Description time! Try to write down a description or definition of one of the following, as though you were explaining it to someone who had never experienced it: Being in love The taste of an onion Is this an easy task? Why, or why not?

William James on religious experience

Learning Outcomes To be able to explain the Aims and Main conclusions drawn by William James in ‘The Varieties of Religious Experience.’

William James’ view on the importance of religious experiences James aims to survey RE’s as a psychologist and to present his findings and it’s implications on philosophy. Different from Freud – Freud dismisses religion by means of psychological theory. James accepts psychological dimension to RE’s but doesn’t feel it rules out a psychological cause This definition doesn’t talk about organised religion. Here you see that James thinks RE’s are more important than religious teachings and practices. They are ‘second hand’ to RE’s, they are the true religion. James’ book – ‘Varieties of Religious Experiences’ looks at first-hand accounts of RE’s. Some critics see some of these as psychological disorder, but James placed these accounts as central to any understanding of religion. James’ definition of religion: “...experiences of individual men in their solitude...so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they...consider the divine” (Varieties: Lecture 2)

Read through the article... Explain his three conclusions in your notes. Stretch yourself: In your own words, what do James’ views on religious experience rely on?

William James (1842-1910) The Varieties of Religious Experience A mystical experience – refers to experiences where God directly reveals himself and there is a sense of oneness with Him. William James is a famous commentator on mystical religious experience. He recognised that the term mystical is used in a wide variety of contexts but suggested it was too ambiguous. Therefore, in his The Varieties of Religious Experience he gives us four characteristics to identify them.

Four characteristics of mystical experiences These are: Noetic Quality – the fact that certain knowledge is gained through revelation, not senses. Ineffability – experience can’t be described in human terms. Transiency – the experience is out of proportion in terms of time and space Passivity – the experience is out of the individual’s control

What did James mean? Noetic Quality Ineffability Transiency Passivity Stretch yourself: For each characteristic, add your own opinion on whether RE’s really have that quality.

Key term match up! Ineffability Noetic quality Transciency Passivity The experience is out of control of the person. In extreme examples, a person can appear ‘possessed’ by the experience. Noetic quality The experience itself can be fleeting, generally less than two hours. However, their effects can last a lifetime. Transciency The experience offers some insight into deep and meaningful truths. The knowledge is acquired through intuition rather than reason – often it is said to have been revealed. Passivity This refers to the unutterable quality of the experience. It is beyond words.

Think, pair, share A: Through what way does James try to interpret RE? B: Why is RE important in James view? A: How does James define RE? B: Why does James come up with the four characteristics?