Customer Reviews

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature

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This 1902 publication still takes pride of place as a landmark study and remains one of the most influential books ever on psychology and spirituality. The style is accessible and engaging, consistently interesting with well-reasoned arguments. Religions are not compared; the study is restricted to the experiences of the individual.

James considers the feelings, actions and experiences of people insofar as they understand themselves to be in a relationship with whatever they consider the Divine. It has nothing to do with churches, doctrine or dogma, concerning itself only with the religious experiences of everyday life.

He emphasizes the passionate aspect of religion and its power of adding enchantment to life. Dealing objectively with a wide spectrum of observed and personally related religious experiences, James also quotes from the autobiographical writings of famous authors, theologians and mystics from many traditions including Whitman, Luther, Voltaire, Emerson, Tolstoy and many others.

The terrain of study is clearly identified and circumscribed. Chapter titles include Religion & Neurology, the Reality of the Unseen, the Religion of Healthy-Mindedness, the Sick Soul, the Divided Self & the Process of Unification, Conversion, Saintliness, Mysticism and Philosophy.

In his own words: "Both thought and feeling are determinants of conduct, and the same conduct may be determined either by feeling or thought. When we survey the whole field of religion, we find a great variety in the thoughts that have prevailed there; but the feelings on the one hand and the conduct on the other are almost always the same, for Stoic, Christian and Buddhist saints are practically indistinguishable in their lives. The theories which religion generates, being thus variable, are secondary. If you wish to grasp its essence, you must look to the feelings and the conduct as being the more constant elements."

This book offers a treasure trove of insights, revelation, wisdom and points to ponder that contributes substantially to the reader's understanding of consciousness, psychological processes, mystic states, thought & emotion, and the relationship to the Eternal Divine.

Although it is not a difficult text to grasp, patience is called for since every sentence is loaded with so many layers of meaning that one often has to reread a previous paragraph in order to fully comprehend and properly process the insights and information. A mindful, meditative study of the text will richly reward the reader.

Other works on religion and/or spirituality that I have found illuminating, inspiring or thought-provoking are Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning & The Creative Process in the Individual by Thomas Troward, Religion in the Making by Alfred North Whitehead, The Hidden Power of the Bible by Ernest Holmes, Alter Your Life by Emmet Fox, Cracking the Bible Code by Jeffrey Satinover, The Thirteen Petalled Rose by Adin Steinsaltz and One Cosmos Under God by Robert Godwin.

I am neither a psychologist nor a theologian. I picked up this book because I had insomnia one night, and thought it would put me to sleep. Contrary to my expectations, it was fascinating. While I will not delve into a discussion about the major tenets of the book(other people already have and have done a much better job than I am capable of) I will say, the strength of this book is James' ability to convey complicated ideas in a straightforward way. It is not at all like modern philosophical texts, which tend to be convoluted at best. Because the book is based on Lectures he delivered in Scotland, it has a conversational tone, that makes it almost fun to read. Most importantly, the ideas behind it and the scope of the work, are accessible to anyone who reads it, which, is really the point of writing seminal texts like this. While it is not an especially quick read, the topics he covers, conversion, 'the sick soul', etc are so interesting that you can't help but stay focused. I appreciated the insight into, not only psychology, but also American religious/spiritual/self improvement movements, which make this book still relevant today. I am glad I read it.

This book is based on a series of Lectures that the late William James gave at the turn of the century. What makes James' writing so odd in the world of religious studies is his refreshingly realistic take on religion and human nature considering it was written previous to the first world war. In an age where people were remarkably positive about human kind and our collective destiny James' views were certainly unpopular. James, however, was ahead of his time. We look back on his work from a century later through the lens of the most bloody and brutal century mankind can remember and find James' assertions to be entirely too accurate.

This was one of the first academic books on the subject of religious experience and is thus extremely important. William James demonstrates such a wide scope of knowledge on the subject that reading this book is like opening a window into the world of nineteenth century religious movements. Considering the amount of important developements that occured within religion at the time: The Quakers, The abolishionists, Mormons, etc. This book can be extremely useful in that aspect as well.
It is certainly worth reading if you have an interest in

religious experience or in nineteenth century religion. James is and most likely will always be one of the greatest voices on this subject, thus, not to read this book would not be a sin, but it would definitely be a mistake.

