Whose visions are real?

I have had in my life many experiences that deviate from the norm. I have seen things, felt things, heard things that when retold cause sideways glances and or laughter. I gave up caring about that so much and have shared individual stories over time here and will probably share more in the future.

The point being that because I have seen these things that I feel are real I am not an authority as to what they are or what causes them. I might have a good idea, or an educated opinion and am happy to discuss but I can't use these experiences to add credibility to my theories! (Which are admittedly wild)

Here is what I wonder. If I have a life altering experience that clearly shows the nature of the universe and I take from it one thing, then the next guy over has a life altering experience that shows him a completely different nature of the universe does it follow that one or both of us is wrong and simply imagining things or can we both be right and the universe is so vast that our perceptual awareness of different aspects can seem mutually exclusive but aren't?

I look to major religions that claim to have the only way, or even individuals. Why can't there me be many ways in an infinite universe?

I think Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism... and any other major religion I am leaving out all have prophets and visionaries along with people regularly having intense religious experiences that they use to say they are right and everyone else is wrong. Maybe they are all right?

How can we quantify or say whose deep religious experience or vision is more right and whose is an illusion of their mind?

I would just like to urge people in general to keep an open mind and not condemn one for having a vision different from yours. It is likely theirs changed their life as much as yours changed yours and it is also likely to be just as deep and just as real as yours was.

The truth is that if we focus on right and wrong we will never get to the bottom of the ultimate question... (The one whose answer is 42 ya know?)

That's exactly why I have never followed any single religion, because in my opinion they all have elements that feel right and yet they've spent a millenia or more arguing and fighting as to which one is the true religion or whose message is the right one.

Like I mentioned in another ATS post recently, why follow one religion and be blinkered to one opinion when you could take elements from all religions and build up a profile of what is correct and what our place and purpose is?

reply to post by curious7


Ultimately that is a byproduct.

People call it buffet religion with a derisive sneer. I call it good thinking.

I think people like to put their deep religious experiences in a box so they can understand them. It is easy and lazy. If we sort through the BS and pull out only the deep and real we can begin to find our way to whatever truth it is we seek.

I alluded to it in my OP but Douglas Adams in Hitchhikers guide makes the best point of them all. What we are looking for is the question. The answer will be confusing and meaningless without that.

every person is on a different path to understand things the way they are most comfortable in this life. in the end well all probably be laughing at each other still.

reply to post by Jinglelord


One thing that always drove me crazy about the "major" religions is...what about the people alive BEFORE your religion came to be - Eg Christianity: Believe in Jesus, worship etc etc or your going down to hell. So..what about the people born say around 3000BC...? Or was there a religion correct at the time, but has now changed..?

I have had my own experiences that have made me question..well, everything..but to quote yourself, How can we reach the "answer", when we are not even sure of the "question"?

People once knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the world was flat...and that the sun rotated around the earth...

From time, you gain experience.
From experience, you gain knowledge
And if you take the time to look, understand and truly open yourself up, you may turn that knowledge into wisdom.

There is no more "one right way", then there is a single food item that is EVERYONE favorite.

Look within yourself...stop searching for an answer from someone else...and instead come up with your own question...
And maybe time will lead you to YOUR answer..

Peace

bible.cc...

There IS only one brass kingdom. And I'm pretty good with an Iron Rod too, since I have provided the sign of the son of man with it, which turned the night into day, here in los angeles. Too bad nobody wants me to be King of EARTH.