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ordinary sluggard and the psychopathic man。 Thus； when a
superior intellect and a psychopathic temperament coalesceas in
the endless permutations and combinations of human faculty； they
are bound to coalesce often enoughin the same individual； we
have the best possible condition for the kind of effective genius
that gets into the biographical dictionaries。 Such men do
not remain mere critics and understanders with their intellect。
Their ideas possess them； they inflict them； for better or worse；
upon their companions or their age。 It is they who get counted
when Messrs。 Lombroso； Nisbet； and others invoke statistics to
defend their paradox。
＇7＇ Superior intellect； as Professor Bain has admirably shown；
seems to consist in nothing so much as in a large development of
the faculty of association by similarity。
To pass now to religious phenomena； take the melancholy which； as
we shall see； constitutes an essential moment in every complete
religious evolution。 Take the happiness which achieved religious
belief confers。 Take the trancelike states of insight into truth
which all religious mystics report。＇8＇ These are each and all of
them special cases of kinds of human experience of much wider
scope。 Religious melancholy； whatever peculiarities it may have
qua religious； is at any rate melancholy。 Religious happiness is
happiness。 Religious trance is trance。 And the moment we
renounce the absurd notion that a thing is exploded away as soon
as it is classed with others； or its origin is shown； the moment
we agree to stand by experimental results and inner quality； in
judging of valueswho does not see that we are likely to
ascertain the distinctive significance of religious melancholy
and happiness； or of religious trances； far better by comparing
them as conscientiously as we can with other varieties of
melancholy； happiness； and trance； than by refusing to consider
their place in any more general series； and treating them as if
they were outside of nature's order altogether？
I hope that the course of these lectures will confirm us in this
supposition。 As regards the psychopathic origin of so many
religious phenomena； that would not be in the least surprising or
disconcerting； even were such phenomena certified from on high to
be the most precious of human experiences。 No one organism can
possibly yield to its owner the whole body of truth。 Few of us
are not in some way infirm； or even diseased； and our very
infirmities help us unexpectedly。 In the psychopathic
temperament we have the emotionality which is the sine qua non of
moral perception； we have the intensity and tendency to emphasis
which are the essence of practical moral vigor； and we have the
love of metaphysics and mysticism which carry one's interests
beyond the surface of the sensible world。 What； then； is more
natural than that this temperament should introduce one to
regions of religious truth； to corners of the universe； which
your robust Philistine type of nervous system； forever offering
its biceps to be felt； thumping its breast； and thanking Heaven
that it hasn't a single morbid fiber in its composition； would be
sure to hide forever from its self…satisfied possessors？
＇8＇ I may refer to a criticism of the insanity theory of genius
in the Psychological Review； ii。 287 （1895）。
If there were such a thing as inspiration from a higher realm； it
might well be that the neurotic temperament would furnish the
chief condition of the requisite receptivity。 And having said
thus much； I think that I may let the matter of religion and
neuroticism drop。
The mass of collateral phenomena； morbid or healthy； with which
the various religious phenomena must be compared in order to
understand them better； forms what in the slang of pedagogics is
termed 〃the apperceiving mass〃 by which we comprehend them。 The
only novelty that I can imagine this course of lectures to
possess lies in the breadth of the apperceiving mass。 I may
succeed in discussing religious experiences in a wider context
than has been usual in university courses。