Arguement Against Religous Experience

[singhcity]

how can one reply to this arguement:

"If a mystic admits that the object of his vision is something which cannot be described, then he must also admit that he is bound to talk nonesense when he describes it." - Ayer

[eduardo]

Maybe he can draw it, use visual aids instead of words, mystical experiences are usually quite visual IMHO.

My personal opinion on this is a mystical experience is something unique to each person and a true mystic can only help a student by guiding them to their own expeience which will be different to his.

A mystic will know various techniques such as use of breath or where to centre the mind and these will aid the student but the experience has to be experienced by the student to be fully understood.

Just a few of my own thoughts, not sure if they are helpful though.

[singhcity]

Maybe he can draw it, use visual aids instead of words, mystical experiences are usually quite visual IMHO.

My personal opinion on this is a mystical experience is something unique to each person and a true mystic can only help a student by guiding them to their own expeience which will be different to his.

A mystic will know various techniques such as use of breath or where to centre the mind and these will aid the student but the experience has to be experienced by the student to be fully understood.

Just a few of my own thoughts, not sure if they are helpful though.

this question concerns why the student should believe the mystic in the first place, there are many people who say they have exprienced God or that God has spoken to them but not all of them can be right. And when a mystic also adds that he cannot desribe his expeience this makes the experience more unreliable. how would a sikh respond to this, as our doctrine is based on experiencing God and not just believing in him. The Guru is perfect and bani is pure bliss, but how can this be a counter arguememt when every other religion would say the same thing or roughly the same thing ?

[eduardo]

this question concerns why the student should believe the mystic in the first place, there are many people who say they have exprienced God or that God has spoken to them but not all of them can be right.

People experience God in different ways, God is unique to each person and the experience of God is also unique to each person.

A mystic just helps lead you down your own path because he is more experienced in the technique of getting there, the end result is your own.

That's really all I can say because that is all I know and it doesn't help you but I felt I had to comment as it was such an interesting question.

[eduardo]

Ok how about this?

How would you explain seeing something with own your eyes to someone who can't see?

It's a similar question.

Honestly, how would you do it?

[eduardo]

Or another question along similar lines:

How would you explain the huge gravitational pull towards the Asian community if you have left it behind and are living alone and far from it?

If I have never had this feeling then how would you explain it to me?

I mean surely your words would make no sense.

I mean how do you explain a feeling?

It has to be experienced.

Or try explaining the feeling of joy to a miserable person who has had nothing but grief all their life.

Impossible.

[singhcity]

Ok how about this?

How would you explain seeing something with own your eyes to someone who can't see?

It's a similar question.

Honestly, how would you do it?

ahh i see where your going with this,a blind man cannot understand the notion of things like colour wothout experience, so it would be impossible to explain it to him. I think the philosopher in my question isnt denying the importance of experience, i think hes only trying to show that some experience claims may be false. Talk of colours and perception is meaningful because we all have them as part of our conceptual schemes, but religious experience is something rare which is why we he claims we should be doibtful of anyone who has claimed to have one. eeing things is objective, even if the blind man does not understand it he may appriciate it, but a religious experience in relation to your proposition is like the blind man telling us what he can see instead of the other way round, if that made sense lol

[eduardo]

Well what's the definition of a religious experience according to the questioner?

How does a real life ecstatic feeling differ to a religious experience?

We need definitions of the phrase, what exactly is a religious experience?

:smile2:

I mean what is it?

[singhcity]

Well what's the definition of a religious experience according to the questioner?

How does a real life ecstatic feeling differ to a religious experience?

We need definitions of the phrase, what exactly is a religious experience?

:smile2:

I mean what is it?

A reliious experiene is when someone is directly aware of God or Gods actions.

[eduardo]

A reliious experiene is when someone is directly aware of God or Gods actions.

Have you had a religious experience?

Has anyone else on this forum ever had a religious experience?

If you have could you describe it?