Psychology of mystical experience

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature

Based on James's Gifford Lectures delivered at Edinburgh, this work is a foundational text in the psychology of religion. James shifts the focus from institutional theology to individual 'religious genius' and the direct experience of the divine. He explores themes of radical conversion, saintliness, mysticism, and 'the sick soul' vs. 'healthy-mindedness'. He famously argues that the truth of a religious experience should be judged by its 'fruits for life' (pragmatism).