The mystic on the concrete: exploring how reported experiences of divine guidance are interpreted for meaning and decision-making

Many Americans report experiences of divine guidance. For example, the 2004 General Social Survey showed that 57% of Americans selected 'most days' to 'many times a day' when asked if they 'feel God's guidance in the midst of daily activities.' Further, a 2008 study by Baylor University found that 20% of Americans agreed with the statement, "I heard the voice of God speaking to me," and 44% agreed with the statement, "I felt called by God to do something." Thus it is well established that many people in the US claim to experience divine guidance. However, much less known is how people who report these experiences actually understand and interpret them, and what kinds of decision-making result. This thesis explores this gap in knowledge through in-depth interviews with 20 carefully selected respondents from various Christian and spiritual backgrounds, each of whom reported high levels of experiencing divine guidance. Patterns are discussed around how people understand and describe these experiences, as well as the ways in which the experiences helped facilitate narration of the respondent's life-storyline and decision-making processes. Resulting theoretical hypothesis are also discussed.