Final Thoughts - Fall 2023 - William James Independent Study

                                                         William James final thoughts

To me William James strongly stood for relatability, regardless of one's temperament James generally can find a strong subjective relatability with a vast variety of temperaments in his readings. By that I find his, The Varieties of Religious Experience highly personally influential and that I would encourage others I know to analyze it if their curiosity aspires. If one is a subjective seeker of any kind James gives one a place to rest their head. By that I continue to be reminded by how lacking general contemporary people, even academics like myself, are in understanding the human psyche. With such, further inspiring my passion for James as he argues for pragmatism, and that we ought be pragmatic of realities with practical value. To me this is a defense of one’s right to take advantage of the vague rationalistic methods openly available rather than ‘let life pass us by’ feeling. As James strongly defends, ancient ancestors used vague approximations in the name of the divine. Their cause and effect prove effective a vast majority enough to establish it as truth, thus James pushes for a reevaluation of truth, a deconstruction. Thus, which truth is actually true? Or truer? However, it must be mentioned that such certainly there still has determinants and necessities, such as things actually argued as true, ie., approved through verification process.

However, such questions, seeking the essence of truth, certainly invoke subjective realities; one that typically transcends the individual immediately. I find this relatable within particular eastern ideology; as within meditation then vanishes all the mountains, rivers, and trees, and extends a flat clear plane of conscious understanding and, upon returning, realities mountains, rivers, and trees return leaving it generally hard to accept conception the same as one did before, typically feeling an entirely changed composition. Even by James's mystical experiences he recognized such as a special consciousness forcing the redefining of his general consciousness. There is certainly a vast number of practical values possible within this even to the extreme of people uprooting their entire lives. Thus, the revaluation of truth at a true subjective and visceral level. However, by all this I personally thought of a more modern take on the conception of methodology.

Let us call spiritual consciousness, as it is transcendental, one’s ‘vertical reality’ and one’s normal consciousness as their ‘horizontal reality’. Reduce the dimensionality of one’s horizontal reality, ie., the mountains, rivers, and trees, or those also representing one's family, friends, and life commitments. Such reduction inhibits furthering such dimensionalities, or that it is too many distractions. As, limiting in general isolates reality, putting one's focus on isolated factors and singularities. Such lowering of horizontal dimensionality is the essence of yoga; with a focus on closed eyes, darkness, nothingness, or mere breathing, one is able to heighten focus on a singular mental conception and experience factors necessitating from such experience, such is a subjective relationship; a spiritual relationship.

One factor I always personally find odd is that by the vast number of mystical experience examples that James shares, often the truth feels so viscerally pronounced to many individuals. And numerous times they come back even admitting the feeling but with a lack of understanding of it lasting. Thus, unless one's memories are failing them it feels as a truth alternate to logic and to many such individuals, it feels beyond or supra to it. And to me that is bizarre as I suppose I felt logic and truth to be rather synonymous or rather, that truth at least required logic. And, for the individual coming back to reality, it may require logic but, for a moment it did not. It feels inspiring, as an individual’s curiosity to seek the core of such a reality. Thus, an infinite quest of the unattainable, maybe God, but better said as Berkeley’s Matter. If we do not understand such a conceptual regard then one may act in absolutes; however, with understanding it one can act in relativities and experience the subjective beauty of living, the forming of identity, and the journey of understanding. Many find it uninspiring to reduce back to identity, however I look at it more as an umbrella term connecting lines of understanding of the factors that comprise us and what we personally call reality. Now to be a bit critical; from my personal experience of mystical experiences, entheogen derived, one typically returns with something immediately diminishing, the subjectivity of their experience, until it feels as an ambiguous subjective feeling that one is attached to in a personal solidarity. Just like James with anesthetics. With such a strong optimistic feeling but also so ambiguous to halt any action forward, one is at least left grasping conceptual factors, with the primary one being how amazed they are at life now. By that, with an inhibition on actions forward one may feel the only way to express it is to inspire others. One saw the light at the end but, too many that truly halts action forward and one is left able only to give such a beautiful gift to others. As is a correlation I personally connect between James's mystical entheogenic experiences and his dedication to the defense of human experiences, one’s with practical value. Certainly, not the prime factors in James motivation at all, but one that comes to find by general correlative feelings.

