a complete transformation, often involving a change in worldview, such as adopting a new religious belief

a man who converted to Christianity after having a near death experience

a transformative experience often involving visions, feelings of peace or encounters with a higher power, typically reported by those who have been close to death

a philosopher who argues that religious experiences should be taken as evidence for the existence of God

Ian McCormack and near death experience

Religious education

William James and mystical experience

Persinger's God helmet

St Bernadette of Lourdes

Sufism and connecting with Allah

Atman: the divine within all

In this unit pupils investigate the idea of religious experience. They start with the ideas of William James before  examining case studies from history and Christian, Islamic and Hindu worldviews.

Knowing God: does religious experience prove God exists?

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

A complete transformation, often involving a change in worldview such as adopting a new religious belief, is called a ...

Which of the following is a common characteristic of near death experiences identified by Dr. Raymond Moody?

Ian is stung by five box jellyfish and becomes paralysed.

Ian recalls the Lord’s Prayer and prays sincerely for the first time.

Ian sees a radiant beam of light and is lifted upward into a passageway.

Ian sees a magnificent light and a voice asks if he wants to return.

Ian is revived after being dead for 15 minutes and prays for healing.

What is the order of events for Ian McCormack's near death experience?

He became a motivational speaker, sharing a message of faith and transformation.

He started a career in healthcare to help people recover from illness.

He moved to a secluded area to focus solely on meditation and spirituality.

 He became a preacher and started a religious community based on his experience.

How was Ian McCormack’s life transformed after his near death experience?

We should trust others' experiences unless we have evidence they are mistaken.

If we experience a vision or feeling, it’s generally right to trust it.

If someone shares their experience, we should believe them.

Our perceptions are usually accurate and it’s reasonable to trust them.

Which are explanations of Richard Swinburne's principle of credulity?

It has features commonly associated with religious experiences.

It demonstrates that God always intervenes when people are near to death.

It matches accounts of near death experiences described in religious texts.

It shows we can trust personal experiences and what others share about them.

Why, according to Richard Swinburne, is Ian McCormack's near death experience evidence for the existence of God?

A religious experience is a personal feeling or moment when someone believes they connect with a {{}} power or God.

empirical research based on controlled experiments

a comparative study of personal religious accounts

a psychological analysis of religious texts

a philosophical inquiry into the nature of God

What method did William James use to study religious experiences?

The experience cannot be easily expressed or fully described in words.

The experience provides knowledge beyond ordinary understanding.

The experience is temporary but has a lasting impact.

The individual feels controlled by a higher power.

Match the characteristic of religious experiences to its description according to William James.

part of the brain linked to emotions, memory and religious experiences

the area of the brain responsible for controlling motor skills

part of the brain responsible for visual processing

the brain region that regulates balance and coordination

religious experiences caused by brain stimulation

psychological disorders in religious individuals

What is Persinger's God helmet used to study?

It helps to confirm that religious experiences are always true.

It assumes that all religious experiences are illusions.

 It supports a view that religious experiences are personal and therefore true.

It questions religious experiences by seeking alternative explanations.

How is scepticism used as a philosophical tool when evaluating religious experiences?

Starter Quiz

A religious experience is a personal feeling or moment when someone believes they connect with a power or God.