# "Feeling God's Presence" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 2, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505 "2012-02-02T04:50:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/21 "2012-02-03T01:40:08Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Sometimes I wonder if the religious can figure this one out as it applies to people of other religions. That is… many people base their faith on a subjective feeling of a presence of god in their life. > > But there are people from completely different, contradictory religious who just as sincerely claim to feel the presence of god in their life. > > So I wonder if they actually have the critical tools of thinking “well, their god isn’t real obviously, but they’re not lying about their faith, so they must’ve twisted their mind into believing something that isn’t real”, but then exclude themselves from the same analysis by thinking “well of course _my_ god is real”. I think it means that most people are inaccurate observers of a sudden, extraordinary, emotional event. And God is really big, so no one sees more than a little bit of Him. And this: [QUOTE=Alexander Pope] It is with our judgments as with our watches: no two go just alike, yet each believes his own. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/22 "2012-02-10T07:55:37Z")
> [@GeddyClaypoolBurton](#): > > Regardless, on physiological level, how and why do people sometimes say that “I feel God inside me”? Is it because of propaganda since childhood and peer pressure/influence? I’d really like to hear some ideas. :dubious: Hm. Ever wondered about what a friend might think about something? Ever ran through an imaginary conversation with them, to try to guess? In some sense you’ve felt their presence. Feeling God’s presence can occur during prayer. You send the message, you imagine that He hears. We are social animals and the ability to plan social interaction may enable us to perceive divinity as well. > [@SenorBeef](#): > > Sometimes I wonder if the religious can figure this one out as it applies to people of other religions. That is… many people base their faith on a subjective feeling of a presence of god in their life. > > But there are people from completely different, contradictory religious who just as sincerely claim to feel the presence of god in their life. > > So I wonder if they actually have the critical tools of thinking “well, their god isn’t real obviously, but they’re not lying about their faith, so they must’ve twisted their mind into believing something that isn’t real”, but then exclude themselves from the same analysis by thinking “well of course _my_ god is real”. Um yeah, some are familiar with that: it underlies ecumenicism and perceptions of an evolving concept of divinity. The idea is that G-d is mysterious and while a person’s religion has _some_ relation to reality, it doesn’t necessarily have every detail straight. Luckily we are each in charge of our own path, not everyone else’s. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/23 "2012-02-10T13:28:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > And that’s why you are **BrainGlutton**?😃 Because I know words like “entheogens” and care. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/24 "2012-02-10T13:44:39Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > I think it means that most people are inaccurate observers of a sudden, extraordinary, emotional event. And God is really big, so no one sees more than a little bit of Him. And this: You use the word “God” as though all the other people who have “sudden, extraordinary, emotional event[s]” share a monotheistic view of the world. Please can you set out this opinion of such experiences taking into account religions that are polytheistic, as well as non-theistic? And then can you reconcile these with the conception of “God” you mentioned? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/25 "2012-02-10T13:52:30Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > I think it means that most people are inaccurate observers of a sudden, extraordinary, emotional event. And God is really big, so no one sees more than a little bit of Him. Have you considered the possibility that _you_ are an inaccurate observer, and that you are attributing to a single god actions and events that in reality are caused by many different gods…or no god at all? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/26 "2012-02-10T13:56:06Z")
Stop stealing my lines, **Czarcasm**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/27 "2012-02-10T14:10:16Z")
[Here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NiBNnHVesY) Derren Brown making people believe in god and feel his presence. Derren is a non-believer and illusionist who doesn’t use stooges. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505/28 "2012-02-11T01:35:44Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > You use the word “God” as though all the other people who have “sudden, extraordinary, emotional event[s]” share a monotheistic view of the world. Please can you set out this opinion of such experiences taking into account religions that are polytheistic, as well as non-theistic? And then can you reconcile these with the conception of “God” you mentioned? I suspect the Hindus are right: that different gods are just aspects or imperfect understanding of the one God. “Non-theistic”–do you mean Buddhism? I think most religions say, "Here’s an experience. It’s caused by God. (or, I suppose, one of the gods, or several gods; I’m not really up on modern polytheism.) Then they go on to describe His/Her/Their properties. I think Buddhism says, “Here’s an experience. **Stop right there.** It’s pleasant and useful. Let’s cultivate it.” > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Have you considered the possibility that _you_ are an inaccurate observer, and that you are attributing to a single god actions and events that in reality are caused by many different gods…or no god at all? Not since I became infallible and perfect. 😃 Sure, “people” means me, too. I hadn’t considered many gods. It’s crossed my mind that there’s no god and the whole thing’s an illusion, as well as the possibility that God is evil but really good at conning people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feeling-gods-presence/611505.md?page=1)