Now, by such articulations, of sharing life’s beauty, in The Varieties of Religious Experience we certainly saw a vast number of subjectivities enraptured in ecstasy still within the secular realm. However, they seem more few in number then those of religious influence. The feeling of life as a beautiful gift to others strongly contrasts much of a moralist reality. Although they do wish for a beautiful world, they rather live in will and the physical reality. Certainly, we see many secular counter examples, such as poets. However, through a the very heightened spiritual nature of poetry, poets compare strongly with religious temperaments, both generally tender minded. However, one can also argue that many secular poets were inspired by religious individuals or religious poets, or religion in general, or even in spite of it. By James, we saw religions influence is disturbingly loud and prevalent especially in that we map out many extreme natures by religious extremes. While moralists and secularists can be rather strongly spiritual, it is tough to know if they would be the same and inspiring depth without religion ever existing. As by a secularist, they may think they can understand but surely no one can be in the exact same experience as another; to many experiences, belief is necessary and obviously cannot be faked. However, in relating to earlier, logic detaches from belief; often we say it must be believed like it is a choice. However, I would argue that belief is far from a choice. Rather, it is such an ineffable phenomenal experience that individuals would nearly like to give up their life instead of denying its truth and reality. Thus, if those are the stakes things start to feel more clear. Maybe we should not question one's beliefs, and maybe that causes all of us more problems to do so in the first place. However, by James, they certainly do not exude authority on me or others.

Now that definitely starts to define James's rather hyper-individual reality on personal mystical experiences, and even general life experiences. Certainly I cannot know my red is your red and not a blue. However, we do not typically live by critical facts rather, by folk psychology and a general feel of common sense. Critical science says time is not linear; well common sense strongly contends differently; such critical science holds no practical value in our lives. Thus, everyday we disregard it and rather live by the common sense feel of linear time, or that a rock will always fall, or that your red is probably the same as my red. By this I feel James missed the commonsense regard of ‘group’ mystical experiences. However, he does have a point in mention the Eucharist in conceptual regards of Berkeley's matter and what the unattainable reality of such conceptual realities like the Eucharist is. However, concerning further group mysticism, in a common sense regard, he talks a bit short. Certainly, pushing me to want to study experiences of phenomenon witnessed by more than one individual, obviously rather rare in occurrence but also highly useful in historical contextualization. Did groups of humans truly see a battle of the gods? Did contextual factors cause illusionary reactions on heroes and kings? Certainly, there is a sublime fascination, however this moreso concerns wearing the ‘hats’ of past cultures to better grasp the bounds of human psyche, experience, or spiritual potentials.

Now, diverting back to mystical experiences; as we saw, mystical experiences generally leave as ambiguous and certainly such people are craving the unambiguous of it, but maybe that is stored in the subliminal with triggers possible to release it. In the craving of unambiguity people find and install new meanings according to how their new experiences find themselves as truths. Thus, we distort and mystify such mystical experiences in an attempt to match up to the intensity we expect or chase. And, to state once more, if one could access their subliminal memories they may feel, ‘oh yeah I remember’. Thus, it seems there is a temporal memory concerning an individual's subliminal, commonly near a déjà vu. And, once entered upon things are clear, then becoming familiar, then both increasing in such a rapid intensity that one feels a strong ecstasy that makes them almost plead for it to stop. Certainly, very religiously comparable.

Thus, to me, to remember is a very small word for the subjectivity it brings. I find remembrance similar to religious regards or prayer. It connects one with the infinite, reduces one's dimensionality of their horizontal reality, of which one is always fleeing but comes back to; so, come back to reality and use such remembrance to continue life, an attitude generally often accompanied with a melioristic spirit. Such a way to live life in a finite reality with feelings of the infinite of the vertical reality. Versus what? A moralist reality? Even by the science of James's time it was rather bleak and existentially dreadful, sure that may not bother one today, or next week, or next month, but when it does depression is common. Remembrance promotes the opposite of this, it gives drive in love or in spite of life; one is able, not crippled.