This is a classic work explaining in a remarkably objective manner the many varieties and possibilities of religious experience. It well avoids the common trap of falling into a polemic either for or against religion; nor does it become a tract supporting Protestantism over Catholicism or vice-verse; or even Christianity over Islam or vice-versa. The book is extremely well-reasoned and liberally dosed with examples of the extremes of religiousity. These extremes not only make for entertaining reading, but James argues that we can learn more from the people who have felt the religious impulse strongly than we can from those who neatly fit religion into their otherwise secular lives. An over-weaning theme of the book is James's respect for the individual's experience of religion. As a result, this is not a book about the varieties of religions, as it does not compare Protestantism and Christianity; nor Judaism and Buddhism, or any other forms of established religion. In fact, in his chapter about mysticism, he argues that the established religions customarily treat mystics and mysticisms as heretics and heresy. Mysticism then either succumbs or successfully survives to either break off to become its own established religion or becomes absorbed into an established religion. By the time that has happened the individual aspects of mysticism are lost and are replaced by still further dogma.

This book should really have been titled "The Varieties of Christian Religious Experience," for it is only for Christianity (and to some extent Judaism) that James is well-versed enough to give a thorough examination. It is not that he does not respect Islam or Buddhism; it is that he doesn't know them well enough to draw them fully into the discussion.

It has been said that Henry James wrote his novels as philosophical treatises while his brother William wrote his philosophical works as novels. This book, originally published in 1902 may be considered one of the 20th century's most influential books on both psychology and spirituality.

James considers the feelings, actions and experiences of individuals, insofar as they understand themselves to be in a relationship with whatever they consider the divine. It is thus about the religion of everyday life and has nothing to do with churches and dogma.

He writes objectively about a wide spectrum of religious experiences and quotes from the autobiographical writings of famous mystics from many traditions and of people like Whitman, Luther, Voltaire, Emerson, Tolstoy and many others. No religions are compared, only the experiences of the individual, and his arguments are well-reasoned.

Thought and feeling are determinants of conduct; the same conduct may be determined either by feeling or by thought. When the entire field of religion is surveyed, we discover massive variety in the thoughts that have prevailed there; but the feelings and the conduct are nearly always the same for Christian, Moslem and Buddhist saints are practically indistinguishable in their lives.

The theories which religion generates are secondary. If one desires to understand its essence, one must look to the feelings and the behaviour as being the more constant elements. This book is a treasure trove of insights and collected wisdom that simultaneously serves as a trenchant plea for religious tolerance.

And yes, it does sometimes read like a gripping novel, especially the chapters on the religion of healthy-mindedness, the sick soul, and mysticism. The reader should be patient though. Although it is not a difficult text to grasp, every sentence is loaded with so much meaning that one has to return regularly to previous paragraphs in order to fully understand and properly process the arguments and insights.

A thorough, patient study of the text will richly reward the reader. An even more rewarding experience can be had by studying Richard Maurice Bucke's Cosmic Consciousness, Rudolf Steiner's Theosophy: An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human Life and in the Cosmos and Stephan A. Hoeller's The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead at the same time. These four classic works complement one another in a most marvellous way.

It's often said - sometimes quite colorfully - that everyone has an opinion. Against that backdrop, William James' classic book on religion stands out as a model for letting the facts speak for themselves.

James analyzes the life of religion (more than "the religious life") from numerous perspectives. Yet his description of the born-again, or conversion experience is perhaps the most compelling.

Instead of merely editorializing, he presents the descriptions of born-again experiences in the language of the people who had them. The reader is then free to distill from those descriptions the elements that comprise the experience, and distinguish those from the many interpretations given to them. James' book is not a polemic for or against religious conversion, but more accurately a description of the experience and a guide for its (many) interpretations.

