3B- mystical experience Flashcards
(10 cards)
Who was William James
American psychologist and Philosophical Pragmatist (usefulness)
What did James argue about religious experience
Categorized religious experience as ‘the feelings, acts and experiences of individual men’
He argued religious experiences not institutions or dogmas should be the focus of theology and philosophy of religion
Fruits of experience rather than whether or not it is God- ‘fruits over roots’
What are James’ 4 categories
passive
ineffable
noetic
transient
Explain the category passive
PASSIVE- person having the experience is not in control of it but still has transformative power on the individual
‘it makes a mere interruption’
Explain the category ineffable
INEFFABLE- impossible to put into words and language of mundane language of what the experience was/ how it felt eg music can’t be explained
‘no adequate report of its contents can be given in words’
James says just because it cannot be ‘proved’ it shouldn’t take away from its value
Explain the category noetic
NOETIC- experience brings new personal knowledge and understanding eg Teresa gained noetic knowledge
Explain the category transient
TRANSIENT- experience is temporal (doesn’t last)
‘mystical states cannot be sustained for long’, but effects can last a lifetime eg Rumi- practice of dance
These characteristics work across different religions and traditions
State some criticisms of James’ work
Freud claims RE are simply psychological delusions- neurosis
Not all RE fit into 4 categories
RE can be induced by certain brain stimulation- Persinger God helmet
Give 3 points to agree with ‘The adequacy of James’ 4 characteristics in defining mystical experience’
Ineffability simply shows an event must be described metaphorically, not literally
Have been the standard for many years- as the driving force of academic studies in this field
Other scholars haven’t been able to extend these- these 4 characteristics are integral characteristics to majority of religious experiences
Give 3 points to disagree with ‘The adequacy of James’ 4 characteristics in defining mystical experience’
Ineffability can never be adequate
Not all RE fit into the 4 categories
Should be used alongside other scholars eg Otto, Happold (RE is intuitive)
