Types of Religious Experience
Religious Studies: KS3, topic 2.6.12
Types of Religious Experience
Many people have described having different religious experiences. All these experiences convince someone they have had an experience of the divine. This experience is evidence of the existence of God.
Visions
- Like Moses and Mary, some say they have had a vision of God.
- This means they had seen God.
- Or, they have had a vision of someone long dead who is associated with their religion.
The presence of God
- When praying, some people have said they felt that God was in the room with them.
- They felt God's presence with them.
- Others have said they felt God's presence when witnessing something wonderful in nature.
- At that moment, they became immediately sure that only God could have created it.
Out of body experiences
- When they were close to death, some people have described the feeling that they had left their body.
- Some have spoken about following a light.
- Others say they had a feeling that they were being drawn to God and to heaven.
- This is an experience that happened outside of their body.
Miracles
- Miracles are said to happen when someone prays to God for something that is scientifically impossible.
- For example, restoring the health of someone who is close to death.
- If the health of that person is restored, this is a miracle.
- Miracles can be religious experiences because they convince someone that God exists.
- Religious believers say that only God has the power to do what science has said is impossible.
Test yourself on Types of Religious Experience
What kind of religious experience involves seeing God or another religious figure?