William James’ <Emphasis Type="Italic">The Varieties of Religious Experience</Emphasis> Revisited

This essay addresses the familial, religious, and cultural context for the writing and presentation of William James’ classic work The Varieties of Religious Experience. The essay emphasizes the importance of the impact of Henry James, Senior, upon his son. This relationship along with a severe cardiac condition contributed to James’ taking on and carrying through with his exploration of religious experience. The article explores The Varieties and concludes with a discussion of the importance of James’ use of narrative to the study of mind–body medicine. This paper was originally presented at the Richardson Research Seminar in the History of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.     

The Influence of Affect on Goal Choice and Task Performance

The present study investigated the influence of mood on self-set goals and task performance. Results from 2 studies suggest a restricted view of mood effects in which affective state influences the level of self-set goals or task performance, but not both. Study 2 reveals asymmetrical mood effects on task performance, with positive- and negative-mood participants exceeding the baseline performance of neutral mood participants. Evidence indicates that goal-setting instructions may alter how individuals interpret motivational implications of mood. Although theory implies an inclusive view in which mood has both direct and indirect (through goal-setting) performance effects, the conflicting influences of affect infusion at different points of the goal-striving process may diminish the likelihood of observing inclusive effects.     

Biography: A Brief History.

Journal of Religion and Health -     

Reviews: Books and Theater

HEINZ KOHUT: THE MAKING OF A PSYCHOANALYST. By Charles B. Strozier. 475 pp. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2001. $35.00. Theater: The Amen Cornerby James Baldwin     

Helen Flanders Dunbar: Physician,medievalist, enigma

Helen Flanders Dunbar was a psychiatrist, an early leader in the field of psychosomatic medicine, and a prophetic proponent of supervised clinical training for clergy. She was a prolific writer educated in theology and medieval studies as well as medicine. Yet she remains largely an enigma despite her achievements. This article explores Dunbar's life and attempts an explanation of why her person and ideas are not widely recognized today.