General challenges and Religious responses: Religious Experience

Challenge: No empirical evidence

We only have the word of the individual who claims to have had the experience as evidence.

Response: No empirical evidence

- Some are group experiences

- Evidenced through their effects, e.g. change in lifestyle / more spiritual outlook on life

- Swinburne's Principle of Testimony (we should believe experiencer unless there is reason not to).

Challenge: Subjective / private

Therefore they are "just in the mind".

Response: Subjective / private

- Doesn't make them false

- Cannot be proved true but it's reasonable to believe others when they describe what they usually feel / dream.

Challenge: Ineffable

Cannot be described, so there's nothing "real" to describe.

Response: Ineffable

If it conforms to the definition of a religious experience, it can be considered religious.

Challenge: Contradictory religious experiences

They cannot all be true.

Response: Contradictory religious experiences

- How humans understand religious experience = different from what the experiences actually are.

- Ultimate reality chooses what way to express themself to the individual.

Challenge: Extraordinary and rare

Makes them unbelievable, as all normal experience counts against them.

Response: Extraordinary and rare

Around 50% of people have had experiences, varying from general spiritual awareness to deep religious insights.