KR Wordgazer wrote:I feel I should make a distinction between what seems to me to be two different kinds of experiences:sgttomas wrote:Wow.
I think I sensed something similar once. Quite a memorable and intense experience.
...what do you think lends to this experience?
Peace,
-sgttomas
The first is a "peak experience" as described by Maslow, when I am caught up into an exalted state where everything seems crystal clear and meaningful. I have only had a couple of those in my lifetime.
The second is the much more common experience I often have in prayer, where the presence of God seems to be palpable in the room, like a warm weight pressing down all around me, like an embrace. It is this which happens frequently, as I mentioned above. When this happens, "messages" or "knowings" seem to appear whole-cloth within my thinking, knowings that bring healing to my heart or give direction where I've been confused, that do not seem to come from me but from God.
About the "peak experiences" -- I don't know what causes them. I believe they are a gratuitious gift.
The things I will call "prayer experiences" often come out of the blue too-- I'll kneel to pray and immediately God's presence will be there, without my having done anything to "invoke" Him. But more often He comes palpably like this after a long period of worship, Bible study or prayer.
Occasionally, though, His presence and messages from Him come when I'm not praying at all, but just going about mundane tasks. The communcation that I was going to have a son came like this.
Hope this answers your questions.To anyone else reading this-- be gentle, please, with doubts and skepticism. I'm baring my soul here.
that all seems very familiar. I think we are on the same page there. For those who have not had that, not that I feel superior but it's just hard for them understand what we mean.
