Challenges to Religious Experience

Abstract

“Challenges to Religious Experience” In this chapter, the author’s focus is on the types of religious experience that might engender independent belief in a higher power, specifically, the direct perception of the divine. Lorkowski raises substantive problems against such experiences. First, the author points out that, because such events are private, mental phenomena, natural explanations, especially hallucinations and self-hypnosis, cannot be adequately ruled out. This is exacerbated by problems inherent to the private nature of mental perceptions disanalogous to those given by the senses. Lastly, the author points out the fundamentally asymmetrical nature of the evidence provided by religious experience, that even if it is sufficient for the subject to believe, this in no way transfers to someone who receives mere testimony of the experience.