A Level Religious Studies - Mystical Religious Experiences Explained in Scientific Terms Essay
"Mystical experiences are best explained in scientific terms". Discuss A mystical experience is an alleged experience of oneness with God, as claimed by mystics. Experiences like this can be used as evidence to prove that God exists, however, there are cases where these events are beyond imagination and contradictory which can push people towards finding an explanation through science. Whilst it could be argued that religious experiences can be explained in ways which are not scientific, this essay will argue that science is best at explaining the occurrence and content of these experiences. Mystical experiences cannot be described in words so it cannot be explained in scientific terms. It can instead be explained in religious terms as William James has four characteristics of mystical experiences which are from his book ‘The Varieties of Religious Experience’. This book concentrates on the first-hand accounts of religious experience, of which James th...