# Have you ever had a spiritual, paranormal or religious experience? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058 "2011-09-21T13:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/1 "2011-09-21T13:08:12Z")
I am specifically interested in experiences involving contact with supernatural beings: spirits, ghosts, angels, demons, gods and the like. For the purposes of this poll, miracles are events that defy commonly accepted natural law; sunsets and the birth of babies are not “miraculous”, nor are medical recoveries that do not involve nominally supernatural events. For the purposes of this poll, UFOs and extraterrestrial contact are excluded. Pixies, elves, leprechauns and other magical beings shall fall under angels and demons. PTF ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/2 "2011-09-21T13:16:04Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/3 "2011-09-21T13:18:27Z")
I was ready to answer yes to this until I read the OP. Attributable to the supernatural? No. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/4 "2011-09-21T13:20:37Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/5 "2011-09-21T13:27:20Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I was ready to answer yes to this until I read the OP. Attributable to the supernatural? No. How can you have a “spiritual, paranormal or religious experience” that isn’t “attributable to the supernatural”? Unless you’re counting going to church as a religious experience. ---
**Author:** ![What\_i\_think](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@What\_i\_think](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_i_think)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/6 "2011-09-21T13:29:23Z")
well im not sure if i belive this now like i did when i was a kid but here is the story (i was about 10) My grandfather had lung cancer and was in ICU I knew that he was suffering my family was suffering so before bed i pray with all my will that god would take my grandfather pain away That same night not 2 hour latter my grandfather died for the longest time i thought i had killed my grandfather because i ask for the wrong thing i told no one because of the guilt as a grown up i understand that he had a DNR order and that it was decide by the family not god to let him die but no one told the 10 year old that was me that ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/7 "2011-09-21T13:31:34Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > How can you have a “spiritual, paranormal or religious experience” that isn’t “attributable to the supernatural”? Unless you’re counting going to church as a religious experience. It may have been an unexplained medical recovery attributed to a spiritual or religious source, in the absence of any overt supernatural elements. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/8 "2011-09-21T13:33:56Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It may have been an unexplained medical recovery attributed to a spiritual or religious source, in the absence of any overt supernatural elements. If you have an unexplained medical recovery that you attribute to a religious source that means you think there’s something supernatural about it. “Religion” or “spirituality” causing a medical recovery is the same as “magic” causing a medical recovery. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/9 "2011-09-21T13:34:59Z")
Or a perception of the oneness of the universe, which need not involve any supernatural component at all but which could be described as a spiritual experience. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/10 "2011-09-21T13:35:23Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > If you have an unexplained medical recovery that you attribute to a religious source that means you think there’s something supernatural about it. > > “Religion” or “spirituality” causing a medical recovery is the same as “magic” causing a medical recovery. True. I would like to hear a further explanation as well. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/11 "2011-09-21T13:36:21Z")
I had something, years ago, but I do not attribute it to the supernatural _now_. Back then I did, however. I didn’t vote in the poll because none of it applied to me. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/12 "2011-09-21T13:40:06Z")
No, none of the above. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/13 "2011-09-21T13:40:11Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Or a perception of the oneness of the universe, which need not involve any supernatural component at all but which could be described as a spiritual experience. I would disagree. “Oneness with the universe” does not require any spiritual beings outside of oneself. That would stretch the term “spiritual” experience beyond what most people understand the term to mean; some consciousness outside of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/14 "2011-09-21T13:44:42Z")
I used to believe (sorta kinda) that both my sister and my mother were healed from life threatening illnesses by my praying and lighting of candles. I know longer think so. I voted no. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/15 "2011-09-21T13:45:36Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I would disagree. “Oneness with the universe” does not require any spiritual beings outside of oneself. That would stretch the term “spiritual” experience beyond what most people understand the term to mean; some consciousness outside of themselves. **twickster** got it in one. I don’t really care what most people understand the term to mean. It was an intense personal experience, no ghosts required. It certainly wasn;t a physical experience, and I’d be hard-pressed to label it a purely mental experience, though I suppose one could argue that it was. Would you accept transcendent? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/16 "2011-09-21T13:46:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Or a perception of the oneness of the universe, which need not involve any supernatural component at all but which could be described as a spiritual experience. Right… ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/17 "2011-09-21T13:49:29Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Right… Right. If you haven’t experienced it, it might be a little hard to swallow. But it was, like, far out, man. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/18 "2011-09-21T14:00:35Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > **twickster** got it in one. I don’t really care what most people understand the term to mean. It was an intense personal experience, no ghosts required. Does it invlve a supreme being or higher power? If so, it is covered by the poll. > [@](#): > > It certainly wasn;t a physical experience, and I’d be hard-pressed to label it a purely mental experience, though I suppose one could argue that it was. So, it is not physical, not mental, and not spiritual. 😕 > [@](#): > > Would you accept transcendent? Transcending from what, to what? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/19 "2011-09-21T14:09:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Does it invlve a supreme being or higher power? If so, it is covered by the poll.So, it is not physical, not mental, and not spiritual. 😕Transcending from what, to what? It did not involve a supreme being or higher power, though it sort of felt that way. It was really more a state of mind, or more accurately a state of body. It wasn’t an out-of-body experience, it was more like an in-the-body experience. As far as feeling at one with the universe, that’s one way of putting it, but it sounds kind of hokey when put that way. It was more like the boundaries that separate us from each other, fear, and the constraints of time are just petty illusions that we construct around ourselves, and for an hour or so I was free of all of that bullshit. I can’t think of a better way to describe it than spiritual. If this all sounds silly, keep in mind that Buddhists have been chasing this feeling for millenia. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058/20 "2011-09-21T14:50:56Z")
The best that I’ve had the most is things disappearing from our house to just appear later in plain sight. My favorite example is a socket set that went AWOL in the kitchen (where I set it prior to putting it away) that I “found” a couple years later in the center of the stove. My wife wasn’t around at either time and there isn’t anyone else in the place so -------- call it what you want. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-had-a-spiritual-paranormal-or-religious-experience/597058.md?page=2)