Challenges of Religious Experiences

• What are the possible challenges of how the veracity (accuracy) of religious experiences could be challenged?

  • under the influence - drugs, alcohol
  • mental illness
  • manifestation - wishful thinking
  • experienced by individuals - subjective and private
  • why doesn’t everyone have them?
  • difficult to believe - too rare
• What is the counter argument of ‘under the influence’ challenging the veracity of religious experiences?

  May be God’s way of reaching us?
• What is the counter argument of ‘mental illness’ challenging the veracity of religious experiences?

  May be more of a reason for God to meet that person with an experience - more meaningful.
• What is the counter argument of ‘manifestation - wishful thinking’ challenging the veracity of religious experiences?

  Cannot manifest something that great so it has to be true - it is too intellectual for the brain to comprehend and make up
• What is the counter argument of ‘ experienced by individuals - subjective and private‘ challenging the veracity of religious experiences?


  Doesn’t mean it isn’t real just because it wasn’t witnessed by others - some experiences are also similar which gives them more credibility.
• What is the counter argument for ‘why doesn’t everyone have them’ challenging the veracity of religious experiences?

  Perhaps you have to be open to it - or God chooses you for a special reason.
• What is the counter argument for ‘difficult to believe as too rare‘ challenging the veracity of religious experiences?


  Many people do have them in some form and it makes an impact on their lives - also others may have one but not realise it and think of it as a dream etc.
• What are the specific challenges of religious experiences from physiology?

  • temporal lobe epilepsy
  • neurotheology
  • drugs
  • deprivation
• What is a brief summary of how temporal Lobe epilepsy can cause religious experiences?

  • Can experience strong religious visions and some great religious figures of the past have suffered from this condition.
  • Significant evidence to suggest that the condition can result in brain states that produce religious experiences and this might suggest that such experiences are not from God, they are self-regulated.
• What is a counter argument for temporal lobe epilepsy discounting religious experiences?

  This is a super power that allows God to access you. More open to supernatural experiences.
• What is a brief summary of how neurotheology can cause religious experiences?

  • Relates to the structure and function of nervous system
  • Suggests religious experiences are produces by electrical stimulation of the temporal lobes in the brain.
  • Uses magnetic coils on either side of the head to stimulate temporal lobes.
  • Can induce mystical states, visions, of God and sensing the presence of spiritual beings.
  • Implies that religious experiences are states of the brain, not experiences of God or from God
• What is a counter argument of neurotheology discounting religious experiences?

  • God may design humans that way so they can experience God.
  • Some may be more tuned into God than others which helps to experience God - ability and talent
• What is a brief summary of how drugs can cause religious experiences?


  • ‘entheogens’ = ‘generating/becoming the Divine from within’.
  • People who take them can have intense religious experiences.
  • Taking drugs makes you access high levels of consciousness.
• What is a counter argument to drugs discounting religious experiences?

  • God could use drugs to access people
  • Many drugs are herbs from the earth which God created
  • Just because someone is on drugs and has a religious experience, does not mean it isn’t valid
• What is a brief summary of how deprivation can cause religious experiences?

  • Higher incidences of hallucinations in subjects deprived of sleep.
  • Ordinary objects become altered shapes and unusual characteristics.
  • Many claim they have had religious experiences through fasting and fatigue, epileptic seizure, and near-death experience.
  • See divine images and mind feels purified.
• What is a counter argument to how deprivation can cause religious experiences?

  Sleep deprivation can make God more accessible to them.