Consciousness and Transcendence

     Hi, my name is Zach Sheets, and I am here to share with you, dear reader, the wise words of William James. In the subject I chose John Kaag examines William James's theory of transcendence and consciousness in Chapter 4 of Sick Souls, Healthy Minds. He views it as a means of facing pain in a meaningful way rather than as a means of escaping it.  In a world that frequently seems chaotic and overwhelming, James's concepts are incredibly helpful.  His ideas on consciousness, the value of personal experience, the function of religion and spiritual ties, and the strength of choosing hope in the face of adversity are all covered in this blog post. What is consciousness?  Famously, William James compared consciousness to a "stream"—a constantly shifting, flowing river of ideas, emotions, and experiences.  It is something we are constantly a part of rather than a fixed object or steady entity.  Isolating a single moment of consciousness is like attem...