Yet，Irepeatoncemore，theexistenceofmysticalstatesabsolutelyoverthrowsthepretensionofnon-mysticalstatestobethesoleandultimatedictatorsofwhatwemaybelieve。Asarule，mysticalstatesmerelyaddasupersensuousmeaningtotheordinaryoutwarddataofconsciousness。Theyareexcitementsliketheemotionsofloveorambition，giftstoourspiritbymeansofwhichfactsalreadyobjectivelybeforeusfallintoanewexpressivenessandmakeanewconnectionwithouractivelife。Theydonotcontradictthesefactsassuch，ordenyanythingthatoursenseshaveimmediatelyseized。[287]Itistherationalisticcriticratherwhoplaysthepartofdenierinthecontroversy，andhisdenialshavenostrength，fortherenevercanbeastateoffactstowhichnewmeaningmaynottruthfullybeadded，providedthemindascendtoamoreenvelopingpointofview。Itmustalwaysremainanopenquestionwhethermysticalstatesmaynotpossiblybesuchsuperiorpointsofview，windowsthroughwhichthemindlooksoutuponamoreextensiveandinclusiveworld。Thedifferenceoftheviewsseenfromthedifferentmysticalwindowsneednotpreventusfromentertainingthissupposition。Thewiderworldwouldinthatcaseprovetohaveamixedconstitutionlikethatofthisworld，thatisall。

　　Itwouldhaveitscelestialanditsinfernalregions，itstemptinganditssavingmoments，itsvalidexperiencesanditscounterfeitones，justasourworldhasthem；butitwouldbeawiderworldallthesame。Weshouldhavetouseitsexperiencesbyselectingandsubordinatingandsubstitutingjustasisourcustominthisordinarynaturalisticworld；weshouldbeliabletoerrorjustaswearenow；yetthecountinginofthatwiderworldofmeanings，andtheseriousdealingwithit，might，inspiteofalltheperplexity，beindispensablestagesinourapproachtothefinalfullnessofthetruth。

　　Theysometimesaddsubjectiveauditaetvisatothefacts，butastheseareusuallyinterpretedastransmundane，theyobligenoalterationinthefactsofsense。

　　Inthisshape，Ithink，wehavetoleavethesubject。Mysticalstatesindeedwieldnoauthorityduesimplytotheirbeingmysticalstates。Butthehigheronesamongthempointindirectionstowhichthereligioussentimentsevenofnon-

　　mysticalmenincline。Theytellofthesupremacyoftheideal，ofvastness，ofunion，ofsafety，andofrest。TheyofferusHYPOTHESES，hypotheseswhichwemayvoluntarilyignore，butwhichasthinkerswecannotpossiblyupset。Thesupernaturalismandoptimismtowhichtheywouldpersuadeusmay，interpretedinonewayoranother，beafterallthetruestofinsightsintothemeaningofthislife。

......

购买会员看全站小说，或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载，搜索"The Varieties of Religious Experience",免费读到尾