To Those Who Have a Direct Experience with "Spirit," "God," "The Universe," or "Higher Power" . . . What Do You FEEL??? (grace, bible)
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I've had some OOBE's and NDE's where I felt Spirit/God/The Universe/the Source. It felt like undying, unconditional, deep agape love. It was like a physical aspect of the Universe that permeates everything--not like the attachment or infatuation we think of in romantic relationships. It was expansive, unbiased, more real than anything. It was so peaceful. It wasn't trying to be anything. It just was. That is what I call "God." And when I came back to this dimension, my body, everything felt so heavy.
I've had some OOBE's and NDE's where I felt Spirit/God/The Universe/the Source. It felt like undying, unconditional, deep agape love. It was like a physical aspect of the Universe that permeates everything--not like the attachment or infatuation we think of in romantic relationships. It was expansive, unbiased, more real than anything. It was so peaceful. It wasn't trying to be anything. It just was. That is what I call "God." And when I came back to this dimension, my body, everything felt so heavy.
I can validate your description in so far as a verbal description is possible. The actual "knowing" of the unconditional love and acceptance is not really a "feeling" so much as a state of "being". . . (it is not something that can be described without experiencing it). I liken it to the experience some have when dreaming of "knowing" things that there is no basis or no way to "know" from any of the content or context of the dream.
The first time I had a deep warm feeling in my heart and chest was asking a girl out and being accepted. the tingly feelings... i used to be able to get in church, and i had blamed them on possibly the Holy Spirit, but i can basically call them in at will without blaming them on anything but my self. the nature/tranquility feeling happens to me also. the feeling of an "extra-presence"... maybe even a guiding and personal one, happens when ever I want it to happen. Learning something new, that i feel i should have learned also gives me a good feeling. Stigmata, i FELT when a girl i liked chose to go out with "guy friends" instead of me, haven't felt it again, but it hurt my palms and my heart... even though i was taught that Jesus was impaled in his wrists. I had a sort of OOBE when i was meditating on it but it didnt feel like i accessed a transendental well of love, it felt like i got a glimpse access to some (not worldly utile) knowledge/experience... I get the urge to babble and make incoherent noises when ever i feel like i need to, its never been in public or about speaking in tounges... i get alot of happy occurences and alls-well-that-ends-well's that i sometimes blame on a devine plan. I feel like God could have guided me to a fundamental view of Agnosticism, in order to show me a coherent/understandable, complete, endless & unassailable truth i had been looking for in order to fix the problem of religion.
my feelings with "transcendental" experiences usually feel like making connections, feels like you are not just a mindless body, like my identity lies in a mind which remains and is of itself, and that
such things exist. it feels like im capable of connecting in such a way, it feels like an escape from being trapped in a lonely/sad reality at times, it just feels alright. like im just making a phone call or thinking creatively in my head... but it doesn't matter, because the source of all experience is my owm abilities, and the phone calls to my parents and conversations with friends might not be real either. it feels like unfolding a paper that you have to interpret yourself.
However if any "truths" are to be attainable through introspection, meditation and other such arts then those "truths" are going to map onto reality. That is what it means for them to be "true" at all.
So by all means explore the universe and the self through these methods, but rifle through the results using ones critical faculties in order to see which discoveries actually map onto reality and which are just nonsense thrown out by the human imagination. Not doing so will result in... well... one only has to read the majority of your posts to see what happens when people just run with whatever pops into their head uncritically and without skeptical inquiry.
By all means advocate open mindedness to those experiences. I do too, quite strongly and quite often. But as a man better than me said... do not be so open minded that your brain falls out. Being open minded does not mean accepting just any old thought that comes careening into consciousness. It DOES mean changing ones mind and position if and when given sufficient reason to do so.
And be wary of people who talk about "natural blocks" and "you need discipline" when the results of your search do not match theirs. Such people are pretending to advocate an open and honest search, but as soon as such searches do not come to the same conclusions theirs did, they start explaining this away by creating faults on your part. It sounds too much like "I have the truth, its nice you are searching for it too, but if you do not find the same results as I, then YOU are not doing it right".
Last edited by Miss Blue; 03-27-2012 at 06:35 PM..
Reason: deleted the personal off topic paragraph to another poster
I experience it recently though I've always believed. It's unimaginable joy. I always cry for joy when God validates Himself to me. The feeling that everything will be alright because He has your back. The last experience I have is His validation that He does saves.
That song lyrics is spot on. I admit though, debating the atheists here esp the all knowing and "winning" one, shook my belief for awhile. But after my last experience, I will NEVER ever!! doubt again that I and everything around me and the universe are ALL created by God.
