13 votes
Accepted

How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations or other mundane psychological phenomena?

I have to provide a sort of common-sense answer to a question like this because I am not aware of a trend of people having hallucinations with respect to spiritual experiences that have resulted in ...
Mike's user avatar
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6 votes
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Is Meister Eckhart's teaching condemned by the Roman Catholic Church?

John Hardon, S.J.'s Catholic Dictionary says this in the entry for "Eckhart": General name for the spiritual teaching of Meister Eckhart (1260-1327), the German Dominican mystic and of his ...
Geremia's user avatar
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6 votes
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Is the book "The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley" a legitimate collection of Wesley's journal entries?

Yes, it appears to be a legitimate compilation from the writings of John Wesley. I haven't confirmed all of the many stories in Jennings' book, but I selected several and found them corroborated in ...
Nathaniel is protesting's user avatar
6 votes

Do any Christian groups or denominations teach reliable methods for scientifically minded individuals to seek and find God?

The "proof" of God's existence is that anything exists at all. I understand that there are many refutations of the ontological argument and that this will not satisfy the purely scientific ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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6 votes

How do Latter-day Saints rebut GM Skeptic's objection against the epistemic value of personal spiritual experiences?

On GM Skeptic's main argument seems to be that religious experiences are simply the result of brain activity under special circumstances The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that ...
depperm's user avatar
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6 votes
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Are there other Christian authors besides WLC who believe that all Christians have access to a direct, self-authenticating experience of God?

Here is a well known Christian author who is certainly not on the fringes of Christian thought: If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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6 votes

To what extent are Christians encouraged to make conscious efforts to "experience" God as "real"?

The Christian experience (I speak of Protestant, Trinitarianism - which is my own, personal experience) begins with the conviction of one's own sinfulness, spiritual destitution and desperate need of ...
Nigel J's user avatar
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6 votes

How is the concept of validating one's beliefs through personal experiences reconciled with the principle of not testing or challenging God?

There is a testing which is by faith and a testing which is of doubt and hubris. The answer lies in the difference between putting God to the test ala Matthew 4:5-7: Then the devil took him to the ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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6 votes
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What are Christian guidelines for making the transition from "knowing about God" to "knowing God"?

The more relevant question is probably: Whom does the Lord know? Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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5 votes
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How do Christians approach the evangelization of individuals who have had profound spiritual experiences in other religions?

Spiritual experience and interpretation As we can see in the Wikipedia article for religious experience, the same experience can be interpreted differently depending on the framework used, whether it ...
GratefulDisciple's user avatar
5 votes

How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations or other mundane psychological phenomena?

A Christian who is suffering from an hallucination which they take to be a genuine spiritual experience will never discern it to be false, at the time. But once soundness of mind returns to them, then ...
Anne's user avatar
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5 votes
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According to Trinitarians, can the personhood of the Holy Spirit be confirmed through personal experience?

Intellectual assent and personal experience with regard to the 'personhood' of the Holy Spirit are strange ways to attempt to get Trinitarians responding. Perhaps that's why you have received lots of ...
Anne's user avatar
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5 votes
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How does the power of the Holy Spirit manifest in Christians, as opposed to non-Christians who don't have access to this power?

This seems to be a variety of a question often asked by atheists, "What is a good thing that only people who believe in God can do?" Although not without its own legitimate purpose, I think ...
ninthamigo's user avatar
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5 votes
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How do Latter-day Saints rebut GM Skeptic's objection against the epistemic value of personal spiritual experiences?

Logical fallacies This argument commits: Circular reasoning--personal experience is used as a premise to argue for a conclusion about the validity of personal experience Self-refutation--personal ...
Hold To The Rod's user avatar
5 votes

What is an overview for how protestants tend to regard progress in the spiritual life?

All believers should abide by Peter's exhortation and give earnest diligence toward the development of spiritual qualities: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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5 votes

What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?

To treat of the creation as if it was a person capable of communication and able to answer a request for provision is idolatry : Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the ...
Nigel J's user avatar
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5 votes
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How is the concept of validating one's beliefs through personal experiences reconciled with the principle of not testing or challenging God?

Regarding "testing" God, He invites us to do it: Prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall ...
pygosceles's user avatar
  • 2,001
5 votes

Is there scripture stating we will realize an unmistakable event or experience immediately upon salvation during God's Ephesians 3:2 "age of grace"?

Those saved by Jesus have crossed over from death unto life. Not only does common sense tell us that such an extreme change should be experienced but the New Testamant is also quite clear on this ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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4 votes

Do all believers receive the Holy Spirit at conversion but only a few are filled with the Holy Spirit post conversion?

To answer this question I will examine the following verses - most of which were quoted by the OP. Eph 1:13, 4:30 - And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your ...
Dottard's user avatar
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4 votes
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Are spiritual pleasures > carnal pleasures, according to Catholicism?

Spiritual pleasures ⋙ carnal pleasures. Yes, intellectual and especially spiritual pleasures are greater than carnal/sexual/bodily/sense pleasures, St. Thomas shows in Ia IIae, q.31, a.5. This ...
Geremia's user avatar
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4 votes

Are there any Christian groups or denominations that teach how to discern between Godly, demonic and psychological experiences?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints have teachings for this, though not with the phrasing demonic generally. When you believe an angel is visiting you D&C 129 offers guidance and you ...
depperm's user avatar
  • 9,237
4 votes

How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations or other mundane psychological phenomena?

The entirety of the book of Job (1) is an account of a man who, though a perfect man among his peers, and in regard to his own conscience, yet was deeply exercised within himself and feared one thing ...
Nigel J's user avatar
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4 votes
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How do Christians who emphasize the "religion vs. relationship" dichotomy respond to claims of "relationship with God" in other religions?

A basic premise of Christianity is that an evil one tempted through deception; the first woman fell for it, her husband chose to go along with her, and thus the evil of sin and deception began to grow ...
Anne's user avatar
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4 votes

What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?

You could start with "Evey good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" James ch1 v17, ...
Stephen Disraeli's user avatar
4 votes

What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?

The Lillies of the Field (Luke 12:22-31; Matthew 6:24-34, KJV) And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ...
JBH's user avatar
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4 votes
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What is the biblical counter-argument to the expression "the Universe provides"?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? - Matthew 6:26 We do not know for ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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4 votes

According to Protestantism, how does God manifest and interact with Christians?

If there is any sort of repeated, personal experience for an individual Christian beyond what Nigel J. has outlined above it is this: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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4 votes

How can non-believers, who cannot perceive nor understand the things of the Spirit, overcome their spiritual blindness?

The first step in true religion is that required by John the Baptist - he that hath two coats, give to him that hath none and likewise with meat, Luke 3:11. If one does not love one's neighbour whom ...
Nigel J's user avatar
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4 votes
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Are all Christians expected to have a "positively meaningful and reciprocal conscious relationship" with God?

Philosophy has skipped right past the new birth. It has no choice but to do so. It is man's wisdom and the wisdom of God is foolishness in its eyes. Philosophy must ask such questions: Are all ...
Mike Borden's user avatar
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4 votes
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What is the success criterion for the task of 'seeking God' in Christianity?

I have to wonder whether this question is based on one of two possibilities: (1) The OP is only interested in an academic look at a theological idea, or, (2) The OP may have tried to seek for the God ...
Anne's user avatar
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