An introduction to religious and spiritual experience

14.
The Interpretation of Spiritual, Religious 
and Mystical Experience
Spiritual, religious and mystical experiences come in many different guises 
and are capable of a great variety of interpretations. Examples of all 
kinds have been given. Although in many cases experiences are in line 
with the religious tradition of the experient, it is by no means the case that 
only the expected is experienced. Many Christians who have had NDEs 
have been unable to confirm any specifically Christian interpretation of 
the Being of Light. Some people who have had spiritual experiences 
actually leave their former religion and abandon any specific practice, 
whereas others are subsequently drawn to a specific form of worship or 
belief. Interpretation plays a major role – but before, during and after? 
Theorists disagree.
The fact that there seems to be a remarkable similarity in these imme-
diate and profound experiences of ultimate reality, has led to the view 
that all such experiences are similar, or at least of the same ultimate truth 
although differently interpreted. This was the opinion expressed by Aldous 
Huxley in 
The Perennial Philosophy
and is held by scholars such as W. T. 
Stace and R. C. Zaehner. Holding opposing views are other scholars such 
as Steven Katz who maintain that as all experiences are mediated, one 
only has experiences within one’s own frame of reference. Some interpret 
the experiences as purely psychological, while others investigate brain 
physiology.
This section will give an introduction to the thinking of some of the 
most important interpreters of spiritual, religious and mystical experi-
ence. This is not a comprehensive summary, and an indication of further 
reading is given.

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Interpretation of Experience
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