Now, to combine such remembrance with common sense. By general human psyche we certainly see some weirdness with mystical experiences. Some individuals meet with ancient ancestors, or even otherworldly life like angels or aliens; such foreign creatures generally acting like they know what's going on and saying that ‘one is doing a good job’ and just to ‘keep at it’. By this and other factors, there often becomes an excitement concerning post-life, commonly with the feeling as if there must be an afterlife. Certainly, many significant practical values are held within this; such a valuable experience that can motivate and drive. However, to restate, people do not want to believe these as relativities as it often inhibits their actions forward, they want to believe them as absolutes to reality, making it easier to instill belief. But certainly this contains many problems often bound to a second birth, even if in a deconversion now believing all to be ridiculous. However, individuals become fascinated in their temps at uncovering life secrets, not particularly of their own secrets. Certainly, life here could be synonymous with the universe, God, or ‘All’. However, I defend the protection of such beliefs, as they were not first beliefs but rather experiences, and experiences certainly feel of common sense such as the sun setting or as time being linear. And, as we chose not to question linear time, as nonlinear time has no practical human value, then should we question relations with ancestors? With aliens/angles? Afterlifes? My take is no, we should let beliefs just be as they are. And such conceptions, if even just by general evolutionary human common-sense regard, certainly seemed to many individuals nearly as real as linear time. I argue that we ought not fight natural instincts. Thus, by that I declare from my own quite tender minded temperament that I do not know that there is not an afterlife. Choosing agnostic here significantly serves me more practical value. And, by James, if another day it inhibits me then I shall disregard it. Thus, the feeling of suffering via attachment of conceptions. So clearly, while in pragmatic philosophy, I certainly find mystical experience’s truths as probable to live by, so long as their fruits are worthwhile. And many fail at this, but hey, I'd argue that at least they were preoccupied with life than not.

I certainly like James's moment on mysticism and music, noting that music has always had roots in mysticism and its practices. Philosophy wise we certainly also see it with Camus in that, music concerts create illusions of the sublime, conceptions, and subjectivities in not one, two, but too many ways to count that one then disconnects from typical reality into a mystical or near phenomenal experience; to be playing with Maya/the cerebral hologram/human psyche’s spiritual/God/religious projection. And thus, appears near absolute and possibly even as a real as nature. Thus, forcing beliefs, the same as if we saw the rainfall and instilled belief in such a process. Thus, inspiring ritualistic behaviors. When such regards arose via musical concerts many times the same music can trigger spiritual springs that are immediately transcendental, reconnecting a person’s subjectivity to a prior phenomenal experience. Thus, building a strong spiritual subliminal psyche.

With such transcendence, often, all feels generally amazing, and life feels very clear, so clear that one immediately feels retired of questions and concerns; that prior behaviors must have been an attempt to fill this void that now feels of completeness. But with once prior human life such a collection of an adaptation towards a finite and less immortal life already, than such transcendental ontology is scary and persecuting. As earlier I mentioned, enraptured in ecstasy that feels of too much often pushes people to want to turn off such clarity. Thus, the similarity and power of remembrance, something generally transcendental. I could go on about remembrance, however objectively; an experience gives an individual an optimistic outlook afterwards. Then they come back, forgetting most of it but remember that motivating feeling, such as a fuel of divine level lubricating life factors until running out. Remembrance replenishes that. Thus, one should remember but, how often? Say if I did it a week ago I may still hear the words and thoughts in my own head thus it is still rather clear and such ecstasy possible may be too overpowering to seek out further clarity. Such remembrance submits one closer to the line of divinity and further facing away from human moralities; one becomes rather divine in ontology, with a strong subliminal. So again, how often to remember? That would be up to the individual. However, it should at least be known the spiritual potential that one has. They may still depend upon a moralist structure of finite spiritual potential rather than the infiniteness of spirit from remembrance. Me personally, I cannot say I still seek out such remembrance intensely. Generally, things feel a bit more clear than I would prefer, thus I enjoy casting a veil of illusion as certainly there is bliss in ignorance. And certainly, many times, it is not optimal to remember but mostly because I can remember that I have not forgotten. Thus, remembrance becomes a symbolic word of reference connecting human subjectivity, common sense, and even transcendental potential.

