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final spiritual estimate of a religious phenomenon； why threaten
us at all with so much existential study of its conditions？ Why
not simply leave pathological questions out？
To this I reply in two ways。 First； I say； irrepressible
curiosity imperiously leads one on； and I say； secondly； that it
always leads to a better understanding of a thing's significance
to consider its exaggerations and perversions its equivalents and
substitutes and nearest relatives elsewhere。 Not that we may
thereby swamp the thing in the wholesale condemnation which we
pass on its inferior congeners； but rather that we may by
contrast ascertain the more precisely in what its merits consist；
by learning at the same time to what particular dangers of
corruption it may also be exposed。
Insane conditions have this advantage； that they isolate special
factors of the mental life； and enable us to inspect them
unmasked by their more usual surroundings。 They play the part in
mental anatomy which the scalpel and the microscope play in the
anatomy of the body。 To understand a thing rightly we need to
see it both out of its environment and in it； and to have
acquaintance with the whole range of its variations。 The study
of hallucinations has in this way been for psychologists the key
to their comprehension of normal sensation； that of illusions has
been the key to the right comprehension of perception。 Morbid
impulses and imperative conceptions； 〃fixed ideas；〃 so called；
have thrown a flood of light on the psychology of the normal
will； and obsessions and delusions have performed the same
service for that of the normal faculty of belief。
Similarly； the nature of genius has been illuminated by the
attempts； of which I already made mention； to class it with
psychopathical phenomena。 Borderland insanity； crankiness；
insane temperament； loss of mental balance； psychopathic
degeneration （to use a few of the many synonyms by which it has
been called）； has certain peculiarities and liabilities which；
when combined with a superior quality of intellect in an
individual； make it more probable that he will make his mark and
affect his age； than if his temperament were less neurotic。
There is of course no special affinity between crankiness as such
and superior intellect；＇7＇ for most psychopaths have feeble
intellects； and superior intellects more commonly have normal
nervous systems。 But the psychopathic temperament； whatever be
the intellect with which it finds itself paired； often brings
with it ardor and excitability of character。 The cranky person
has extraordinary emotional susceptibility。 He
is liable to fixed ideas and obsessions。 His conceptions tend to
pass immediately into belief and action； and when he gets a new
idea； he has no rest till he proclaims it； or in some way 〃works
it off。〃 〃What shall I think of it？〃 a common person says to
himself about a vexed question； but in a 〃cranky〃 mind 〃What must
I do about it？〃 is the form the question tends to take。 In the
autobiography of that high…souled woman； Mrs。 Annie Besant； I
read the following passage： 〃Plenty of people wish well to any
good cause； but very few care to exert themselves to help it； and
still fewer will risk anything in its support。 'Someone ought to
do it； but why should I？' is the ever reechoed phrase of
weak…kneed amiability。 'Someone ought to do it； so why not I？' is
the cry of some earnest servant of man； eagerly forward springing
to face some perilous duty。 Between these two sentences lie
whole centuries of moral evolution。〃 True enough！ and between
these two sentences lie also the different destinies of the
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。