A question of perception for believers?

I've been an atheist for as long as I can remember, but I used to keep company with a young woman who was very religious, of the catholic faith. We would have long, long talks on many topics, religion among them. She once told me that her experience of Jesus was as real to her as her experience of me, that she could actually see him, hear him, touch him, and so on. Many of you claim to have personal knowledge/ experience of Jesus. My question is, is my friend's experience similar to your own experience, or is your perception of Jesus less tangible?