William James & Religious Experiences
William James & Religious Experiences
- including elements of psychology + Freudian approach
- Created by: Megan Rose McHugh
- Created on: 25-04-13 18:54
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- WILLIAM JAMES:The Varieties of Religious Experience
- Pragmatist: the truth of a statement can be found by understanding the effects
- Investigated a large amount of religious experiences
- religious experiences= solitary events where individuals experience the divine/god
- religious experiences are the source of all religious institutions
- can have a great impact- therefore have authority for the person who has it
- religious experiences= solitary events where individuals experience the divine/god
- e.g S H Hadeley- after a religious experience felt a new sense of commission- had an active role in helping drunkards in a similar situation to one he had been in.
- Investigated a large amount of religious experiences
- key characteristics of R/E: ineffable, noetic, transient, passive
- Catholic Bishop Andrew M Greeley (sociology of the paranormal): common aspects of R/E- feelings of inner peace, intense emotions, need to help others, certainty that everything will turn out for the good, god's love is the centre of everything
- religious experiences alone do not demonstrate God's existence but they suggest something 'larger'
- does not deny the reality of experiences BUT examines parallels between them + occurrence of dreams/ hallucinations- there may be a link to the subconscious
- could be a psychological phenomena which is normal to a person like other psychological experiences such as thinking- psychology could be used to explain R/E
- FREUD: religion is an illusion
- found obsessive behaviour seen in mental health patients were similar to religious practices e.g worship
- R/E = childlike desire for a god who resembles a father figure
- However: lack of understanding into the unconscious mind- weak explanation
- does not deny the reality of experiences BUT examines parallels between them + occurrence of dreams/ hallucinations- there may be a link to the subconscious
- R/E are the primary source of religious beliefs
- But- many psychologists/ sociologists claim that religious experiences only happen to people who are already members of a religious tradition
- why do religious experiences result in the formation of different religions?
- Pragmatist: the truth of a statement can be found by understanding the effects
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