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Mine was my experience on 9/11. Too long to recount again, but I've told the story before. It changed something in me permanently. Opened something that was closed before.
Now I am a "believer" for lack of a better term, though not in the same way you once were. It has nothing to do with beliefs, though, and I was in a non-believing period on that day. But I am not the same person in many ways as I was on September 10, 2001.
Great album! I've never had any unusual experiences while listening to it, but they did put out some deep music back then. They were certainly exploring; partly because it was the late 60's, but also because they were true pioneers in music. I wouldn't be surprised if I listened to some of their music from that era, under more deep and open conditions, and experienced something likewise.
The only time I've felt any kind of supernatural feeling is when I accepted Christ (you know, did that thing that makes one a Christian). After I prayed, I felt a surge of energy through me. No joke! It went from top downward, all within a split second. I had no prior expectation of feeling anything at all, so it did take me by surprise. It felt completely electric. I'm sure many won't believe me, and that's okay, but I know what I felt.
Other "spiritual moments" have been several times where I've suddenly looked back, and wondered why I did some certain thing for a period of time. It was like my eyes were opened in a completely new way, and it was time to now take another path. Somewhat like coming to the end of a chapter in a book, and moving to the next.
I believe you. One other person I met on the recovery board who had an experience similar to mine described it the same way you did; like a current that ran through her and she just "knew" she could no longer continue on the way she was. Like her and my experiences yours was unexpected. All of mine have been unexpected as I wasn't trying to do anything when it happened, it just did spontaneously. My "Christ" moment felt like something passing over me (I've described it as sunlight moving across a field).
How did that change you? For me it was the feeling of acceptance and I didn't need to be afraid anymore or carry the weight of my mistakes around.
I had had similar experiences to some of you here. I think all the ones mentioned are just wonderful, they are so meaningful and life changing.
I took up meditation back in the late 90s. I was an atheist who joined a group because I had read that you could experience God in meditation. Whatever God was like I did not know. I had only been taught that God was not just love but a God that hates, that punishes. I had even been told by a cult that I was dead in God's eyes, and that led me to becoming an atheist, but at the same time when I had joined that cult, I didn't believe in God. They had brainwashed me into believing in the God they worshiped, and as a result, now I had no God, especially not one that loved me. I remained an atheist for several years after.
Then I joined a yogic group and after a year of meditating one day while in meditation my mind began expanding, that is the only way I can describe it. It felt like it came in waves, and with each wave my consciousness expanded more. It was not frightening but peaceful. Then all the sudden I was enveloped in Love. That is all there was, a Consciousness of Love. At that point, and without words, I knew that God existed, and that God loved me, that God didn't care what we did or didn't do. There was no judgment because this God loved all. That was all there was, Love. After that experience I knew that God existed, but it was not quite the same God that the religions teach, but then for some people it was, depending on their views before their experience. But then some people walked away from religions after their experience.
I watched a TV show years ago in which someone did an experiment on a tank full of brine shrimp. For the experiment they killed ("sacrificed" I think is the term they use) one of the shrimp by using an electrode. When the shrimp died, the other shrimp in the area visibly reacted to the death of one of their kind even though they have much less developed brains/central nervous systems than other creatures, such as humans.
I believe that at the moment of impact, when several hundred people died above me on the plane and on the floors that were immediately engulfed and in the elevators and down in the lobby where people were caught as the burning jet fuel shot through the building, something similar happened to me. I didn't identify it as such at the moment, of course.
But I have a strange sense of a knowledge of a portal through which those souls slipped, while I stayed, but the portal is still open a crack. Some of us say we have one foot on the other side now. There's no real emotion tied to the knowledge, it just is, almost like something that has always been there and I just never paid attention to before.
I like to say I used up all my lifetime supply of fear that day. While that's not 100% accurate, I did lose my fear of death, and I am more willing to take risks in life than I was before. I don't mean like skydiving, I mean in my personal life. I've made choices to move, travel, enter into relationships, and in general step into unknown territory that I would never have done without a lot of anxiety before 9/11.
My intuition is sharper, probably because a lot of crap that use to muddy it is no longer in the way, and I have a keener sense of connectivity to other people, animals, and creation/the universe in general than before. So much that used to matter before 9/11 doesn't matter anymore, and it's all for the better.
