ABSTRACT
A public religious experience could be something as simple as the blooming of a flower or the rising of the sun. Such events, although by no means uncommon, are perceived as acts of God rather than explained away by science. Another type of public experience is one that seemingly defies the laws of nature. Biblical examples include the turning of water into wine, Jesus Christ bringing the dead back to life, or the parting of the Red Sea, which, apparently, was witnessed by over a million people and lasted several hours. The object to which the experience is directed assumes the identity of the religious belief and culture in which the subject has been raised. This, it might be argued, weakens the credibility of any descriptive account; hence the need for ineffability. In considering further its veridical nature, it may help to consider another common form of private religious experience.
