Books I'm Reading

Whenever I have a spare moment these days I'm working on my next book. Although it is too soon to reveal the working title, this next book focuses on the nature of spiritual experience.

Usually, my process for writing a book begins with extensive research. And it seems like I have to read 100 pages for every one that I write. However, all this reading on spiritual experience has led me down many interesting paths within science, philosophy, and spirituality.

Along the way I have encountered some real gems, which I will share on this blog as I'm able. Although the most cited book on spiritual experience is undoubtedly William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature (1902), I have recently come upon another classic that is worth mentioning, and this is Rudolf Otto's The Idea of the Holy: An Inquiry into the Non-Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and its Relation to the Rational (1923).

Otto introduces the term "numinous" to describe the element found within all forms of spiritual experience that is beyond concept or reason. He characterizes the experience of the numinous as being both fascinating and awesome at the same time. He also astutely points out that the numinous element of spiritual experience can become eclipsed where its associated conceptual elements, such as moral or aesthetic qualities, become overemphasized within a spiritual teaching.

Evaluating this book (written close to a century ago) in the light of an integral perspective, I think Otto's time in history, as well as his grounding in traditional Protestant Christianity, caused him to overemphasize the "awesome" or "terrifying" aspects of mystical encounters with the Divine. However, the book is nevertheless full of excellent insights and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in spiritual experience.

I'll be blogging about other gems from my research in the days ahead.