Religious Experiences
⑳
William James Pluralism argument for mystical individual religious
experiences
• James argued that religious experiences are evidence of union with
a higher power (not necessarily the Christian God)
• James studied religious experiences from across the world from
different cultures
• He found that mystical experiences were present in all cultures -
mystical experiences are full blown out of body transcendent
experiences
James said mystical have 4 criteria in common -
• Passive - it happens to you, you don t make it happen
• Ineffable - beyond description - beyond language
• Noetic - Provides knowledge-insight
• Transient - happens in limited amount of time
He believes there must be an objective cause of the cross-culturally
similarity
James and Stace s proposal of the cause is that people in different
religions are all tapping into the same higher spiritual reality - so all
religions are valid and true
’ ’
⑳
William James Pluralism argument for mystical individual religious
experiences
• James argued that religious experiences are evidence of union with
a higher power (not necessarily the Christian God)
• James studied religious experiences from across the world from
different cultures
• He found that mystical experiences were present in all cultures -
mystical experiences are full blown out of body transcendent
experiences
James said mystical have 4 criteria in common -
• Passive - it happens to you, you don t make it happen
• Ineffable - beyond description - beyond language
• Noetic - Provides knowledge-insight
• Transient - happens in limited amount of time
He believes there must be an objective cause of the cross-culturally
similarity
James and Stace s proposal of the cause is that people in different
religions are all tapping into the same higher spiritual reality - so all
religions are valid and true
’ ’
