Exploration of the Inner World. A Study of Mental Disorder and Religious Experience
New York: Harper Torchbooks - The Cloister Library, 1952. Harper Reprint Edition - Original Edition Published 1936 by Willett Clark & Company. Paperback. 8vo., pp. 322, foreword to the first edition, author's note to the 1952 edition, technical terms and concepts, index. -- three or four pages of the text have a small amount of underlining in red ink. Name in ink top of half-title page. -- Condition. Very good. Item #10621
The hypothesis of the book is "that there is an important relationship between acute mental illness of the functional type and those sudden transformations of character so prominent in the history of the Christian church since the days of Saul of Tarsus… . Certain types of mental disorder and certain types of religious experience are alike attempts at reorganization. Where the attempt is successful… it is commonly recognized as religious experience… where it is unsuccessful… it is commonly spoken of as "insanity.' " The author is concerned with showing that the problem of mental illness, whatever its organic concomitants may be, has to do with the philosophy of life and usually with the sense of personal failure. He therefore addresses himself chiefly to religious workers to suggest ways in which they can aid in the effective handling of the problems of mental disease. Index and glossary".- psycnet.apa.org.
Price: $65.00