Oh by the way, I was in dark times on my recent experience with God. If HE didn't save me, I really will go the dark side for the rest of my life. I guess God didn't want me to coz i ask Him - Take me out of the dark My Lord, I don't want to be there. God did took me out of the dark side. FOR GOOD!!
I was raised in a religious family who for reasons unknown, went from Nazarene to Pentecostal Holiness. Yes, theatrical is a perfect description, as is mass hysteria. Perhaps a touch of unaddressed sexual frustration thrown in for good measure, IMHO anyway.
Hahahahahaha LOL that's so funny!! Seems you know exactly what I'm talking about coming from a Pentecostal background also. It can actually be kind of frightening for children or anyone not used to that type of twice-a-week hysteria.
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Truth be told, I feel closer to whatever higher power exists just walking in the woods or tending our farm than I ever did in church. I prefer it that way. Nature is honest and upfront, it is what it is.
Yes me too!! I had a very nice experience visiting a mountaintop a couple years ago while I was still a Christian, just watching the ebb and flow of the weather, clouds, thunder and lightning......nature does it for me too. That's why I'm agnostic and not an atheist, there's a lot of spirituality in just our surroundings. It's hard not to say "I just don't know" when you consider the beauty and magnificence of nature itself.
Please take your personal arguments elsewhere. The topic is how do you feel or perceive a higher power - nothing else. And since it is one person's experience, there is nothing to argue about.
I am spiritual, not religious. As a spiritual person, I "believe" in a power greater than myself . . .don't have a clue what it is, but I believe there is a divine power of some kind . . .
And I pray to that divine power and believe my prayers have some effect on changing "reality."
But my faith is intellectual - and maybe spiritual, but not emotional or physical . . .I can't FEEL anything coming back in terms of reciprocation . . .
So this post is for those of you who FEEL a spiritual presence . . .what can you say about that?
I am not sure why my spiritual/emotional senses are blocked (I perceive that there is a block) . . .It is very frustrating. I think my whole life would be different if I could actually FEEL a divine presence in my life.
This thread is strictly about FEELING DIVINE PRESENCE, NOT ABOUT RELIGION. I would love to hear people's experiences.
Forgive me if I break your rules. I have witnessed some strange things, unexplainable things throughout life. Nearly the last time it happened was in the rural black hills of SD. A female voice clearly said something only I would understand, my dog barked so I knew it was true. I heard footsteps on my roof. I grabbed my gun and went outside and pointed at my roof and had a look around. I went back inside knowing this wasnt normal. I suddenly had an unexplainable rush of serenity and security as the image of Jesus Christ as I know him appeared in my mind by itself and fear vanished and I felt Very strong. I knew at that point that the very bizaar would mostly cease. I cant really explain it any better. The other side does exist
You have not "broken my rules," because you spoke of your own experience - which is what I was looking for . . .the other people are just rude to argue about their philosophies on a thread that asks for personal experience . . .
I prayed for a sign last night and had a dream that was very discouraging . . .people putting me down in one way or another in the dream . . .I don't know why but I cannot connect with my higher power and I can't get any insight as to why. I have had experiences in the past, but there has been a long drought in this area.
You have not "broken my rules," because you spoke of your own experience - which is what I was looking for . . .the other people are just rude to argue about their philosophies on a thread that asks for personal experience . . .
I prayed for a sign last night and had a dream that was very discouraging . . .people putting me down in one way or another in the dream . . .I don't know why but I cannot connect with my higher power and I can't get any insight as to why. I have had experiences in the past, but there has been a long drought in this area.
Every individual has different experiences all the time and sometimes those experiences are not 'feelings' that you can physically feel. It is something you know but you don't know why you know (if that makes any sense at all). It could be a fragrance from your past that will take you to a time when you felt closer to God, it could be the color of the sunset sky, a cloud that looks like an elephant or it could be a physical sensation.
There have been many times over my lifetime that I was envious of those I read about who had the physical sensation all the time. Then I realized that I was not them and my experience with God is as individual as I am and I accept that and move on. I don't look for a physical sensation any longer, I just do what I do, know what I know and trust that God is with me every moment of every day.
Perhaps you are trying too hard for the physical sensation at the moment because you feel there is a drought in this area. Just let it flow and see what happens.
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Seems you know exactly what I'm talking about coming from a Pentecostal background also. It can actually be kind of frightening for children or anyone not used to that type of twice-a-week hysteria.
That's why I'm agnostic and not an atheist, there's a lot of spirituality in just our surroundings. It's hard not to say "I just don't know" when you consider the beauty and magnificence of nature itself.
