CHRISTIANS, Muslims and Jews have similar religious experiences in which they describe intense light and a sense of encompassing love.
Research at the University of Wales, Lampeter has detected a "common core" to experiences which crosses boundaries of culture and faith. Implications for inter-faith relations are significant as it suggests people share a common spirituality regardless of religious affiliations.
The research, which is still in progress, is being funded by the Alister Hardy Trust. Accounts of 6,000 religious experiences have been collected by the trust since 1969 from people of all ages and backgrounds. About 1,000 refer to light.
A religious experience is defined by the trust as "an experience of a presence or power, whether you call it God or not, different from yourself". Christians described the light as an encounter with Jesus or an angel and Muslims also often interpreted it as an angel. Jews described it as a sign of insight or an experience of God.
Some people describe an intensification of natural light, others a light which enters the room and some describe being enveloped or filled with light. Most people are alone when they have an experience but there are accounts in the archives of people witnessing the same light.