The most important phase of religion is the experiential dimension. Ninian Smart describes the experiential dimension as, “the center to the shape of traditional faiths” (12). In the experiential dimension there are two fundamental strands, the numinous and mystical experiences. Both are essentially interchangeable, yet so divergent. In the numinous experience, the eternal is independent of the cosmos, where the natural and spiritual worlds are dual. In the mystical experience, one is interconnected with one’s self-conscious to a degree that the eternal lies within one’s self. The numinous experience presents the duality theme, while the mystical experience challenges it; however, they are alike in the sense that one’s self consciousness has
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The numinous experience is powerful and transcendent in a way that our mind is clothed with ideas of the “wholly other”. According to William H. Swatos, in his book titled, “Encyclopedia of Religion and Society”, he describes the numinous experience as “the sense, feeling, or perception of being in the presence of the sacred, holy, or supernatural” (23). For example, in Christianity, when someone prays to God, and then feels the presence of God around them, they are in the numinous experience because they perceive the “wholly other”. However, in the mystical experience one attempts to search within to find “pure consciousness” in order to become one with the objects around them. According to Ninian Smart, in his book titled, “Worldviews Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs”, he writes, “mystical experience aims at purifying the consciousness of the individual to such a degree that all images and thoughts are left behind” (58). This experience can be found in Buddhism. For example, one meditates to reach a pure and bliss insight that frees them from distractions of ordinary thoughts. In Buddhism, one become self-conscious to a point where one’s mind is empty form all ordinary experiences. All in all, the numinous experience has a “duality” theme where one and the spiritual world are separate, but the mystical experience creates a “non-duality” theme, in the sense, that the subject and object distinction
The numinous experience is powerful and transcendent in a way that our mind is clothed with ideas of the “wholly other”. According to William H. Swatos, in his book titled, “Encyclopedia of Religion and Society”, he describes the numinous experience as “the sense, feeling, or perception of being in the presence of the sacred, holy, or supernatural” (23). For example, in Christianity, when someone prays to God, and then feels the presence of God around them, they are in the numinous experience because they perceive the “wholly other”. However, in the mystical experience one attempts to search within to find “pure consciousness” in order to become one with the objects around them. According to Ninian Smart, in his book titled, “Worldviews Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs”, he writes, “mystical experience aims at purifying the consciousness of the individual to such a degree that all images and thoughts are left behind” (58). This experience can be found in Buddhism. For example, one meditates to reach a pure and bliss insight that frees them from distractions of ordinary thoughts. In Buddhism, one become self-conscious to a point where one’s mind is empty form all ordinary experiences. All in all, the numinous experience has a “duality” theme where one and the spiritual world are separate, but the mystical experience creates a “non-duality” theme, in the sense, that the subject and object distinction