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]
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.”
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.