This is a very interesting topic.
I have been studying religions and mystical experiences for years. Always seeking "truth".
The pinnacle of what come across is Ken Wilber's Integral Spirituality. Although I don't yet full "grok" his stuff on metaphysics, his ideas on religions, science and states of consciousness are GROUND BREAKING!
For one thing he has what is known as the
Wilber-Combs Lattice which is a matrix that maps states of consciousness with types of religious belief.
I've written a little blurb about this:
Source of Miracles » Blog Archive » Mystical Experience and Interpretation (the W-C Lattice at a glance)
I have been in several religions, faiths and/or societies (but currently hold no allegiance to any one in particular). I have had experiences with almost all. Each of these experiences has been colored by the culture, beliefs, dogma of the organization I was in at the time.
For examples of experiences interpreted by cultural beliefs:
Christian - as a penecostal I was worshiping God surrounded by some of the praising, shouting congregation and I had an experience that felt like energy bolt going through my body. A penecostal might call this the holy ghost (aka Holy Spirit)
Eckankar - I was in a state of great peace and saw/felt a blue light shine down on me. Eckist call this the Light and Sound of God (aka Holy Spirit)
Integral Spirituality - After a session with a Zen Buddhist (
genpo roshi) conducting what is called a "
Big Mind" excersise I felt a profound (overwhelming) oneness with anything I looked at.
Each experience I've had has been shaped and interpreted by the culture/religion/faith I was apart of at the time. This in NO WAY INVALIDATES the phenomenon. They were very real and in some cases have changed the course of my life. But the religion/culture/society gives us the language to explain what has happened and shapes the experience.
Language/Semantics/culture/religion and their contextual meaning shape not only altered states of consciousness but "normal" states as well. Like in a dream, we construct the meaning as well as the happenings of the experience consciously, subconsciously and/or unconsciously.
I suspect that our perspective is completely relative to our constantly shifting meaning. Ego, state of consciousness, experiences do have some level of reality and so they do deserve our attetion and management but the only *
absolute is Being, Here, NOW. All else is real ONLY relative to something else.
*The only absolute is being, here now (nowness, the suchness of this single moment - or perhaps the only absolute is NO-absolute or as wilber says the combination of Form & Emptiness - nondual).