The Swami and the Rorschach: Spiritual Practice, Religious Experience, and Perception
Diane Jonte-Pace
The Innate Capacity December 4, 1997 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780195116977.003.0007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that a "perennial psychology" should investigate mystical states and their transformative processes, extending beyond James's typology to consider innate psychological structure and cultural influences. |
Abstract
Abstract NEARLY A CENTURY after William James initiated the psychological study of mysticism with the publication of The Varieties of Religious Experience, Robert Forman has returned to James’s project by issuing a call for a psychologia perennis. This “perennial psychology” would investigate mystical or nonordinary states of consciousness and the transformative processes that produce them. Whereas James offered a typology of mystical experience structured around the mysticism of the “healthy minded” and the mysticism of the “sick soul,” Forman proposes an inquiry that goes well beyond the work of his predecessor. He raises questions not only about types of mystical experience but also about the influence of innate psychological structure and of culture upon mystical experience.