The Sound of a Small Whisper: Ordinary Religious Experience

An ordinary religious experience, unlike a numinous one, does not involve an overwhelming sense of the Divine and can be easily ignored. This phenomenological psychological inquiry describes an experience of having been guided in making a decision, recognized only at the moment of realization. The realization revealed the decision as part of a larger drama transcending the immediate experience. The world of this moment included sensing the sky as an elemental dome, with allusions to the Noah story, perceived symbolically rather than literally. The social, historical, and theological contexts for this experience are examined. Theological and psychological reflection indicate the experience continues in memory, thought, and action long after the initial moment, with an essential admonition to transcend egocentricity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

An ordinary religious experience does not entail an overwhelming sense of the Divine; it is not a “numinous” experience. It is instead easily ignored. In a phenomenological psychological inquiry into such a religious experience, both the noema, the “what” experienced, and the noesis, the mode of givenness of the experience, manifested themselves in distinctive ways. The paper examines a simple experience of having been guided in making a decision. The guidance was recognized only at the moment of realization. The realization revealed the decision to have been part of a larger drama that transcended the immediate experience. The “world” of this moment of realization included sensing that the sky above-as an “elemental”-was a dome, with allusions to the Noah story. Even at the time, this perception was not experienced as literal, but as symbolic. The social, historical, and theological contexts for the possibility of this experience receive attention. Theological as well as psychological reflection indicate such an experience continues to happen, in memory and thought, and even in action, long after the initial moment. Essential to the meaning of the experience is an admonition to transcend egocentricity.