Friday, January 31, 2014

I had an extreme religious experience years ago and have never been able to place it in its religious, neurological or psychological context....


...have
basically been met with silence, as if what I went through is "nothing", "doesn't
exist", is best kept to myself and ultimately
forgotten.



In my experience,
which is primarily with Christian spiritual leaders, a potential
spiritual experience of any kind is first examined with an attitude of prayer and
open-mindedness, and second, looked at in accordance with scripture.  In the case of the
Christian, this means the experience would be looked at and examined through the Bible,
and ultimately, the example of Jesus Christ.


Without
knowing any further details of your experience, my first inclination is to question the
kind of experience you had.  Though there certainly can be a wide variety in the beliefs
of "clergymen," "psychiatrists," and "contacts in new age," the fact that all three of
these entities have met your questions with an air of silence suggests that perhaps the
experience itself is not in alignment with the beliefs and faith of
any religion.  The leads me to assume the experience may have been
something violent, destructive, or unnatural.  Unfortunately, again, without more
specific details, it is difficult to provide advice for your
situation.


In light of your pursuit and rejection from
various religious teachers, my next suggestion is to delve into your own personal
research.  The "religious" arena is vast, which could make this process lengthy.  I
suggest you start at your own family roots.  Were you raised into a particular faith? 
Do you have any experience at all with individuals whose faith you respect, even if you
are unfamiliar or disagree with it?  That might be your starting point.  Almost every
religion has a holy text, or written prophetic word in its history.  Seek these
resources with an open mind and see if you can make sense of your
experience.


I think it is human nature for people to be
afraid of things they do not understand or do not believe in.  Perhaps if you
re-approached a spiritual leader with more specific questions, you could find someone
who is willing to take this journey with you and help you find the answers you
seek.


The link below breaks down several different world
religions into their basic components.  Perhaps it will be a helpful reference for you. 
Good luck.

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