A Critcal Analysis of W. James Work on Varieties of Religious Experiences - Essay Example
James defines religious experiences as feelings and acts of men that are dependent on what is considered to be divine. His method of studying religious experiences is based on the definition. He relies on four forms of experiences (Totor2u, 2009). The first form explains that experiences are unique to an individual and can only be explained by the person who goes through them. The second form gives an insight to the truth while the third one is short lived. Finally, the last experience is supernatural in nature, and it takes over the human body (Totor2u, 2009).
His study on varieties of religious experiences addresses the usefulness of religion in human experiences. Given the fact that he does not dismiss the important role played by science in people’s lives, he tries to create a science of religion with the aim of authenticating religion. For James, it is through varieties that unscientific phenomena can be addressed (Pomerleau, 2002).
