What about people who have spiritual experiences in other religions?

Understanding the Nature of Spiritual Experiences

Spiritual experiences can range from visions, dreams, feelings of transcendence, and other encounters that people often attribute to supernatural forces. Such experiences occur in a wide variety of religious and cultural contexts. Yet, these phenomena alone do not determine ultimate truth. Many individuals have described out-of-body sensations, heard voices, or even witnessed remarkable signs while practicing religions other than Christianity. The question is how to evaluate these experiences in light of reliable, consistent teaching.

Biblical Recognition of the Supernatural Realm

Scripture acknowledges that supernatural manifestations are real. The Bible warns that not all spiritual events originate from the Holy Spirit: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). This warning implies that some spiritual encounters come from sources opposed to God. Even miraculous-seeming acts can arise from deception. For instance, the Bible teaches, “The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

Identifying the Source of Non-Christian Experiences

A core biblical perspective is that supernatural experiences outside of the true worship of God may have one of three potential sources:

1) Psychological or physiological causes (including hallucinations or strong emotional states).

2) Demonic influence, given Satan’s capacity to imitate genuine signs: “For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

3) God’s indirect arrangement of circumstances to draw an individual toward ultimate truth, though the direct personal encounter with God in Christ remains unique to the gospel message.

The existence of these non-Christian experiences does not imply that all paths lead to the same God. Scripture consistently declares, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Testing Spiritual Experiences

Discernment is crucial for understanding spiritual phenomena. The biblical model for testing experiences is to compare them with:

• God’s revealed Word (Isaiah 8:20).

• The fruits they produce (Matthew 7:16).

• Whether they point to the risen Christ or away from Him (John 14:6).

When evaluating spiritual occurrences, one should examine whether they align with biblical truth. Any teaching, insight, or manifestation that contradicts or undermines the gospel of Christ cannot be from the Holy Spirit.

Historical Uniqueness of Christ’s Resurrection

One of the central reasons that Christian spiritual experiences hold authority over experiences from other religious contexts is the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ. Early accounts, such as 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, show that Jesus appeared to numerous eyewitnesses after His crucifixion. The empty tomb is a well-established historical fact corroborated by multiple strands of evidence, including Jewish, Roman, and Christian sources.

Contemporary research into ancient manuscripts (like the Dead Sea Scrolls and tens of thousands of New Testament fragments) further validates that biblical teaching, particularly the resurrection accounts, has been reliably preserved. Archaeological discoveries—such as findings around Jerusalem supporting the biblical descriptions of first-century culture—add real-world grounding to the gospel accounts. These findings set Christianity apart from religions that lack verifiable, historical events at their core.

Philosophical and Behavioral Considerations

From a philosophical and behavioral viewpoint, people worldwide often experience transcendent or mystical states in diverse forms. However, the biblical stance is that humanity’s spiritual longing and search for meaning point to a singular truth: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Individuals of many faiths may be genuinely seeking the supernatural, but Scripture emphasizes that God truly reveals Himself in Jesus, who is both personal and historically verifiable. Moreover, the universal nature of spiritual pursuits can be explained by humanity’s innate awareness of God’s existence: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). This longing explains why spiritual experiences exist across cultures, while the definitive path remains through Christ alone.

Purpose of Spiritual Experiences

In the Christian view, any genuine experience of God is designed to lead a person to salvation in Jesus. When experiences do not direct individuals to the worship of the one true God, the Bible teaches caution regarding their origin. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, warning that pagan sacrifice and dedication to false gods connect to demonic influences (1 Corinthians 10:20).

Yet, God can use a person’s spiritual hunger—even in non-Christian settings—to prepare them for an encounter with the gospel. There are numerous modern-day testimonies of individuals from other religious backgrounds receiving visions or dreams that draw them to read the Bible or attend a church service, where they then discover the message of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Clarifying the Role of Jesus and Salvation

According to biblical teaching, Jesus’ salvific work on the cross is the only sufficient remedy for sin and a reconciled relationship with God. As it is written: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

This claim does not deny the reality of spiritual experiences in other religions; rather, it insists that Jesus’ identity as God incarnate and His victory over death distinguish Him uniquely. Only through His sacrifice can humanity be freed from sin and enjoy eternal life.

Conclusion and Encouragement

Spiritual experiences in other religions can be real but are not necessarily aligned with biblical truth. Scripture acknowledges the existence of diverse supernatural manifestations but categorically points back to the centrality of the risen Christ.

Historically, the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, the confirmation of biblical manuscripts, archaeological corroborations of key biblical events, and the life-transforming power of the gospel stand as firm proof for Christianity’s claims.

For those who encounter or observe supernatural phenomena outside the Christian faith, Scripture advises discernment and highlights the exclusive sufficiency of Christ. True spiritual experience leads to worship of God in truth and spirit, fulfilled only by accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord.