This essay studies what has been written about religious experience and visions both in the past and now. It deals with both the religious experience and tries to explain how and if there is any place in the modern society for religious visions and experience. The essay has a strong theoretical perspective to psychology of religion as presented by Anton Geels whose writings in the subject have been of one of my main sources.

The study shows that people of all times and cultures have had religious visions and the feeling of a divine experience even if this has changed because of tradition, time and place. Religious experience and visions can furthermore occur both in a spontaneous, unprepared way as well as being cultured through ascetic practice in order to facilitate the divine reception. The study also shows that religious experience in no means is reserved for special “chosen ones” but can occur to each and every one, no matter what class, race or position in life. Though it can seem that religious experience and visions are not as common today as they once were, people still have religious experiences even if the public opinion might not be as accepting and understanding as it once was, for instance at a time when the power of science wasn’t as widespread and known as today.

Keywords: religious experience, visions, religious psychology