The Nature and Genesis of Religious Experience

That religious experiences are an integral part of human life is evident from the fact that they have occurred in all places and at all times. Based on this premise the book attempts at making a comprehensive enquiry into/analysis of the nature and genesis of religious experiences.

The focus is on religious experiences in general. While it emphasises on the explicit forms of religious experiences like mysticism and revelation they are treated as phenomenon and not as occurrences specific to any religion or creed. Essentially, this book provides a broad perspective and penetrating understanding of the nature of religious experiences which shows how these experiences are not always spontaneously received but may also be cultivated. It brings to the fore the interaction between mystical experience, on the one hand, and ‘set’ and ‘setting’ on the other; ‘set’ meaning personal predilections and ‘setting’ the other than personal, i.e., physical, social, hereditary and cultural surroundings. The place of psychological bases and extramental agents like psychedelic drugs and music (hindustani Classical Music) that may instigate religious experiences have been explored as both of them have occupied a significant position in most religions. The question of expression of religious experiences comprises the concluding part of the enquiry.