William James, Nitrous Oxide, and the Anaesthetic Revelation.
Jane S Moon, Catherine M Kuza, Manisha S Desai
Journal of anesthesia history January 1, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.janh.2017.10.012 via PubMed
Summary
William James, influential in psychology, philosophy, and religion, used his experience with nitrous oxide to shape his views during the Modernist era. He emphasized the importance of mysticism and revelation in religion over strict theology, and he viewed the universe as pluralistic and driven by chance rather than absolute and constant. His insights served as a bridge between scientific agnosticism and religious perspectives.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | William James' inhalation of nitrous oxide significantly influenced his ideas about religion and the nature of the universe. |
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Abstract
William James greatly influenced the fields of psychology, philosophy, and religion during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was the era of Modernism, a time when many writers rejected the certainty of Enlightenment ideals. Positivism, which rose to prominence in the early 19th century, had emphasized physical phenomena, empirical evidence, and the scientific method. Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859), with its theory of natural selection, provided an explanation for the evolution of species apart from a divine Creator. Within this context, William James served as a "mediator between scientific agnosticism and the religious view of the world." James' own experience inhaling nitrous oxide played an important role in shaping his views. For James, the use of nitrous oxide served a key role in elucidating some of his most central ideas: 1) the value of religion, and the emphasis on mysticism and revelation (as opposed to theology and doctrine) as religion's foundation; 2) the universe as pluralistic (as opposed to absolutist, constant, eternal), driven by chance, experience, and change.