This is not to suggest that the book begins and ends with the matter-of-fact dryness of Sgt. Joe ("Just the facts, ma'am.") Friday. On the contrary, James cared passionately about his work. This topic mattered greatly to him, and in his remarks on it he displayed a clear preference for levelheadedness and reason. He was no supernaturalist. Yet by presenting the data without judging it, he gives us a framework to continue move religious thought forward, beyond the narrow confines of pat dogmas.

A timeless and proufound book! Whatever you believe, there is much to be had in the Varieties. James weaves through the experiences of many different individuals, clarifying and illuminating both their inner and practical meaning. Decidedly, the book focuses on mystics, gnostics, the extremely devout and the chronically depressed at the exclusion of more mundane religious experiences. A very interesting bunch. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the book: One of the depressed characters James mentions is none other than James himself! Similar to his father, Henry Sr., William had a psychological breakdown at about the age of thirty. As James describes it in his memoirs and letters, the nature of the breakdown was such that he had lost faith in free-will. As he asks in his psychology, are we merely automaton slaves to our underlying biology, or do we have the ability to act independently and free? A quagmire any relentless self-examining philosopher could get hung up on. And James was just that - relentless in self-examination. Indeed, his quest for the truth was epic. You can never go wrong reading anything he wrote. Always well-thought-out, clear and penetrating. This man illuminates everything he touches.

Great book for people in recovery.

William James writes in a refined, almost Elizabethean style, which is very effective in isolating and postulating the cases of religious and mystical experiences outlined here. Besides James' objective approach to the study, I also appreciate the range of cases studied. From the greatest of Christian mystics to the strangest of self-mortificationists, the characters, experiences and events James squeezes out of history provide an informative, astounding, and entertaining look at the world of religious experiences (often referred to as 'mystical experiences'). And perhaps most importantly, he does this without pandering to his readership nor pushing his beliefs onto others. Ultimately, as a psychologist, he seems far more concerned with objectively studying the cases of individual's experiences, rather than using his findings to proselytize in any way, shape or form. Recommended for those new to the study of 'non-ordinary' religious experiences, mystical phenomenon, and perhaps psychology. But this is no joke or quack fad. It is a study based on hard research. William James was a highly respected professional in circles of literati, psychology, and scholasticism.

To call "Varieties of Religious Experience" a classic is an understatement. What I find really amazing is that it was written in 1902. James was first known for his work with "functionalism" in psychology, essentially making him the first modern psychologist --- moving psychology away from the realm of philosophy. Thus, we have psychology becoming an empirical science. The empirical methodology was used to explore items of interest in psychology and religion.

Many books on religion express an interest in religion from the point of view of a theologian or person who studies religion from the point of view of religious institutions. To many people, religion means different things. It could be from the point of view of a "born-again Christian," or it could be from a more personal point of view. We come to see religion as an existential phenomenon. We learn that it is an incredibly personal relation between the individual and his concept of the Divine. There is a definite emphasis on the personal aspects of religion.

With experimental psychology, we deal in matters that are seen and are easily quantifiable. In the psychology of religion, we deal with how the individual deals with the reality of the unseen. We have a feeling of the presence of God. Some people can feel a mystical experience, whereas others have a more rational approach. People experience the divine in different manners - on the one hand, it can be impersonal and transcendental, and on the other hand it can be solemn, personal, and passionate. The religious tell us that religion can have the result of "healthy mindedness" -- in fact, it leads to a systematic sense of "healthy mindedness" diverting our attention from disease and death. This is more than just "faith healing," but rather a prescription for a life of action. It leads to practical effectiveness. Another area of interest is sin and the "sick soul", and the healthy effects of "redemption." Other areas of interest are conversion, religious "back-sliding," saintliness and living the good life, empiricism and skepticism, mysticism and philosophy, and aspects of religious worship service.

I found that this book should have interest not just to students of the psychology of religion. It also has appeal to the religious, and those who want to find out more about the religious experience from a point of view that is a different from the views expressed in Church and Sunday School. The point of view is one that will appeal both to religious conservatives and to religious liberals. Its presentation is sensitive and logical. For some people, it may even produce the "aha!" response that they are now seeing religion with greater perspective. (This is a review of the paperback edition.)