William James and mystical experience | Religious education

Starter quiz

What is the word for an acceptance that something is true without having to have proof?
- 'belief' ✓
What is evidence?
- statements that are believed to be true
- facts or information that support an idea ✓
- emotional feelings about an issue
- an opinion or point of view
How should this sentence be completed: A person's way of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world is usually known as a ...
- 'worldview' ✓
Which word describes a message or information passed on by a supernatural being?
- vision
- inspiration
- revelation ✓
- prophecy
______ refers to believing something strongly, often without requiring proof.
- 'faith' ✓
A person feeling a deep sense of peace and connection to God during prayer or meditation could be described as having a ______ experience.
- 'religious' ✓

A type of religious experience where someone feels a deep personal connection to a higher power is usually known as a ______ experience.
- 'mystical' ✓
Which of the following is not a source William James used when evaluating religious experiences?
- personal letters
- historical records
- brain scans ✓
- religious literature
What is pragmatism?
- a philosophy that judges ideas by their usefulness ✓
- a belief in the importance of theories
- a focus on ethical behaviour
- a philosophy that emphasises spiritual beliefs
Which of the following of William James' characteristics of mystical experiences means they convey deep and profound knowledge?
- ineffability
- noetic quality ✓
- transience
- passivity
What was the key message of William James' lecture titled 'The Will to Believe'?
- A belief in the power of logic and reason to justify faith.
- A strong desire to prove religious beliefs through scientific evidence.
- The act of doubting all beliefs until absolute proof is found.
- The decision to accept a belief without proof when it benefits us. ✓
Did William James think religious experiences support the existence of God?
- Yes, he believed religious experiences were a form of scientific proof of God.
- Yes, he believed they provide personal support for a belief in God. ✓
- No, he thought they were all in the mind.
- Yes, he thought they were direct evidence of God's existence.

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William James studied religious experiences from a psychologist's perspective and explained their impact on philosophy.
He relied on observation, conversation and evidence of impact to reach his conclusions.
William James identified four features of mystical experience.
He did not seek to prove the existence of a particular God or gods.
William James concluded that his research leads to a likelihood of a god existing.

Students may think James had a clear view on the existence of God.

James' investigtions led him to be agnostic and open to the idea of God rather than to be a believer.

Mystical experience - a religious experience where someone feels a deep personal connection to a higher power
Pragmatism - a philosophical approach that assesses ideas based on their usefulness in real-life situations
Religious experience - personal feeling or moment when someone believes they connect with a higher power
William james - 20th century psychologist and philosopher who popularised pragmatism