Divine Encounters: Visions and Transformative Revelations
Some accounts describe experiences in which people sensed Jesus's presence through profound, almost otherworldly visions, very similar to a state of sleep or semi-sleep. For example, the Apostle Paul recounts an event where a dazzling light appeared on his path from the sky—so bright that it temporarily blinded him—and then he heard Jesus's voice speaking to him. As it is said:"The primary manifestation of Christ to Paul on the road to Damascus was nothing more than a radiance from the sky, which even blinded him, and the hearing of Jesus’s voice speaking to him ('the men who were travelling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no light') (IX, 7), although the apostle Paul later also speaks of this experience, stating that Christ 'appeared' to him after all, like some outcast (1 Cor. XV, 8)." (source: link txt)Another account confirming a similar experience describes how Paul, in a state of extreme emotional excitement, not only heard a voice but also perceived the phenomenon as though it were almost other than reality, where the words sounded like a prophetic revelation:"In a frenzy, I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew. It said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. I have come for this very purpose." (source: link txt)These descriptions indicate that the experiences were often accompanied not only by visual or auditory sensations but also by a profound inner transformation of perception, where the usual boundaries between vision and sleep become blurred. It is also noticeable that such moments are frequently described as possessing enormous power and significance, capable of changing a person's worldview—similar to what is seen in the phenomena associated with the Transfiguration of Jesus, where the onlookers observed an abrupt change in his appearance and heard a voice from heaven:"When they were leaving Him, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, spoke to Jesus: 'Teacher! It is good for us here! Let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' He was still saying this when a cloud appeared and covered them; they were greatly frightened as they were completely engulfed by it. And from the cloud came a voice: 'This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him.' And when the voice had ceased, they found that Jesus was alone again." (source: link txt)Thus, those who claim to have dreamt of or encountered Jesus describe the experience as one that plunges them into a state of heightened awareness and overwhelming sensory stimulation, marked by both blinding light and an audible voice. These testimonies emphasize that the experiences were not merely vivid dreams, but deep spiritual revelations that left a lasting emotional and internal impact.