Mystical events that seem to defy the laws of science have fascinated people in all places and times. Miracle healings, ghostly visitations, icons that weep, hands and feet that seem to bear the wounds of Christ are not only grist for the tabloid press but have won a cautious place in mainline belief. Astonishing nummbers of people claim to have had mystical experiences. How can we judge whether their claims are authentic or not? And if they are 'real' experiences, does that mean they came from God? The present volume examines a broad range of phenomena that have been put forward as direct interventions by God in the human realm. It looks at them through the lens of theology, but it also leans on recent developments in the field of parapsychology, a discipline that studies unusual psychic abilities. The two threads of inquiry complement each othe, shedding new light on the processes of religious experience and inviting a new appreciation of the human yearning for the transcendent. |