Now, I was a big fan of James's chains argument in The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life. Certainly, there are factors and objects connected by chains, with many even connecting to transcendental natures. Such feel supra, or beyond, life’s factors thus supra to the chains, detaching from them. I find that by the nature of habit, our compulsory ritualistic behavior, we become addicted to particularities in life. Many saints aim to identify factors strong with God and to relate with those and not others, ones of no godly relation at all. And by an addiction to habits of low links of chains in connecting the floor of reality to the ceiling, they may never know universal subjectivity connecting with totality, or a relation with God. Thus, some chains may have such a short length, so much to reduce us rather narrow minded and sick in subjectivity and spirit that one ought to release those and grab different ones. In many ways, such is conversion, a recentering of one's consciousness. Of course, by James, moralism’s chains only go so far, and as with religions, often, connecting to the ceiling and going beyond. A moralist may never ‘see the top of the mountain’ often exuding the conception ‘I guess that's just how the world is’. Another note, navigating the world chains for those that are transcendental or not gives strong honest debate for God's ‘lure’. Certainly, James gives satisfactory connection to the secular, and thus we get many practical values to extract. Even by many mystics, such is by correctly tuning one's mind.

Now concerning chains, I have an interesting example in mind, say John thinks it's 11:11, looks at his watch and sees that it actually is and feels that was odd, then follow one to two more odd coincidental factors that occur. Thus, in this conceptual regard two to four chains have linked have of odd occurrences, generally this is far more than enough to cross the threshold into superstition. This is debatable as being within a divine realm; logic has been suspended and individual subjectivity is massively heightened, and suggestibility is added near max even if merely, ‘it was probably nothing’, by that generally John will agree that ‘yes, that's probably right’. Thus, it becomes clear it is about noticing the factors of reality connecting with proper chains. Or as I assumed that to be the purpose that the word ‘spring’ serves. Noticing factors to spring one spirits to near transcendental. And, upon noting, even if stored in the subliminal, one certainly gains strong spiritual potential.

Finally, as I am still not entirely finished with The Varieties of Religious Experience’s last section of Philosophy, I am still connecting thoughts. Now, prior in the book, James mentioned a Christian theologian that found the ineffable divinity in a mystical experience and compared this as ‘the highest feeling’ and, to them, is seen even at the best points in love or even politics. Thus, to me I find it much more clear to abstract the divine; However I find many contemporary Christians would aim to disagree and hold God more secret in finding. But of course, I do feel many Christians would also still agree. And by this theologian’s ideology, the divine certainly feels more clear in understanding; that greatness in all things, feeling transcendental. Thus, by this I could see God in all things. My music may be transcendental to me and yours to you but not to each other in reverse. Thus, God wears different styles, clothes, vibes, all according to the individual's styling. Thus, is individuality and expression of spirit. But beneath each outfit of divinity is the same divinity underneath, a neutral God. One that certainly could be synonymous with the personification of absolute goodness. Thus, by this definition it is certainly not hard to see God in everything and naturally, seeing so, feels transcendental. But understanding the chapter a little more I see God as argued as the absoluteness of truth floating in the air of reality; a veil of truth permeating the world that people often convert and readjust their lives to, often gaining meaning and purpose as pragmatism, by James, is merely old ideas reconsidered. I cannot express my, ineffable, gratitude of James bringing forward such a collective ideology, such a veil of truth. Certainly James, by this, is one that can bring the gift of God (or universe, or spirituality, or the ‘all’, or human subjectivity) to the people. With James truly as a connector of divinity in the tender minded subjective existence of being human on this place called earth.

            Wonderful course, very life changing, thank you so much!

                        --Seth Graves-Huffman