The Varieties of Religious Experience Lectures 4 & 5 (Part 2), and Lectures 6 & 7 (Part 1)

 The Varieties of Religious Experience Lectures 4 & 5 (Part 2), and Lectures 6 & 7 (Part 1)

Lectures 4 and 5- The Religion of Healthy-Mindedness (Part 2)

Such healthy mindedness certainly relates with its contemporary Christian liberalism and by it is victorious over the hell-bent church traditionalism. As such healthy minded religions are tending away from sin and respecting dignity over despair thus to them older Christians are sickly. James says such a disregard of evil certainly could be a newer evolutionary direction for religion. Regarding evolutionary theory, it completely reset the approach to natural religious factors. In doing so, disrupting institutional religions and only helping a more organic and practical healthy minded religious approach. Thus, giving evolution the potential to substitute in for the religion of one’s context. We get another example, this of one with a reaction systematic and reflective, binding them to particular ideals rather not religious. To them religion means nothing and it is ridiculous for those that it does mean something. This person is very happy with life and especially so if they could pass away to sports, music, etc. Sin is a disease and “morbidness over it only increases the disease” (p93). Sin was useful in the past but will have a future one day where it is unnecessary. So, this certainly is a great example of optimism of scientific or evolutionary influence. However, in recent day a powerful and rather influential psychology movement grows, mind cure movements. With a strong Christian influence, it spreads to different movements and sects such as New Thought and Christian Science. Mind cure movements are an intentionally optimistic way of life with a speculative and practical side (p94). With the key feature of such movements being the belief in the “all saving power of healthy minded attitudes” (p95), with it one gains courage strength and trust in the face of life's adversities. But best judge it by its fruits. We certainly hear of odd, phenomenal stories of miraculous healing; with the blind able to see, people are able to walk again - the regenerative stories seem remarkably genuine; despite many scientific evaluations however, these lived experiences certainly provide a strong push for people's adoption of such healthy mindedness and we definitely see it interwoven in culture outside of religion as well. Surely there are ways it does not work and it is not for everyone but with that there is an odd credible notion given by many professionals with Dr. Goddard saying, “we do find sufficient evidence to convince us that the proper reform and mental attitude would relieve many a sufferer of ills that an ordinary physician cannot touch” (p97). Certainly, mind cure movements need to be analyzed. Their beliefs generally center around the idea that all religious experiences contain the dual nature of a shallow and profound sphere; with shallow/lower sphere concerning flesh sensations, instincts, desire, doubt, etc. (p97). Many religions, especially Christianity, hold high regards over this lower spear but mind cure movements would rather disregard it with the devil, with this being a philosophy entirely readdressing religious persuasion. Now we get another example, that fear forethought is for animals and now as humans to hold on to this is unnecessary, decaying, and ought be removed thus, aiming to recategorize things of reality. For many mind cure followers, fear forms misery habits. We get another example, to them life is a nonstop continuum of disease and death, so they ask, is there even a reason for health to exist? Well, it certainly at least neutralizes such morbid relations with reality. Mind cure movement certainly address the consciousness but generally pertain to the subconscious and by that they are consistently present with their divine. We get another example; they conceive a universe of infinite life and power as the background of all and manifesting itself throughout reality. Universe or God, as long as it regards ‘the great central fact’ that, with God filling the universe then the life of humans and God are one and the same but only differing by degree and ‘the great central fact’ is coming into consciousness of this oneness and being open to receive the divine, “we actualize in ourselves the qualities and powers of the infinite life” (p101), opening channels to the divine and allowing the spirit to exchange “dis-ease for ease” (p101). Divinity is attached to the universe, and one has the power to rise to heaven in their life on earth as “all the powers of the universe combined to help us heavenward” (p101). Now, James next aims at less abstract but more concrete examples. We have another example, they believe suffering stems from separation from the divine as “if one [is] with omnipotence, how can weariness enter the consciousness?” (p102). After many years nearly fully paralyzed and with a miraculous mental healing story, this person spent the last 14 years healing others without any fatigue or pain felt since. They find that they are much better with God than the universe against them. We have another example; with many life breakdowns and then the body wasting away eventually New Thought came back to their memory and that they should always have relation with the essence of life that we call God or the greater self, turn to the light within, and live with God or the divine’s self’s presence (p103). Bodily health problems only exist outside of divine reality, certainly there is a powerful ease for many here. We get another example, from birth till 40 they suffered intense illness and while one day growing much weaker, they hear an inner voice saying, “you will be healed and do work you've never dreamed of” (p104) and then assuming it must be God and believed so in spite of all their suffering. Two years later they met with a mental healer, and the moment conceives a revelation themselves with God and the power to heal. Thus, God made my stomach, so I ought to eat well and with intense focus they woke up the next day with a changed reality and slowly gained power to eat again. They practiced many methods such as meditation and at times experienced visceral visions that they defeated by refusal to