Religious Experience - Does it Prove the Existence of God?

(AS and A-Level Revision)

Join George and John as they discuss and debate different Philosophical ideas, today they will be looking into Religious Experiences.

Religious Experiences loosely described as coming into contact with the divine. George explains in more detail how Philosophers and Theologians define a Religious Experience. Does the fact that people have reported Religious Experiences prove the existence of God. This is the debate that will take place?

The script to this video is part of...
- The Philosophy Vibe 'Philosophy of Religion Part II' eBook, available on Amazon:

- The Philosophy Vibe Paperback Anthology Vol 1 'Philosophy of Religion' available worldwide on Amazon:

0:00 - Introduction
1:03 - William Jame's definition of Religious Experience
2:23 - Richard Swinburne's definition of Religious Experience
4:06 - Rudolf Otto's Numinous Experience
4:33 - Should we believe in Religious Experiences
6:13 - The Principle of Credulity & Testimony
8:42 - Sigmund Freud of Religious Experiences

#religiousexperience #philosophyofreligion #philosophy

[PhilosophyVibe]

The script to this video is part of...
- The Philosophy Vibe 'Philosophy of Religion Part II' eBook, available on Amazon:

- The Philosophy Vibe Paperback Anthology Vol 1 'Philosophy of Religion' available worldwide on Amazon:

[Beanbag]

Love these videos they should have more hits

[sad_doggo]

Very interesting. Even our own minds are mysteries to us, so it's no wonder that when something freaky happens, we tend to fall prey to superstitious ideas.

[jonerickson]

I have had a "religious experience" in 1970. (Vietnam) It had the elements of William James's description. Had someone come along and "interpreted" for me, I am sure I would have become a Bible thumping fundamentalist!! (If the right person had come along, I might have become a Zen master or a Sufi as well.) Fortunately, I had a lot of issues to sort out and spent the next 50 years gradually coming to understand the feelings and my own mind in forming such an experience. I spent 25 years as a (liberal) pastor (practicing a guerilla ministry) and another 25 years working my way through being an atheist. I do not doubt people having "religious" experiences but certainly question their interpretation and description while dealing with the EXTREME FEELINGS that accompany those experiences.

[jgarner]

The problem with the "until it happens to me i can't believe in them" logic is that together with the reasoning he uses up until that point, he still SHOULD not believe even his own experience. He would HAVE to conclude that his own experience was just some fulfillment of a subconscious desire to be "just a little more special" or was simply being tricked by his senses or could even reason that his own brain chemistry had simply gone "haywire" for most of the video would require him to never believe an experience like this, even if it is true. And I would argue that if your reasoning forces you to disbelieve even true things then it's faulty reasoning.

I'm not even an advocate for religious experiences as proof of the supernatural but i find that reasoning to be faulty at best and dishonest at worst.

I really loved the video though! ♥️

[johne]

Deception is difficult enough to have to deal with, nevermind self deception...

[georgegrubbs]

People do have subjective experiences that are profound and life-changing. Neuroscience evidence strongly suggests that these are hallucinations rooted in the brain as so-called religious experiences can be produced by drugs and brain stimulation. Even presented with solid facts, people having religious experiences refuse to give up their fantasy-based beliefs that they believe are confirmed by inner experiences of God. These types of experiences prompt people to kill other people when they are challenged, and they even go to their deaths defending these beliefs. Whatever the cause, these experiences are quite strong and convincing.

[vmphunter]

Omg this is another level of intellectual conversation.

[saeedbaig]

The fact that so many people of different religions have religious experiences is evidence AGAINST them being true, not for it. Many religions are mutually exclusive (e.g. Hinduism and Christianity can't both be true); if people of conflicting religions all have religious experiences that reaffirm their faith in one particular religion over others, then God is sending mixed messages about which religion is correct. At most, only 1 religion's experiences are true; at least, none of them are.

[metolse]

If possible, I'd like you guys to do a video on the hard problem of conciousness.

[FromValkyrie]

So religious experience isn't acceptable? The list keeps growing. I'm curious as to what godless people will accept as evidence for God. 😂 😂 😂

[theflyingdutchguy]

no, its a neurological thing. and people of different religions interpret similar experiences to different God's wich "happen" to be the God they already believe in. there is no way to test if its actually real or imagination. if its just feelings then its just a chemical released in the brain they have learned to interpret it as a religious experience.

[darrelldamon]

Interesting topic, intriguing reasoning

[robertjsmith]

Experience is real, thoughts about experience are fantasy

[anngel]

Pleaaaase I need a video about Materialism, Immaterialism and transcendentalism. I need it as soon as possible for an importent exam 😰 thank you in advance for all the great videos you're making 💓

[noah]

I like the principle of credulity.
I think it's a good measure for most of the time of one's everyday life.

However, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If you proclaim things that contradict the laws of nature as we know it or the secured knowledge that humankind accumulated, I won't just take your word for it.

[richardhaynes]

A brilliant video which once again helps my in my faith, theological study and church ministry. For the record I believe I've had religious experiences which without I'd never be a person of faith, working in ministry or studying theology. But I love the debate and respect all opinions. Many thanks again, gents.

[HiyaitsMya]

Well, there was this one weird experience I had, where the thought "Jackie Chan 1978" came to mind, so I googled it, and found out the movie "Drunken Master" came out that year, and a few days, or so, later, my step dad was watching that movie. There's really no other explanation for it, besides it being a devine being telling me, which I believe to be the God of the bible.

[aidanjohnwalsh]

The experience of being in the presence of God is not merely a feeling, it's a conversation, albeit mostly one-sided, until it isn't. I have every confidence in the existence of the consciousnesses of the ordinary people I speak with, although I cannot prove either mine nor theirs exists. I have never felt as heard or understood by a human though. The evidence of His interventions is superficially coincidental, but skillfully, also deeply personally significant, to the extent that someone with faith couldn't care less about looking stupid, or being humiliated. My view is such that, it would be wiser not to argue and to get on with the work of service, quietly, for the pacification of the masses, and their salvation from struggle and ignominy.

[slottibarfast]

The supernatural experience is in the large number of cases culturally based. The experiences in italy will be about Jesus, in Afganistan Allah, in China Buddha.