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    Expressing spiritual experiences?

    Is it really possible to transmit, either through spoken or written word, the experiences of ritual or magical practices?
    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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    #2
    Re: Expressing spiritual experiences?

    Does a picture of an aircraft carrier do justice to seeing one up close?

    Words are a fundamentally limit form of communication. However, in the absence of particularly strong telepaths, they still beat most of the other options.
    life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

    Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

    "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

    John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

    "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

    Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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      #3
      Re: Expressing spiritual experiences?

      Originally posted by thalassa View Post
      Is it really possible to transmit, either through spoken or written word, the experiences of ritual or magical practices?
      Stevie Nicks says so.
      Satan is my spirit animal

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        #4
        Re: Expressing spiritual experiences?

        Ever try to describe a dream that roused particulary strong feelings to somebody?

        Same problem here...
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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          #5
          Re: Expressing spiritual experiences?

          I think this is actually two questions rolled into one.

          Yes it is possible to express ones spiritual experiences via the written or spoken word. In part because the mental state will "Fill-in" the blanks as we recall it or read our own written words. In essence reading between the lines as the memories trigger other 'Memories" such as audio, olfactory, etc to build the full memory experience.

          No it is not possible to accurately convey those experiences to another via the written or spoken word. It might be possible to arrive at a similarity of experiences which allow one to relate to another's experiences. Yet unless all the vocabulary, experiences (life, spiritual, etc) are the same, conclusions have to be the same along with speculations / expectations in order for it to be experienced.

          In most instances I believe we simply "Doctor" our own experiences to try and experience the other person's experiences as best we can. Yet our best will never be the same as their original.
          I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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            #6
            Re: Expressing spiritual experiences?

            I find I can't, I just get frustrated when I try. You can to a certain degree, but you can't really convey a feeling to someone else, because we all percieve things differently. They can get an idea, but not a full understanding, I think.
            You remind me of the babe
            What babe?
            The babe with the power
            What power?
            The Power of voodoo
            Who do?
            You do!
            Do what?
            Remind me of the babe!

            Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

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