For theists: what do you perceive during a "vision of god"?

[Chevalier Violet]

Originally Posted by Willamena

In your description you used the word "God" to describe God --that doesn't really say much.

That was my plan. I left the word "god" intentionally vague so that people can insert their own boxes, labels, standards, beliefs, notions & understandings.

Well, take this response for instance:

Is a "vision of God" like imagining

Is it just me or am I caught between a rock and a hard place? All that ambiguity and I'm apparently still boxing people up and shipping them. That's why I'm a little wary of all that personal example stuff.

If you have any solutions for this problem, that would be much appreciated.

The other thing is, I feel that I've gained a control over my visions of god that I am able to understand divinity in a lot of ways: monotheistic, polytheistic, greco-roman, Christian, Muslim, pantheistic, and panentheistic. The question, quite frankly, doesn't have a lot of meaning for me. I used to only be able to see in terms of a Christian or pantheistic god. Since then, I have taken a more utilitarian view, and begun to treat visions of god not as a perception but as a tool. I have expanded my perception, at least of "god", to the limits that I'm aware of.

I appreciate your link about the Numinous void. I believe I've read this before, but I will read it again. Always a pleasure to hear what you think.

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

That was my plan. I left the word "god" intentionally vague so that people can insert their own boxes, labels, standards, beliefs, notions & understandings.

Alright; but in doing so you also avoided answering the question asked of you.

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

Well, take this response for instance:

Is a "vision of God" like imagining

Is it just me or am I caught between a rock and a hard place? All that ambiguity and I'm apparently still boxing people up and shipping them. That's why I'm a little wary of all that personal example stuff.

If you have any solutions for this problem, that would be much appreciated.

I'm not sure I understand your dilemma. Perhaps it would help to distinguish between the image we give to God in our minds and the thing/experience to which we are attaching the label. Violet touches on that we each have our own labels that our minds supply to the experience; doppleganger delves deeper to find out what the thing so labelled means to you so he can attempt to relate to that.

I'm not one for giving advice, though, except in forum etiquette: be sure you understand what was said before you reply (a lesson I learned the hard way).

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

I appreciate your link about the Numinous void. I believe I've read this before, but I will read it again. Always a pleasure to hear what you think.

Thank you.

[Chevalier Violet]

Originally Posted by Willamena

Alright; but in doing so you also avoided answering the question asked of you.

I feel like you kind of avoided my question as well. The numinous void is a philosophical exercise, but it doesn't tell me much about what you see when you look into the void. Though, I agree that once you gain a certain level of experience in these matters, the question of what you see has less meaning than it did at the beginning.

I see a god that I can understand in a pantheistic, panentheistic, monotheistic, and polytheistic way. How I actually do see god varies from day to day. I'm also very interested in other mystical experiences and meditation and the like. Does that answer your question? I don't know, I'm just trying to tell you how I perceive things.

I'm not sure I understand your dilemma. Perhaps it would help to distinguish between the image we give to God in our minds and the thing/experience to which we are attaching the label. Violet touches on that we each have our own labels that our minds supply to the experience; doppleganger delves deeper to find out what the thing so labelled means to you so he can attempt to relate to that.

I'm not one for giving advice, though, except in forum etiquette: be sure you understand what was said before you reply (a lesson I learned the hard way).

I do my best, it doesn't always work out though.

Thank you.

You're welcome

CV

[xmakina]

Although not a personal experience, I know a man who had a vision in church. (Christian, born-again) He describes God as an incredible light upon a throne. He couldn't see any kind of "body", simply a mass of light. He said there was an incredible feeling of love coming from the light. Is that the information you're after? I feel this thread has become a discussion about this thread :/

[Bouncing Ball]

Originally Posted by Charity

Skeptics want to know

Actually, skeptics want to feel exactly the same, because they fear they already do..

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

I feel like you kind of avoided my question as well. The numinous void is a philosophical exercise, but it doesn't tell me much about what you see when you look into the void. Though, I agree that once you gain a certain level of experience in these matters, the question of what you see has less meaning than it did at the beginning.

The void cannot be "looked into" --in terms of the doorway image, you can only look through the doorway one way, that is, at the world.

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

I see a god that I can understand in a pantheistic, panentheistic, monotheistic, and polytheistic way. How I actually do see god varies from day to day. I'm also very interested in other mystical experiences and meditation and the like. Does that answer your question? I don't know, I'm just trying to tell you how I perceive things.

It doesn't say what those terms mean to you, and I doubt it would answer dopp's question. But don't worry, there's plenty of time for discussion, if you hang around the forms.

[Chevalier Violet]

Originally Posted by xmakina

Although not a personal experience, I know a man who had a vision in church. (Christian, born-again) He describes God as an incredible light upon a throne. He couldn't see any kind of "body", simply a mass of light. He said there was an incredible feeling of love coming from the light. Is that the information you're after? I feel this thread has become a discussion about this thread :/

Sure, that helps. Although I suppose that it would be a bit more helpful if it were your experience in case anyone has questions. Still, thanks.

Originally Posted by Willamena

The void cannot be "looked into" --in terms of the doorway image, you can only look through the doorway one way, that is, at the world.

So would you say you've had a vision of god?

I would say my first visions of god were pretty similar to what xmakina described. Balls of light, love, that sort of thing. They're really nice.

It doesn't say what those terms mean to you, and I doubt it would answer dopp's question. But don't worry, there's plenty of time for discussion, if you hang around the forms.

I'm pretty sure I've answered his question at least somewhere on here. Oh well There's time.