--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In religious thought, a person may ride a…" description: "\"“In religious thought, a person may ride a horse into the sky (Mohammed), ascend to heaven in a chariot of fire (Elijah), rise to the stars in a carria..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/scott-atran-26630_religion_in-religious-thought-a-person-may-ride-a_1613279.jpg" --- # In religious thought, a person may ride a horse into the… ![“In religious thought, a person may ride a horse into the sky (Mohammed), ascend to heaven in a chariot of fire (Elijah), rise to the stars in a carriage drawn by six dragons (Huang Ti, the founder of the Chinese empire), or gain knowledge and afterlife in passing through the digestive tract of a…” quote by Scott Atran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/scott-atran-26630_religion_in-religious-thought-a-person-may-ride-a_1613279.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/scott-atran-26630_religion_in-religious-thought-a-person-may-ride-a_1613279.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/scott-atran-26630_religion_in-religious-thought-a-person-may-ride-a_1613279.jpg) > ““In religious thought, a person may ride a horse into the sky (Mohammed), ascend to heaven in a chariot of fire (Elijah), rise to the stars in a carriage drawn by six dragons (Huang Ti, the founder of the Chinese empire), or gain knowledge and afterlife in passing through the digestive tract of a feathered serpent (Maya kings). In”” [Scott Atran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-atran/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Myths use vivid journeys to symbolize spiritual ascent, using fantastical vehicles across cultures. **In simple terms:** Myths use fantastical travel to show spiritual rise. Key Takeaway Explore symbolic journeys. Themes mythology spiritual ascent cross-cultural symbolism Mood analytical inquisitive Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - religious study - creative writing - education - personal reflection Key Concepts symbolism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do these myths reflect inner growth? - What modern symbols could replace ancient vehicles? A Different Perspective Interpretations can be overly literal, missing deeper meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afterlife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afterlife/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“He thought about all the religions of the world, about their shared origins, about the earliest gods of the sun, moon, sea, and wind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/he-thought-about-all-the-religions-of-the-world-about-their-shared/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [The image a society evolves of the relationship between the living and the dead is, in the final analysis, an attempt, on the level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/the-image-a-society-evolves-of-the-relationship-between-the-living/) [Claude Levi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/) > [I don't think that the permanence of the individual human soul is an indispensable part of religious thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/i-don-t-think-that-the-permanence-of-the-individual-human-soul-is-an/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“Religion, then, is far from "useless." It humanizes violence; it protects man from his own violence by taking it out of his hands, transforming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-girard/religion-then-is-far-from-useless-it-humanizes-violence-it-protects/) [René Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-girard/) > [Renunciation is the background of all religious thought wherever it be, and you will always find that as this idea of renunciation lessens, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/renunciation-is-the-background-of-all-religious-thought-wherever-it/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [It is commonplace of all religious thought that the man seeking visions and insight must go apart from his fellows and live for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/it-is-commonplace-of-all-religious-thought-that-the-man-seeking/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [In order to teach a course in the history of Western religious thought, I had to do a great deal of research in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-needleman/in-order-to-teach-a-course-in-the-history-of-western-religious/) [Jacob Needleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-needleman/) > [I was raised to think about philosophy and religious thought and the soul and the spirit of humankind in a different way, also really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/i-was-raised-to-think-about-philosophy-and-religious-thought-and-the/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [When the soul drifts uncertainly between life and the dream, between the mind's disorder and the return to cool reflection, it is in religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/when-the-soul-drifts-uncertainly-between-life-and-the-dream-between/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“Claims for the occurrence of miraculous events will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 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I respect people who do, but I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-don-t-believe-in-an-afterlife-i-don-t-believe-in-a-single-or/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. 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