Jeff Astley is the Alister Hardy Professor of Religious and Spiritual Experience, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, and Honorary Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.

"This is the best introductory resource for studying religious and spiritual experiences ever created. Jeff Astley is a reliable guide to complicated terrain and gifted at introducing beginners to the fascinating landscape."

• Introduction viiAcknowledgements xiiiPart 1 Definitions 11. Defining the Terms: Experience, Religious Experience, Spiritual Experience 3Part 2 Data 172. The Characterization, Classification and Reporting of Religious and Spiritual Experiences 193. Qualitative and Quantitative Research 274. Categories of Religious and Spiritual Experiences: From Mysticism to NDEs 37Part 3 Debates 555. Experience and Experiences 576. Triggers and Facilitators 677. Experience and Fruits 758. Experience and Interpretation 839. Objectivity and Veridicality 10310. Evidence and Argument 11511. Challenges of Diversity and Naturalistic Explanations 12312. Religious Experience and Religious Language 13513. Religious Experience and Revelation 14814. Gender Issues 162Part 4 Disciplines, Doubters and Defenders 16915. The Psychology of Religious and Spiritual Experience 17116. Religious and Spiritual Experience in Scripture 17917. Religious and Spiritual Experience in the Christian Tradition 19318. The Theology of Religious and Spiritual Experience 20519. The Philosophy of Religious and Spiritual Experience 21620. The Anthropology and Sociology of Religious andSpiritual Experience 226Appendix: Religious and Spiritual Experiences and Neuroscience 244References 247Index of Subjects 273Index of Names 299

Jeff Astley is the Alister Hardy Professor of Religious and Spiritual Experience, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, and Honorary Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.

"This is the best introductory resource for studying religious and spiritual experiences ever created. Jeff Astley is a reliable guide to complicated terrain and gifted at introducing beginners to the fascinating landscape."

• Introduction viiAcknowledgements xiiiPart 1 Definitions 11. Defining the Terms: Experience, Religious Experience, Spiritual Experience 3Part 2 Data 172. The Characterization, Classification and Reporting of Religious and Spiritual Experiences 193. Qualitative and Quantitative Research 274. Categories of Religious and Spiritual Experiences: From Mysticism to NDEs 37Part 3 Debates 555. Experience and Experiences 576. Triggers and Facilitators 677. Experience and Fruits 758. Experience and Interpretation 839. Objectivity and Veridicality 10310. Evidence and Argument 11511. Challenges of Diversity and Naturalistic Explanations 12312. Religious Experience and Religious Language 13513. Religious Experience and Revelation 14814. Gender Issues 162Part 4 Disciplines, Doubters and Defenders 16915. The Psychology of Religious and Spiritual Experience 17116. Religious and Spiritual Experience in Scripture 17917. Religious and Spiritual Experience in the Christian Tradition 19318. The Theology of Religious and Spiritual Experience 20519. The Philosophy of Religious and Spiritual Experience 21620. The Anthropology and Sociology of Religious andSpiritual Experience 226Appendix: Religious and Spiritual Experiences and Neuroscience 244References 247Index of Subjects 273Index of Names 299

Jeff Astley is the Alister Hardy Professor of Religious and Spiritual Experience, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, and Honorary Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.

"This is the best introductory resource for studying religious and spiritual experiences ever created. Jeff Astley is a reliable guide to complicated terrain and gifted at introducing beginners to the fascinating landscape."

• Introduction viiAcknowledgements xiiiPart 1 Definitions 11. Defining the Terms: Experience, Religious Experience, Spiritual Experience 3Part 2 Data 172. The Characterization, Classification and Reporting of Religious and Spiritual Experiences 193. Qualitative and Quantitative Research 274. Categories of Religious and Spiritual Experiences: From Mysticism to NDEs 37Part 3 Debates 555. Experience and Experiences 576. Triggers and Facilitators 677. Experience and Fruits 758. Experience and Interpretation 839. Objectivity and Veridicality 10310. Evidence and Argument 11511. Challenges of Diversity and Naturalistic Explanations 12312. Religious Experience and Religious Language 13513. Religious Experience and Revelation 14814. Gender Issues 162Part 4 Disciplines, Doubters and Defenders 16915. The Psychology of Religious and Spiritual Experience 17116. Religious and Spiritual Experience in Scripture 17917. Religious and Spiritual Experience in the Christian Tradition 19318. The Theology of Religious and Spiritual Experience 20519. The Philosophy of Religious and Spiritual Experience 21620. The Anthropology and Sociology of Religious andSpiritual Experience 226Appendix: Religious and Spiritual Experiences and Neuroscience 244References 247Index of Subjects 273Index of Names 299