I had an experience. It was literally indescribable. It was not something I could have dreamed up on my own. There was no brain stimulation. There were no drugs. It had to do with the death of someone close to me, and my profound puzzlement over what that might mean. I felt very small, needy and helpless. I asked a question.

I did not feel exalted. I experienced something other than myself that the word 'exaltation' is completely inadequate to describe. I was afraid that if it was not what it seemed to be - and I felt completely unworthy of what it seemed to be - then there was a risk of being drawn into something I did not want to be drawn into. I did not trust my own judgment. I then felt that what I did was completely up to me - that I was completely free to go further into it or to withdraw from it.

What is equally surprising is that this sort of experience is actually quite common. Other people know what I mean. The Holy Father approaches something like a description of it in *Spe Salvi*. It is described in other places as well.

Bless God in His glory. Remain as small as possible. I'm convinced that the bigger you are, the further you are from God. The smaller the closer.
Pavel Chichikov | Homepage | 05.29.08 - 1:20 pm | #

'farther'?
Pavel Chichikov | Homepage | 05.29.08 - 1:43 pm | #

I'm reading a good book about this kind of thing from a point-of-view friendly to religion and the existence of the supernatural, The Spiritual Brain.
Pauli | Homepage | 05.30.08 - 11:30 am | #