- The Centre for Religious Experience Research is housed in the library at the University of Wales at Lampeter. The Centre was established in 1969 by the marine biologist, Sir Alister Hardy, who was both a Darwinian and a member of the Unitarian Church. He believed that we do have a spiritual nature and that there is an extra-sensory reality beyond the individual self. The work of the Centre covers the main religious faiths in the world plus the experiences of those who belong to no faith. The Centre has some 6,000 accounts which form “evidence” of the “other”.
- To the question: “Have you ever felt as though you were very close to a powerfull spiritual force that seemed to lift you out of yourself?” the following replies were given:
Great Britain USA
Once or twice 17% 18%
Several times 9% 12%
Often 5% 5%
TOTAL 31% 35%
The above are taken from samples of the whole populations
- Features of Religious Experience:
- Unifying vision, all things are one, part of a whole
- Timeless and spaceless
- Sense of reality, not subjective
- Blessedness, joy, peace and happiness
- Feeling of the holy, sacred, divine
- Paradoxical, defies logic
- Ineffable, can’t be described in words
- Loss of sense of self
- Several physiological states have been found to be connected with Religious Experiences. Intense arousal produced by ecstatic dancing and singing is one trigger for Religious Experience, although equally high arousal from sport or exercise has no such effect.
- It is well established that the left hemisphere of the brain is the main locus of language, number and logic. The right hemisphere is weaker on these but stronger on vision and space, music, emotions and holistic perceptions. It seems likely that this is where religion belongs.
- Religious Experiences are very rewarding: distress is relieved and personal problems are often resolved. The good mood produced often lasts for months. There may be physiological mechanisms for bringing about these effects but it seems that the motivator comes from outside.
On a personal note, I was received into the Catholic Church in 1973. I accepted Catholic teaching on everything except birth control.
About 20 years ago I developed doubts about parts of the Catholic Church’s teaching on Mary. To all intents and
purposes I was an agnostic on this.
In early November, 2009 I was at Confession and the priest was praying over me when I had an experience of the Virgin Mary. There were no symbols of Mary in the room and I had not been thinking about her; suddenly I sensed the Virgin Mary within me and had a mental image of her.
When I “came to” my doubts had disappeared; this has continued. I would never have put money on this happening.
There are excesses of devotion to Mary by those on the right-wing fringes of the Catholic Church; I still fail to be
attracted by these but the mainstream teaching I accept. I feel very relaxed about the whole matter.
Those to whom I have mentioned this experience fall into two groups. The first group is supportive; the second group (which contains believers) is embarrassed (well, we’re all English) or hostile.