What is a criticism made by Russel regarding religious experiences?

Bertie Russell's criticism concerning religious experiences focuses on the ways in which these experiences can be influenced by external factors, such as mind-altering substances. He posits that if an individual is under the influence of such substances, the resulting experiences may not be genuine encounters with the divine but instead be products of altered states of consciousness. This suggestion raises the question of the reliability of religious experiences as evidence for the existence of God or the divine.

Russell's argument is significant as it emphasizes the importance of critically analyzing the conditions under which religious experiences occur. If such experiences are influenced by substances that alter perception or cognition, then their validity as a basis for belief in the divine or as a compelling argument for the existence of God becomes questionable. This perspective encourages a more skeptical approach to religious experiences, prompting thinkers to scrutinize their origins and effects rather than accepting them at face value.