Knowledge vs. Belief

[Sunstone]

But how would you ever know that they were the exact same mystical experience?

How would you ever know my experience of seeing the Eiffel Tower is exactly the same as your experience of seeing the Eiffel Tower?

 

[Magic Man]

Yes, I comprehend the similie. It's just not effective in telling me what you think mystical experiences are.

Ah, well, a dream is the best way for me to explain what a mystical experience is to me. To give you a more detailed idea would be hard and take a lot of time. If I can think of a good definition, I'll let you know.

 

[Jollybear]

MSizer

I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what it means to have light but not walk in its direction.

The light is the knowledge; not walking in it means to not follow after what you know.

So experience is knowledge? So then listening to music is knowledge? And so is the pain I feel when I stub my toe on a bed post? Those are examples of knowledge? Not IMO.

Yes, those are examples of knowledge. When you experience something, you know it. What is so hard to understand about that? It’s quite simple.

Now you may have interpretations of your experience, that is belief though. But the experience itself gives you direct knowledge.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Experience is the best kind of knowledge for by learning any other way is just learning by someone else's experience!

Do you find it unusual that some phenomena produce common experience and other do not? For instance, any person with working physical senses can experience an apple when presented with one. In fact, as far as I know, there is no disupute whatsoever about the existence of apples. But God seems to be different. It seems that some people can "experience" him and others cannot. Why is that?

 

[Beaudreaux]

How would you ever know my experience of seeing the Eiffel Tower is exactly the same as your experience of seeing the Eiffel Tower?

Uh oh. The problem of other minds rears its ugly head.