The varieties of spiritual experience : 21st century research and perspectives

Abstract Spiritual experiences have occurred in people around the world and throughout history, up to and including the present day. The founders of every major religion described them, philosophers since the ancient Greeks have pondered them, and according to recent Gallup polls, about 30% of people in the United States and the United Kingdom still report them. A century ago, in The Varieties of Religious Experience, philosopher and psychologist William James famously analyzed accounts of these experiences and raised questions for future scientific study. What triggers these events? How are the brain and body affected? How do these brief moments have such lasting effects? Now, modern science has some answers. This book, The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: Twenty-First Century Research and Perspectives explores scientific breakthroughs on spiritual experiences from the fields of psychology and neuroscience. Readers are invited into laboratories around the world to learn about the methods scientists use to study these elusive yet profound inner events. Survey questions included throughout the book allow readers to discover how scientists would classify various experiences. The book also features examples of spiritual experiences drawn from a diverse set of personal accounts. For many people, spiritual experiences rank alongside marriage and childbirth as among life’s most meaningful moments—this book builds on William James’s theoretical foundation and provides the basis for a scientifically informed contemporary understanding of these profound and mysterious experiences. "Spiritual experiences have occurred in people around the world and throughout history, up to and including the present day. The founders of every major religion described them, philosophers since the ancient Greeks have pondered them, and according to recent Gallup polls, about 30% of people in the United States and the United Kingdom still report them. A century ago, in The Varieties of Religious Experience, philosopher and psychologist William James famously analyzed accounts of these experiences and raised questions for future scientific study. What triggers these events? How are the brain and body affected? How do these brief moments have such lasting effects? Now, modern science has some answers. This book, The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: Twenty-First Century Research and Perspectives explores scientific breakthroughs on spiritual experiences from the fields of psychology and neuroscience. Readers are invited into laboratories around the world to learn about the methods scientists use to study these elusive yet profound inner events. Survey questions included throughout the book allow readers to discover how scientists would classify various experiences. The book also features examples of spiritual experiences drawn from a diverse set of personal accounts. For many people, spiritual experiences rank alongside marriage and childbirth as among life’s most meaningful moments—this book builds on William James’s theoretical foundation and provides the basis for a scientifically informed contemporary understanding of these profound and mysterious experiences"--Publisher's description A cutting-edge guide to the psychology and neuroscience of spiritual experiences Spiritual experiences have occurred within people around the world and throughout history, up to and including the present day. The founders of every major religion described them, philosophers since antiquity have pondered them, and according to recent polls, about 30% of people still report them. A century ago, philosopher and psychologist William James famously analyzed accounts of these experiences and raised questions for future scientific study. What triggers these events? How are the brain and body affected? How do these brief moments have such lasting effects? Now, modern science has some answers. This book invites readers into contemporary psychology and neuroscience laboratories around the world to learn about these elusive yet profound inner events. As it explores phenomena ranging from divine revelations to paranormal experiences to life-changing experiences of unity, findings from modern science are illustrated with a diverse set of personal accounts from believers and non-believers alike, plunging readers into deeply personal and sometimes transformative moments. Written by two renowned scientists in the field, this book is a deep exploration of the psychology and neuroscience of a range of profoundly meaningful experiences. "In the midst of life's many ordinary moments, some experiences feel extraordinary. They can mark inflection points in one's life, after which one is never quite the same. Most brief experiences capable of making a long-lasting impact involve obvious changes in one's outward circumstances, like a birth, a death, a marriage, or an illness. Yet some life-changing moments seem to come wholly from another source, appearing as mental states or altered states of consciousness either from deep within a person's mind or, perhaps, from a source beyond the self. These experiences have been called by different names over time: spiritual, religious, mystical, peak, or self-transcendent, and people around the world and throughout history have experienced them, up to and including the present day. The sacred texts of every major religion describe these moments, philosophers since the ancient Greeks have pondered them, and according to recent Gallup polls (2003), well over 30% of contemporary Americans have experienced them"-- Provided by publisher