Conclusions

Abstract

A primary aim of this book has been to present and consider religious epiphanies as they have been and are phenomenally presented in human experience. Several summary observations may be made about the diversity of epiphanies that have been phenomenally experienced by human beings. These include the observations that: theistic epiphanies are richly present in the scriptures of the Jewish and Christian traditions; epiphanies are also experienced in the Sūfī tradition of Islam and in many diverse religious and cultural traditions, including the Japanese Shinto religious and cultural tradition, the Native American religious tradition, and the Haitian and New World tradition of Vodou; epiphanic experiences may be theistic, as in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and devotional forms of Hinduism; they may be polytheistic, as in Homer’s epics; and they may be nontheistic, as in the Buddhist tradition and the tradition of advaita Hinduism; and epiphanic experience is a widespread phenomenon that is not limited to saints and prophets. The quiet sense of God’s presence can be felt by many in prayer, in nature, and in natural miracles. Regarding the veridicality of epiphanies, this conclusion may be drawn: empirical science can neither establish nor disprove the occurrence of epiphanies. While neurological science may be able to prove that epiphanic apprehensions are caused by changes in the brain, it cannot similarly prove that those brain changes do not have a divine source.