When a theist claims to have met God...?

Question

or experienced God or felt God's presence...

is this similar to the way one might experience an emotion?

or is it more like how we experience the physical world (through sense perception)?

Answer 1

I've never had such an experience, myself, nor do I believe that people actually do. But hey, I don't know everything, I could be wrong.

It seems likely, to me, that what occurs is self delusion. One can "meet", and/or "experience" the existence of, anything one can imagine. The more you want something to exist, the more you want to find something, the less it will take to convince you that it is there, whether it really is or not. One reason I doubt the existence of God, is that this all-powerful being is somehow unable to overcome my skepticism and provide any reliable, indisputable indication that it exists. The fact that experiencing God's existence requires one to first convince oneself that God exists.

Answer 2

What you are referring to is mystical experience. The catholic church has a long history of saints (and probably every christian at some point in their lives) attesting to such experiences. The emotions and the senses have some part to play in the experience I think, as we are a unity of body and soul, however it is "beyond" a simple emotional or sensory experience. It is quite rightly a "soul" experience. People who don't believe in the soul may have a hard time understanding this and it is rather hard to explain if one has not experienced it. It would be like trying to explain color to a blind man. Or trying to explain the experience of falling in love to a person whom has never fallen in love.

Also, I would like to add that many people whom "experience God" are just having an intense emotional experience. That is not God. We are to have faith regardless of our emotions as these always go up and down, back and forth, like the wind. Some christian groups have the emotional experience as their main crux and do things to artificially construct such an experience. The first time I saw a protestant church service (and I do realize not all protestants do this) in which people were screaming and crying and shouting gibberish, I was truly baffled and appalled. I don't think God has anything to do with such sillyness, rather there is a psychological element at work there.

We can experience God anywhere, the beauty of a sunset, at work, cleaning house, the experience does not necessarily need to be accompanied by an emotion. An emotional experience may be a gift from God to further speak to a person. Just as love is an emotion that overwhelms us and seems to make us into an entirely different person and forever alters us, showing us a side of ourselves we have never experienced. It is kind of like that, but only a true fool would believe that love is only that emotion, or that love itself is only an emotion or chemistry in the brain. True love is there after the emotion and has a lot to do with the will. In this context, relgious experience is kind of like that.

There is so much to say, it is hard to do it in this little box, but there is a beginning point.

^.^

Answer 3

I expected a bunch of stories like "I felt a hand on my head, but it wasn't my husbands and we were alone" or "I was surrounded by a bright light." etc. I grew up hearing testimonies like this. But then I have also ran into other believers in different religions that have had similar experiences.

Answer 4

Awesome question.

Most people experience GOD every day in one way or another. The trick is to become aware of it. It is like a fish discovering water for the first time. GOD reveals himself to us if we allow it and seek after him. Personally I am rather dense and after seeking GOD for a long time, it took an almost face to face encounter for him to get through to me. I didn't see anything and I didn't hear anything outside myself but inside I heard clear words like a very loud thought that I didn't think.
That is the best I can describe it. Once you have experienced GOD then you know that you know that you know, and then there is no turning back.

Answer 5

May the peace blessing and mercy of God be upon you

I would not say I met God, this would be blasphemous

but to feel the presence of God is to be aware that he is watching you.

You increase your God-Consciousness by doing good deeds such as praying and fasting

To have a moment of submission to God's will and be aware of him is what I would characterize as feeling God's presence, this feels like tranquility and peace, there is element of love when you understand the mercy of your creator that can make you emotional.

Answer 6

it is in their head. secreted by some gland or something.
they are seeing things if they say they saw him. and they want to believe so bad that they actually believe they saw him. or felt him or whatever. like an emotion

Answer 7

I know it's not "Christian" material, but in the Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, there is a chapter when God in the avatar of Krishna, gives the protagonist Arjuna "divine eyes" so that Arjuna can see God. It is a very descriptive and beautiful passage. Arjuna is so overwhelmed with Glory, Awe, and Fear that he begs Krishna to take the eyes back. I think that's a good start to answer your question.

Answer 8

Great question. I often wonder the same thing, what is is they're feeling when they claim to feel God's presence. I don't know what it is they ARE feeling - probably something psychosomatic, or some kind of fervor or zeal - but I don't think it's God.

Answer 9

It is similar to how one might experience a fantasy. I have never heard of any religious people claiming to have had a "physical" experience of god. But then I don't hang with that crowd.

Answer 10

It's a delusion. If I said I met or felt the prescience of a unicorn or Batman, I'd surely be deluded. Making the subject God doesn't change anything. A delusion is a delusion, no matter what its about.