As generally understood, an epiphany is an abrupt realization or insight. I think it's more useful to just see all insights as equal, understanding that they are each somewhere on a continuum from abrupt to so gradual as to be almost easy to overlook completely. Sometimes people have sudden flashes of insight, other times, they realize almost incidentally that in retrospect some view or other that they hold has greatly changed since some point in the distant past.
I can't really point to any memorable epiphanies I've had, but I've had plenty of realizations. Mine just tend to be gradual.
I think this is partially because I am by nature an idealist with fairly rigid ideas of what ought / could / should be; most of my insights have been connected with letting go of such preconceptions and illusions and accepting life as it actually IS rather than how I'd like / wish it to be. Reality often offends my sense of decorum or taste, but reality is very indifferent to my sensibilities and just keeps being what it is. Eventually, I catch up to it / quit fighting it.
The closest thing to sudden insight I've had have been rather prosaic. A couple of examples from my business life: I once lost a bid on a contract despite my competition being far more expensive in terms of hourly rate, by a factor of more than two. When I asked why they other company got the nod, I was told in so many words that my rate was so low that I did not seem credible compared to my competitor. I suddenly dropped my idealistic notions of fair pricing and cost effectiveness and decided then and there that if my clients demanded that I charge them more, by dog I was going to oblige them. I raised my rates 20% at once. My two most demanding and troublesome clients fell away and were replaced by two new and far better ones, The others never blinked, likely wondering why I took so long to figure it out.
Similarly I was attached to a particular development platform that I felt provided the best value for my clients, but the industry moved away from it and favored other, inferior methods. Here again ... if my clients want to pay me twice as much to get half the work done, who am I to complain? I went with it and laughed all the way to the bank ever since.
The second semi-epiphany in this realm was when my late prior wife noticed a particular client taking up all my time and emotional energy and gently suggested that I ought to "fire" that client. This was an alien concept to me; clients would (threaten to) fire me potentially, though none had ever openly done so, but me fire them? But you know what, I took her advice, fired the a_hole client, and it was one of the best days of my life.
The closest thing to sudden insight I've had have been rather prosaic. A couple of examples from my business life: I once lost a bid on a contract despite my competition being far more expensive in terms of hourly rate, by a factor of more than two. When I asked why they other company got the nod, I was told in so many words that my rate was so low that I did not seem credible compared to my competitor. I suddenly dropped my idealistic notions of fair pricing and cost effectiveness and decided then and there that if my clients demanded that I charge them more, by dog I was going to oblige them. I raised my rates 20% at once. My two most demanding and troublesome clients fell away and were replaced by two new and far better ones, The others never blinked, likely wondering why I took so long to figure it out.
Similarly I was attached to a particular development platform that I felt provided the best value for my clients, but the industry moved away from it and favored other, inferior methods. Here again ... if my clients want to pay me twice as much to get half the work done, who am I to complain? I went with it and laughed all the way to the bank ever since.
The second semi-epiphany in this realm was when my late prior wife noticed a particular client taking up all my time and emotional energy and gently suggested that I ought to "fire" that client. This was an alien concept to me; clients would (threaten to) fire me potentially, though none had ever openly done so, but me fire them? But you know what, I took her advice, fired the a_hole client, and it was one of the best days of my life.
I think one of the conditions of the term 'epiphany' as it is used in its 'pure' sense is that the insight must not be prosaic--hence the common assumption that the 'supernatural' must somehow be involved. I mean, when Wikipedia says 'Generally the term is used to describe scientific breakthrough, religious or philosophical discoveries, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective', I think that's moreso describing the term when it is being used in a deliberately bastardized/semi-ironic way, as it more often is these days.
So I guess that explains why I almost laughed when I read your examples of purported epiphanies. Even as an atheist, I like the idea of 'incredibly meaningful/unexpected/poorly understood experiences' that some/most are moved to describe with spiritual language, and your examples are obviously of the mundane/profane realm--even if personally life-changing for you. Life-changing in a way that inheriting a huge sum of money is--no one's using spiritual language there unless being ironic or metaphorical (ie, 'I'm in heaven!' or something like that). Plus, the second one was your wife's idea, not yours. But ultimately, I don't know--the word isn't that commonly used, and my perception of it is probably skewed by my religious upbringing and the context in which I was exposed to the word. Can't even think of the last time I've heard the word used in person--probably my father some years back, as he'd use it in its 'modern'/Wikipedia-friendly sense every so often. I do consider true intellectual 'eureka moments' to qualify, but not the sudden realization that you could do something all your competitors are doing (ie, charging more money). So I guess, in conclusion of my analysis of my own understanding of the term, I guess for me it's a combination of intensity and quality of experience. It definitely cannot be used in the same sentence as 'prosaic' if being used earnestly, I'll stand by that much, heh.