acknowledge such morbidness that was present and rather pay attention to God's expression to better build a pure thought. So, with all examples thus far certainly it is hard not to consider mind cure within religious movements. However, concerning philosophy, evil certainly exists as a general effect in the world. And of course, there are mind cure movements such as Christian Science as radical to regard evil as a lie in this world, but as we shall see later this can be rather problematic. Concerning mind cure movements, we certainly see rapid changes in an individual’s stages of reality and generally for the better, rather than reducing oneself down to moralist rules. And many times, such rules themselves may be instigating the problems. A moralist aims never to relax and always be positive, but many conscious failures are prevalent unlike mind cure movements wild success stories. By this we need an anti-moralist approach - surrender but passively not actively, give up responsibilities and “resign to the care of your higher destiny” (p110) and once you are back you will still have all things once renounced but now with an internal ease. This is rather similar to “salvation through self-despair, the dying to be truly born” (p110) of Lutheran theology. As a process of critical change within an event so spontaneous it feels near supernatural regard, religious or not it is certainly a rather “fundamental form of human experience” (p110) and by analysis James aims soon to tackle this phenomenon of revivalist conversions but for now, mind cure movement methodologies. Generally, these are suggestive methods which certainly contain many therapeutic elements thus makes sense developing alongside religion. But with religions prior history it has been hard for contemporary people to practically receive suggestive benefits until now with mind cure movements more accessible. As this was a prior history regarding - sickness merely as a “visitation; sent by God” (p113). Suggestive influence assumes, that upon being received it is a revelation gospel within the hearts of many – “it has let loose the springs of higher life” (p113) such as personal faith, enthusiasm, action, etc. Next James aims for examples of people combining healthy mindedness with a readiness for healing via surrender. Protestantism is too pessimistic, and Catholicism is too institutional and moralistic for either to be able to afford such a combination. Our aim is to find a combination. We get another example, through meditative practice one can train to tune out all surrounding noise to a quiet headspace undisturbed within their “own psychic aura” (p116). This is rather similar to Catholic regards of recollection, that being to vividly place oneself in God's presence. We get another example, in that, recollection of God permits his presence in all places and at all times. One escapes all ills within such a recollection and should never leave it; always practice, if not then always remember. And this is certainly rather similar to mind cure movements. We get another example, this time of mind cure, “pure thinking can be encouraged, promoted, and strengthened” (p117) until it becomes habit and thus forming a channel of practical use, a mental frame that an individual floods with love and beauty. Turn your back on the lower and sensuous plane and one can lift themselves into the higher plane and make residence (p117). And just by believing this, their ‘law of attraction’ will argue there to be a universal receptivity to one's desires on the way. Nearing the end of this lecture James aims for the relation between systemic healthy mindedness and religious healthy mindedness with that of scientific method in scientific life (p118). It is growing in scientific thought to regard religion existing for evolutionary survival instincts and in asking for clarity of that, one may assert for primitive thought much of reality revolves around identity. By this there are two ways to it, one, the savage believes things operate by individual forces for one's own ends (p119), that nature obeys individual needs; and two, science has certainly argued identity as the result of mass coincidences and by such people do not operate within the universe outside of general universal laws. But concerning individuals ‘silencing’ that certainly is not merely learned behavior as it is an inner subjective relation and is hard to reduce as mere personality building. With science having an impersonal reality and with mind cure movements being extremely personal it assists in combating oppression from scientific philosophies. As having a belief in a higher power takes us further than belief in ourselves thus, conversions are clear within narratives. We get another example, a person with a bad ankle sprain and with a positive mental suggestion as a visceral experience, then dedicating all to God. Since then, no pain was ever felt there. We get another example, showing experiment and verification and also passivity with surrender. The person falls ill, remembering mind care movement, takes it has an opportunity and begins to refuse to speak of the bads thus having sublime life moments as if they “lie down in the stream of life and let it flow over me” (p121). This was certainly proof enough and they gave up all fear of disease, becoming a devotee. They were set with strong creative confidence with love, happiness, and faith and in the morning, they felt well again. Certainly, this is a method of experiment and verification and surely true to them to such an extent to convert their philosophies. And of course, this is only for particular temperaments and not everyone or every need will be satisfied. It is certainly good utilizing such as in our time many scientific claims are a bit premature to fully rest upon. Science's point of view is merely one perspective of the many sides of the universe. In the end all our verifications are experiences agreeing with isolated systems of ideas, not a good representation of reality. Science has given phones, electricity, and medicine while religion has given serenity, morals, happiness, and its own combat to illness, certainly both hold “genuine keys for unlocking the world's treasure house” (p122). Different necessities in life may require different approaches and thus different temperaments as they follow.

