Intellectual - product of study
- 2. Mystical - dramatic (dreams or visions)
- 3. Experimentation - explores a faith before making a commitment
- 4. Affectional - product of a positive relation
- 5. Revivalist - appeal to emotion
- 6. Coercive - takes place after a period of persuasion (mind-programming)
- Why do conversions occur?
- intellectual choice?
- hypersuggestibility?
- Marx saw religion as a projection of people's needs and the qualities people saw as important
- experiences = illusions
- Freud suggested there are psychological explanations
- projections of our innermost desires
- want to be reunited with parents --> portrayed by God (god = substitute for a parent)
- projections of our innermost desires
- Conversion as an Explanation for the Existence of God
- 'Though the devil can give some pleasures, only God-produced experiences leave the soul in peace and tranquillity' - Teresa of Avilia
- God of classical theism would be expected to 'seek people out'
- people of sound mind can be trusted
- When to reject a religious experience (Wainwright)
- 1. We can prove the non-existence of God
- 2. There are inconsistencies
- 3. There is a natural origin known to cause false beliefs and delusions
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