For some Christians, the most meaningful and persuasive aspect of faith is their private spiritual experience. The Christian methods of prayer and devotion and certain group practices can bring about altered states of consciousness. These experiences can be intensely satisfying, and of course they are always interpreted according to Christian dogma. There is no recognition of the similar experiences described by people in a wide variety of settings, religious and otherwise. The mystical experience is taken to be proof of the Christian belief system.
