The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature by William James

14 by William James, James, William, 1842-1910

Chapter 14: 3. _Transiency._—Mystical states cannot be sustained for long. Except in

Chapters

Chapter 14: 3. _Transiency._—Mystical states cannot be sustained for long. Except in

rare instances, half an hour, or at most an hour or two, seems to be the limit beyond which they fade into the light of common day. Often, when faded, their quality can but imperfectly be reproduced in memory; but when they recur it is recognized; and from one recurrence to another it is susceptible of continuous development in what is felt as inner richness and importance.
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