Revelation or something else...?

[Jcnava15]

What is it called when God makes you aware of knowledge that you don’t ordinarily have?

One day during a time when I had what seemed like an unanswerable theological question, I opened my bible. Immediately I read a scripture that answered my question. I gave God great thanks.

As soon as I did this I had a great feeling of conviction, and had an experience of both great joy and incredible sorrow. The feelings were simultaneous. It was as if as soon as I felt joy, I realized I also felt sorrow, and vice versa. Overall it was beautiful experience.

I couldn’t help but cry. I was overwhelmed with the joy of God’s love, and the awareness that God loves us so deeply, but experienced great sorrow because I was also aware of how much we reject him despite how openly he invites us to his presence. He loves us so much, yet we reject him despite his persistence.

Then as I began to relax back into a normal state, I had an experience of direct knowledge of other minds. However it was as if I couldn’t hold this knowledge. It was like a a pendulum swinging above my head, as soon as it swung and synchronized with my mind it quickly left, and back and forth and back and forth, till I finally accepted it was too great for me to hold.

I was made aware of the minds of other people. Not that I had access to their minds, or their contents, but that I knew of their minds directly, as directly as I know of my mind.

I am a recent convert to Catholicism, so I want to get more knowledgeable Catholics’ thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[CaseyDeAnn]

Very interesting. I wish I experienced stuff like this. Sometimes I feel like I connect compassionately with every mind in the world, and with all their sorrows… but that’s just when I’m feeling melancholic and have probably had too much to drink.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

What is it called when God makes you aware of knowledge that you don’t ordinarily have?

One day during a time when I had what seemed like an unanswerable theological question, I opened my bible. Immediately I read a scripture that answered my question. I gave God great thanks.

As soon as I did this I had a great feeling of conviction, and had an experience of both great joy and incredible sorrow. The feelings were simultaneous. It was as if as soon as I felt joy, I realized I also felt sorrow, and vice versa. Overall it was beautiful experience.

I couldn’t help but cry. I was overwhelmed with the joy of God’s love, and the awareness that God loves us so deeply, but experienced great sorrow because I was also aware of how much we reject him despite how openly he invites us to his presence. He loves us so much, yet we reject him despite his persistence.

Then as I began to relax back into a normal state, I had an experience of direct knowledge of other minds. However it was as if I couldn’t hold this knowledge. It was like a a pendulum swinging above my head, as soon as it swung and synchronized with my mind it quickly left, and back and forth and back and forth, till I finally accepted it was too great for me to hold.

I was made aware of the minds of other people. Not that I had access to their minds, or their contents, but that I knew of their minds directly, as directly as I know of my mind.

I am a recent convert to Catholicism, so I want to get more knowledgeable Catholics’ thoughts.

Thanks!

The first phase of this, picking up the Bible and instantly finding the answer to your question, sounds like a natural but providential discovery of something. That is, there’s nothing truly supernatural about opening up the Bible and just happening to come across a passage that is relevant to what you’ve been thinking about, and the more often you open your Bible to look up an issue the more likely it is that something like that will eventually happen. And anyway highly unlikely events really do happen. If for example there are ten million different one-in-a-million events that could happen to someone, then we could expect about ten of those one-in-a-million events to actually happen to them. Nevertheless such natural coincidences are a part of God’s providential plan, and so it is proper to thank Him when a good one occurs.

It sounds like this unexpected incident then prompted what came after- an emotional experience of joy and contrition, followed by this most unusual sounding experience. The emotional experience could well have been prompted by God’s grace. What came after though is highly unusual. I’ve never heard of anything quite like it before. The nearest thing would be the gift of discernment of spirits, but this involves knowing the very contents of a person’s mind and heart that you say you did not have. Were there specific people near you with whom you felt this sudden connection, or was it just “people” in general?

I would talk to a well-trained spiritual guide, perhaps a spiritual director, about this if you can. It might be something supernatural, or it might be psychological. I can’t tell and I doubt if anyone can tell for sure over the internet.

 

[Cryptic1]

The bible is the Word of God and it is here where God is trying to talk to us. I have heard where God will bring a scripture to our mind to convict us and I have also heard (as in your case), where a particular scripture will open our eyes to a truth. Giving thanks to the Lord was an expression of your heartfelt appreciation and I believe that your praise to God opened the door to another kind of spiritual experience.

I’m not sure what exactly happened as your encounter was an unusual one, but I don’t discount that it happened. Praise and worship (as in your giving thanks to God) is a powerful way in which God reveals Himself to us. In the Acts of the apostles, the earth shook and the prison doors swung open when the prisoner Paul and his companion started singing out to the Lord. I believe that praise and worship opens the doors to God’s kingdom on earth but sadly the majority of those who call themselves Catholic or Christian do not believe this.

You appear to have a spiritual nature and I suggest you only discuss your experiences with someone of a similar spiritual background or someone you trust. There is nothing wrong with what occurred here–however you may receive judgment and condemnation from those who cannot understand the mysteries of God. Whatever happens, continue searching for God and especially continue praising Him for He is a Good God.

God Rocks

 

[fhansen]

What is it called when God makes you aware of knowledge that you don’t ordinarily have?

That sounds like what’s known as an “intellectual vision”, although I couldn’t know for sure if that’s what you’ve experienced, of course. But God can cause us to receive direct knowledge with no outside or objective means of acquiring it. OTOH, there would be a purpose behind such a gift and I’d think you’d have an idea what that might be.

 

[Jcnava15]

The first phase of this, picking up the Bible and instantly finding the answer to your question, sounds like a natural but providential discovery of something. That is, there’s nothing truly supernatural about opening up the Bible and just happening to come across a passage that is relevant to what you’ve been thinking about, and the more often you open your Bible to look up an issue the more likely it is that something like that will eventually happen…

Yea, if it had been only that I would not have been super impressed as of course things happen. Interestingly enough, it’s happened before when I was doubting whether Jesus really was the messiah, or the Jews were right and the messiah has not yet come. I grabbed my Bible to study, and opened up directly to Isaiah 53, and at that point as a young post-atheist teenager I had never even heard of Isaiah 53.

Were there specific people near you with whom you felt this sudden connection, or was it just “people” in general?

Well specifically, my sister was in the other room, so immediately her. But it was more in general all people. For about a week after, I felt I could relate to people on a deeper level. As time passes though my humanity sinks back in and I am back to “normal”.

 

[jsaldar]

Sometimes when I’m going through problems or have questions, God answers them through the same way. I open the Bible and find the answer,or I go to mass and the priest talks about the same situation I’m going through and how to solve the problem as if I myself had told him my problems.

God works in great and mysterious ways.
Keep on Praising and loving the Lord.

 

[Jcnava15]

Very interesting. I wish I experienced stuff like this. Sometimes I feel like I connect compassionately with every mind in the world, and with all their sorrows… but that’s just when I’m feeling melancholic and have probably had too much to drink.

Yea, it was hands down the most beautiful experience of my life so far. I don’t know enough about my faith yet to say for sure, but if you crave God in such a real way keep asking him persistently. That’s what I did.

Everytime I prayed I begged and begged with sincerity. Not that I felt like I deserved it, but because I knew God was capable of it.

He loves us so much, and he does so much to reach us it’s amazing.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I’ve had several experiences like that, when knowledge was given to me. Every time it happened it was an answer to a question or a dilemma I was facing,and helped me understand things better and cope with the situation.

Have a chat with a priest and try to discern why this happened and how you can use it in your life.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

If God has revealed himself to you, in what you consider to be a powerful way, you may then feel called to do something.

Blessings

Eric