Lectures 6 and 7 – The Sick Soul (Part 1 pg 125-138)

James starts out with an example of Spinoza exuding a strong healthy mindedness in condemning evil and human repentance. As, in accepting such human mistakes only assumes them and the decay of consciousness thus creating more evil as we certainly get “along better by reason and love of truth than by worry of consciousness and remorse” (p128) of which would form a particular sadness. Turning to religion, ones like Christianity have constantly emphasized repentance. Such Spinoza healthy mindedness is rather rare. But many Catholic confessions are subtle middle grounds as once it's done they feel nearly as mentally clean as any mind cure follower. Martin Luther also did not particularly aim for healthy mindedness but certainly had many healthy minded ideals. We get an example of Luther in that, if flesh is sin then we are sin and cannot escape thus why torment oneself. Our fleshy actions may make us fall but with our faith we shall rise. Surely many healthy mindedness examples thus far have aimed to minimize evil but there are also stands those actually maximizing its persuasive element, with evil as life's essence. But first James has a notion concerning philosophy of God and evil in that, we can either take God as absolute and direct concerning evil or also as providential with evil occurring as life continues however, either way evil’s foundations relate with God. But if God is absolute good this is not possible. Thus, one unit is only as good as its worst parts as those are necessary for the individual to be exactly as they are. There is no easy answer in this but plural providential has more wiggle room connecting lower and higher regards than absolute unitary fact. Then evil is not essential and hopefully something we can ditch entirely thus, healthy mindedness tending plural as to more easily disregard evil. Now let us turn towards those less adamant to throw away the burden of evil from their consciousness; believing that we are contingently tied to evil's presence and with despair imminent. As healthy mindedness had levels of shallow and profound so too do these morbid states of mind; for some evil is just about environmental relation needs adjustment; for some evil is not between oneself and the external but the natural wrongs in one’s nature thus, supernatural help is required. For many Latin religions sin is rather plural and for many Germanic it is singular and rather capital ‘S’. Such is a bit more pessimistic, and James will use it to analyze. Recent psychology has made use of the word threshold - a symbolic notion when one mind state passes into another mind state (p134). Such as, how much stimuli are needed to get one's attention. A high threshold could certainly tune out all background noise while the low threshold one is easily interrupted. There are certainly many different thresholds such as fear, misery, or pain - but for some it is a rather high threshold to meet. With healthy mindedness on a bright side and melancholy on a dark side it makes sense that people tend towards the religious side of healthy mindedness but this of course shows different types of religion to different needs. But now it is time to address the side opposed to healthy mindedness, the one of sick souls and their own forms of consciousness, turning towards twice borns. Can sentiments of pity, pain, and fear translate into something profound or worthwhile? Well, how can such insecure experiences have such anchorage to persist? An anchor is certainly only as strong as its weakest link and certainly many factors damper life but once the music stops it always starts again, it just comes in intervals (p136). Healthy mindedness as a bell is now a bell born with a crack. Healthy mindedness ditches such sobering intervals in the gratitude for God to keep them from such bad but “is not its blessedness a fragile fiction?” (p137) as certainly life is not merely successes. Another example, this one of Luther praying for the Lord to take him now and if he had to do another 40 years on earth, he would rather give up his place in paradise. With mistakes, misfortunes, missed opportunities, this world molds insecurities subtlety to pivotal experiences certainly seeming as integral parts of human ontology. In this we are not intended for success but failure. With roots in failure of course old theologians found essential and that only through it do we find life's deeper significances.

--Seth Graves-Huffman