William James Flashcards
What did he believe?
He believed that they all have a common thread (PINT). He thinks that the people are making honest claims however they should not be blindly accepted. He drew a comparison between religious experiences and dreams/hallucinations. However, he did not believe this was an argument against the existence of God
Problems with James - Individual
he only looks as individual experiences which are extraordinary
Counter: perhaps he only looks at individual experiences because large groups are less believable
Problems with James - on the fence
he never really commits to an argument for or against religious experience
Counter: this is open-minded, and a modest view
Problems with James - conversion
he believes that religious experiences take place within a conceptual framework that already exists within the experiencer’s mind
Counter: however, this does not explain conversion experience
Common threads in religious experiences
- Ineffable = it is difficult to explain
- Transient = no sense of time
- Noetic quality = life-changing experience
- Passive =
