The Varieties of Religious Experience

THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
A Study in Human Nature

BY WILLIAM JAMES

To E.P.G. IN FILIAL GRATITUDE AND LOVE
CONTENTS
LECTURE I RELIGION AND NEUROLOGY Introduction: the course
is not anthropological, but deals with personal documents-- Questions
of fact and questions of value-- In point of fact, the religious are often
neurotic-- Criticism of medical materialism, which condemns religion
on that account-- Theory that religion has a sexual origin refuted-- All
states of mind are neurally conditioned-- Their significance must be
tested not by their origin but by the value of their fruits-- Three criteria
of value; origin useless as a criterion-- Advantages of the psychopathic
temperament when a superior intellect goes with it-- especially for the
religious life.
LECTURE II CIRCUMSCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC Futility of
simple definitions of religion-- No one specific "religious sentiment"--
Institutional and personal religion-- We confine ourselves to the
personal branch-- Definition of religion for the purpose of these
lectures-- Meaning of the term "divine"-- The divine is what prompts
SOLEMN reactions-- Impossible to make our definitions sharp-- We
must study the more extreme cases-- Two ways of accepting the
universe-- Religion is more enthusiastic than philosophy-- Its
characteristic is enthusiasm in solemn emotion-- Its ability to overcome
unhappiness-- Need of such a faculty from the biological point of view.

LECTURE III THE REALITY OF THE UNSEEN Percepts versus
abstract concepts-- Influence of the latter on belief-- Kant's theological
Ideas-- We have a sense of reality other than that given by the special
senses-- Examples of "sense of presence"-- The feeling of unreality--
Sense of a divine presence: examples-- Mystical experiences:
examples-- Other cases of sense of God's presence-- Convincingness of
unreasoned experience-- Inferiority of rationalism in establishing
belief-- Either enthusiasm or solemnity may preponderate in the
religious attitude of individuals.
LECTURES IV AND V THE RELIGION OF
HEALTHY--MINDEDNESS Happiness is man's chief concern--
"Once-born" and "twice-born" characters-- Walt Whitman-- Mixed
nature of Greek feeling-- Systematic healthy-mindedness-- Its
reasonableness-- Liberal Christianity shows it-- Optimism as
encouraged by Popular Science-- The "Mind-cure" movement-- Its
creed-- Cases-- Its doctrine of evil-- Its analogy to Lutheran theology--
Salvation by relaxation-- Its methods: suggestion-- meditation--
"recollection"-- verification-- Diversity of possible schemes of
adaptation to the universe-- APPENDIX: TWO mind-cure cases.
LECTURES VI AND VII THE SICK SOUL Healthy-mindedness and
repentance-- Essential pluralism of the healthy-minded philosophy--
Morbid-mindedness: its two degrees--The pain-threshold varies in
individuals-- Insecurity of natural goods-- Failure, or vain success of
every life-- Pessimism of all pure naturalism-- Hopelessness of Greek
and Roman view-- Pathological unhappiness-- "Anhedonia"--
Querulous melancholy-- Vital zest is a pure gift-- Loss of it makes
physical world look different-- Tolstoy-- Bunyan-- Alline-- Morbid
fear-- Such cases need a supernatural religion for relief-- Antagonism
of healthy-mindedness and morbidness-- The problem of evil cannot be
escaped.
LECTURE VIII THE DIVIDED SELF, AND THE PROCESS OF ITS
UNIFICATION Heterogeneous personality--Character gradually
attains unity--Examples of divided self--The unity attained need not be
religious--"Counter conversion" cases--Other cases--Gradual and

sudden unification--Tolstoy's recovery--Bunyan's.
LECTURE IX CONVERSION Case of Stephen Bradley--The
psychology of character-changes-- Emotional excitements make new
centres of personal energy-- Schematic ways of representing this--
Starbuck likens conversion to normal moral ripening-- Leuba's ideas--
Seemingly unconvertible persons-- Two types of conversion--
Subconscious incubation of motives-- Self-surrender-- Its importance
in religious history-- Cases.
LECTURE X CONVERSION--concluded Cases of sudden
conversion-- Is suddenness essential?-- No, it depends on psychological
idiosyncrasy-- Proved existence of transmarginal, or subliminal,
consciousness-- "Automatisms"-- Instantaneous conversions seem due
to the possession of an active subconscious self by the subject-- The
value of conversion depends not on the process, but on the fruits--
These are not superior in sudden conversion-- Professor Coe's views--
Sanctification as a result-- Our psychological account does not exclude
direct presence of the Deity-- Sense of higher control-- Relations of the
emotional "faith-state" to intellectual beliefs-- Leuba quoted--
Characteristics of the faith-state: sense of truth; the world appears
new-- Sensory and motor automatisms-- Permanency of conversions.
LECTURES XI, XII, AND XIII SAINTLINESS Sainte-Beuve on the
State of Grace-- Types of character as due to the balance of impulses
and inhibitions-- Sovereign excitements-- Irascibility-- Effects of
higher excitement in general-- The saintly life is ruled by spiritual
excitement-- This may annul sensual impulses permanently-- Probable
subconscious influences involved-- Mechanical scheme for
representing permanent alteration in character-- Characteristics of
saintliness-- Sense of reality of a higher power-- Peace of mind,
charity-- Equanimity, fortitude, etc.-- Connection of this with
relaxation-- Purity of life-- Asceticism-- Obedience-- Poverty-- The
sentiments of democracy and of humanity-- General effects of higher
excitements.
LECTURES XIV AND XV THE VALUE OF SAINTLINESS It must
be tested by the human value of its fruits-- The reality of the God must,

however, also be judged-- "Unfit" religions get eliminated by
"experience"-- Empiricism is not skepticism-- Individual and tribal
religion-- Loneliness of religious originators-- Corruption