The good, the bad, and the terrifying
We've all heard stories, whether fantasy or reality, of burning bushes and voices of gods ringing down from the sky. We've also heard stories of horrific things like murders happening because "God told me to do so" or because the person thought they were fulfilling some Biblical prophecy.
Where is the middle ground between true religious/spiritual experiences and mental illness? How do you know which is the case?
A couple of (relatively innocuous) stories
One.
A few months ago, I submitted a paper for publication in a popular journal in my field. I had long forgotten about it, figuring the editor had wr