William James' ME

what did William James want to do?

Study religious experience as objectively as possible, so he applied scientific methods to religious experience in order to find common threads

What did he write in his book, ‘The varieties of Religious Experience’?

He collected first and reports of RE in people’s own words to avoid misrepresenting them

what are James’ Four characteristics of Mystical Experience?

• Ineffability

• Noetic

• Transient

• Passive

What does ineffability mean?

It is a primary characteristic of mystical experience, meaning the experience is impossible to adequately describe - unable to put into words

What does noetic mean?

noetic quality can be described as state of fundamental knowing. They are states of insight into the depths of truth beyond the intellect. These states often carry a sense of authority that stays long after the end

What is transiency?

The state is short-lived: it seems challenging to stay in a mystical state for prolonged periods of time

what is passivity?

The onset of mystical states may come from taking particular actions, such as focusing one’s attention or even taking psychedelic drugs. The subject remains passive while fully engulfed in the mystical state

What is one quote by James that links to the ineffability of mystical experience?

‘One must have been in love one’s self to understand a lovers state of mind’

How does this quote link to the ineffability of ME?

you must go through a ME to understand the experience of one and the feelings felt during one - because it is hard to explain in rational terms, as it is beyond us

to be properly understood, it has to be experienced, how is this a challenge?

it challenges thw authenticity of the experience

How does James respond to the fact that it cannot be ‘proved’?

Just because it cannot be proved, it should not detract from its value, it’s more to do with deficiency of the empiricist than the mystic

What are individuals given from a ME?

understanding of important truths that cannot be gained from any other source suh as reason or the intellect

what has ME tended to be done?

Tended to be done to the recipient

What might have the recipient done in order to have the experience?

fasting

what may recipients experience during one?

Prophetic speech, automatic writing or mediumistic trance

What does James acknowledge?

A range of experiences that can be called mustical, from the trivial feeling whilst listening to music to the feeling of deja vu

What does James recognise?

That those who have ME are totally convinced by them