Last edited by Matt Marcinkiewicz; 12-20-2017 at 09:37 AM..
I think one of the conditions of the term 'epiphany' as it is used in its 'pure' sense is that the insight must not be prosaic--hence the common assumption that the 'supernatural' must somehow be involved. I mean, when Wikipedia says 'Generally the term is used to describe scientific breakthrough, religious or philosophical discoveries, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective', I think that's moreso describing the term when it is being used in a deliberately bastardized/semi-ironic way, as it more often is these days.
So I guess that explains why I almost laughed when I read your examples of purported epiphanies. Even as an atheist, I like the idea of 'incredibly meaningful/unexpected/poorly understood experiences' that some/most are moved to describe with spiritual language, and your examples are obviously of the mundane/profane realm--even if personally life-changing for you. Life-changing in a way that inheriting a huge sum of money is--no one's using spiritual language there unless being ironic or metaphorical (ie, 'I'm in heaven!' or something like that). Plus, the second one was your wife's idea, not yours. But ultimately, I don't know--the word isn't that commonly used, and my perception of it is probably skewed by my religious upbringing and the context in which I was exposed to the word. Can't even think of the last time I've heard the word used in person--probably my father some years back, as he'd use it in its 'modern'/Wikipedia-friendly sense every so often. I do consider true intellectual 'eureka moments' to qualify, but not the sudden realization that you could do something all your competitors are doing (ie, charging more money). So I guess, in conclusion of my analysis of my own understanding of the term, I guess for me it's a combination of intensity and quality of experience. It definitely cannot be used in the same sentence as 'prosaic' if being used earnestly, I'll stand by that much, heh.
I have heard "epiphany" used by others (and have used it myself) semi-ironically or even un-ironically to describe any sudden insight or realization.
That others do it too doesn't really enter into it for me. Technically, every realization is a realization that potentially countless others have had. It doesn't matter to your existence, though, until YOU have the realization YOURSELF, as that is what makes it actionable FOR YOU. Until then, you live as if it doesn't exist.
Paul's canonical "Damascus road" experience is one that allegedly billions of Christians have had in some form or other (per evangelicals, at any rate) but it is no less life-changing, supposedly, for all that.
I just think that many people do not see realizations on a continuum like I do, without limitation as to topic or consequentiality. They make special pleading for certain KINDS of realizations, those that are highly emotional and/or highly transformative and seemingly (to them at least) involve an intuitive "leap" that starts to seem like a "leap of faith" and therefore has a religious tinge to it.
To me, even "*slap* I coulda had a V-8!" is an epiphany of sorts. It is simply a (potentially "DUH!") realization that you've been making something way harder / more limited / less useful than it could be.
Epiphany is just a $25 religious word for "sudden realization".
I have heard "epiphany" used by others (and have used it myself) semi-ironically or even un-ironically to describe any sudden insight or realization.
That others do it too doesn't really enter into it for me. Technically, every realization is a realization that potentially countless others have had. It doesn't matter to your existence, though, until YOU have the realization YOURSELF, as that is what makes it actionable FOR YOU. Until then, you live as if it doesn't exist.
Paul's canonical "Damascus road" experience is one that allegedly billions of Christians have had in some form or other (per evangelicals, at any rate) but it is no less life-changing, supposedly, for all that.
I just think that many people do not see realizations on a continuum like I do, without limitation as to topic or consequentiality. They make special pleading for certain KINDS of realizations, those that are highly emotional and/or highly transformative and seemingly (to them at least) involve an intuitive "leap" that starts to seem like a "leap of faith" and therefore has a religious tinge to it.
To me, even "*slap* I coulda had a V-8!" is an epiphany of sorts. It is simply a (potentially "DUH!") realization that you've been making something way harder / more limited / less useful than it could be.
Epiphany is just a $25 religious word for "sudden realization".
It's also the day you take the Christmas tree down.
... To me, even "*slap* I coulda had a V-8!" is an epiphany of sorts. It is simply a (potentially "DUH!") realization that you've been making something way harder / more limited / less useful than it could be.
Epiphany is just a $25 religious word for "sudden realization".
no, it is not.
there is a difference.
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