summarised religious experiences

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what is the definition of a religious experience?
an experience that is believed to be something of the divine, non empirical
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state Harvey and Smarts definitions for a religious experience?
Smart- experience of the invisible world, Harvey- the is not single experience that can be bottled and neatly labelled as a religious experience
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what did Otto refer to religious experiences as
he described them as 'wholly other'. Otto believed there was a common idea in all religious experiences, the idea of the numinous. This refers to a sense being in the presence of an awesome power yet feeling distinctly separate and overpowered
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what is a vision?
something seen other than by ordinary sight, contains a message, huge variety and hard to classify but scholars have tried like ninian smart
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what are the 3 categories that religious experiences are split into?
sensory, dream based, intellectual
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explain sensory visions?
1. sensory visions- has a sense experience- external objects appear for example bernadette at lourdes, they can be communal or individual as well as corporeal
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explain dream based visions?
2.dream based visions- in a dream state e.g. josephs vision of birth story, they are also individual to the person and only experienced by them
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explain intellectual visions?
3. intellectual visions- if it brings a message of inspiration or instruction, a message of warning e.g. Muhammad's vision of the quran
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how did Ninan Smart categorise them? and how do they correspond to the other categories?
corporeal- visions; imaginative- dream based; intellectual- intellectual
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what is a conversion?
it means to 'turn around'- process of changing ones world view and your place in it. it 'creates a new person' (Paul 2 Corinthians)
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what are the different variations a conversion can be?
can be from faith to no faith; no faith to faith (augustine); between faiths (cat stevens); change w/in faith (RCC to Anglican); a deepening of faith (Wesley)
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how did William James classify conversion?
gradual/ sudden; volitional (freely converted)/ self surrender (after some resistance); passive/ active
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how else can they be classified (think about who it is converting?)?
individual (nicky cruz)/ communal (acts 2 in the bible- disciples and holy spirit, peter then addressed crowds and told them to repent, 3000 converted
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how else can they be classified (think what it is converting?)?
social - change patterns of behaviour and worship e.g cat stevens would have adopted the 5 pillars; moral- change in outlkook e.g. nicky cruz changed to help young people involved in gangs; intellectual- change in understanding of truth
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what is a mysticism religous experience?
a departure from the logical, rational veiw of religion, they have been around since religion began and occure in all religions for example in islam it is sufism
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how did miller, Suso and Catherine of sienna define mystical experience?
miller- 'the pursuit of a transcendent, unitive experience with the absolute reality; suso-'entirly lost in god... like a drop of water which is poured into a large portion of wine'; catherine-
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what are the distinct characteristics of mystical experiences?
transcendent, ineffable, noetic (conveys truth), ecstatic (fills soul with bliss and peace), unitive (uniting soul with reality, could be god, could be nature)
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what were willaim james' 4 charecteristics?
passive, ineffable, noetic, transient (short lasting, but long term effects)
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who agreed with James and also added 2 more characteristics?
Stace- timeless and positive
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what is mystical ascent?
a ladder from this earthlt world to the ultimate reality. progression is made through practice and with gods assistance. a journey from darkness to light.
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what are the 3 different types of mystical experience?
transcendent, ecstatic and unitive
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explain what is meant by the transcendent type of mystical exp?.
go beyojnd the realm of normal exp.'otherworldly'; includes ecstatic and unitive exp. too- they might feel like they have become one w transcendent reality while disengaging w the temporal & physical world of empiricism e.g. sufism- to unfiy w allah
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explain what is meant by the ecstatic type of mystical exp.?
Xtian idea- the closesty a mortal can get to feeling what it must be like to die and be w god. ToA says ecstacy is the suspension of the exterior senses. the mind becomes utterly focused on a subject and on the outside they seem in a trance
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explain what is meant by the unitive type of a mystical experience?
no one indefinable experience, removal of seperation between individual and god e.g. suso- 'entirly lost in god... like a drop of water which is poured into a large portion of wine'
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what is Teresa of Avila's first stage of prayer?
mental prayer- Well- hard work to sepnd time in prayer- like watering a garden using a bucket todraw water out of a well- a difficult task- "involves alot of work on their own part"
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what is Teresa of Avila's second stage of prayer?
quiet prayer- water wheel- becomes a lttile easier and sometimes feel connected to god- watering a garden using a bucket from a water wheel- less work "the labour is less"
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what is Teresa of Avila's third stage of prayer?
imperfect union- flow of water- it feels like we are doing very little work and god is the one- watering the garden of our soul. much less labour is required, but still some to direct the water flow. the lord so desires to help the gardener here
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what is Teresa of Avila's fourth stage of prayer?
perfect union- gods rain- no work to do the garden of our soul is watered by gods rain and we are passive receivers of this great gift.
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what is teresa of Avilas stages of prayer?
interior castle analogy- The first three mansions refer to the type of prayer that Teresa speaks about in her earlier work and allow the individual to come closer to God but do not give the same level of union that can eventually be gained.
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what is the first stage/ mansion
normal prayer- soul is surrounded by sin and only starting to seek gods grace. the soul is still distracted with earthly endeavours
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what is the second stage/ mansion
normal prayer- soul seeks to advance through the castle with daily thoughts of god, daily prayer
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what is the third stage/ mansion
normal prayer- The souls have a love for God that is so great that they have an aversion to both mortal and venial sin, and a desire to do works of charity for the ultimate glory of God.
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what is the fourth stage/ mansion
During this stage jesus comes to the person in their imagination where a relationship of personal love grows great depths of intimacy. The person becomes inwardly quiet and peaceful, absorbed in love
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what is the fifth stage/ mansion
The soul begins to prepare itself to receive gifts from God, and becomes aware of the unity with God. "god implants himself into the interior of the soul". it is a period of darkness
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what is the sixth stage/ mansion
state of spiritual marriage- states of rapture, ecstasy, visions and painful longing. overwhelming desire to be alone with your spouse- rejection of all else
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what is the 7th stage/ mansion
highest possible state of prayer achievable on earth. the soul is in a state of transforming union (mystical marriage). complete unity with divine. knowledge/ understanding of the divine is gained
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what is william james' pint?
passive, ineffable, noetic, transcient- 4 charecmteristics of mystical exp
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what does the P stand for, example of this?
passive-sense of feeling taken over a superior power- ToA - 'i was completely surrendered tp the will of god'- she also levitated at times
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what does the I stand for, example of this?
ineffable- defies expression, indescribale- tennyson 'the state was utterly beyond words'- ToA 'i find it impossible' to describe
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what does the N Stand for, example of this?
noetic- revealed insight unobtainable by intellect alone- julian- she was told by god inside the hazelnut she held was "everything that is made"
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what does the T stand for, example of this?
transient- not maintained for long period of time, but long term effect- teresa had visions when she was young and they continued throughout her life
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describe what Otto taught about the numinous?
Wanted to use this term over god as god has moral and ethical connotations. if you experience the numinous, you exp the supernatural divine power. numinous experience has a profound effect, only way to explain it is by by term mysterium tremendum
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what is mysterium tremendum?
- awe inspiring mystery. mysterium refers to the wholly other nature of the experience. tremendum refers to the awefulness and terror and overpowering ness of the experience
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what is the et fascinians part referring to?
the attractiveness and desire for the experience despite the fear. ToA talks about this
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state Harvey and Smarts definitions for a religious experience?

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Card 3

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what did Otto refer to religious experiences as

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Card 4

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what is a vision?

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Card 5

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what are the 3 categories that religious experiences are split into?

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