Mystical_Pathways_to_the_Governing_Body_of_consciousness

Mystical Pathways to the Governing Body of consciousness William James submits to us the notion that “personal religious experience has its root and centre in mystical states of consciousness. ” Stating that mystical states of consciousness must have the characteristics of ineffability, Noetic quality, transiency, and passivity , James ascribes four marks to mystical states of consciousness, clearly defining them from our normal state of consciousness (what James calls “rational consciousness ”). These four marks provide reason for the existence of a supreme governing body over mystical states of consciousness, which will be established as G-d. Furthermore, G-d's existence in these mystical states provides reason for G-d's existence in rational consciousness. In dissecting James’ four marks of mystical states of consciousness, we find that the very nature of them either implies or makes reference to some form of supreme governing being over their existence. Primarily, James states that there are two main qualities which every mystical state must have: Ineffability, and Noetic quality. The ineffability of mystical states provides a link to the ineffability of G-d. James quotes, “whoso calls the Absolute anything in particular, or says that it is this, seems implicitly to shut it off from being that - it is as if he lessened it. ” mystical, consciousness, g-d, states, state, –, body, must, governing, over, knowledge, g-d’s, existence, james, rational, one, being, while, question, mind, four, two, true, marks, james’, ineffable, gained, , quality, merely, ineffability, function, fate, experiences, reason, presence