Revisiting Epistemological and Psychological Composition of Religious Experience

Abstract

The impact of Carl Jung and William James on the early 20th-century Indian subcontinental semi-philosophical and semi-psychological tradition is examined in this article. To analyse and assess these traditions, a qualitative research design was used. Relevant documents, academic works, and philosophical literature were examined to provide context-rich understanding. Iqbal made a concerted effort to use intellectual and psychological frameworks to legitimize religious experience, notably referencing the concepts of William James. But significant conflations resulted from this integration, especially between prophetic and non-prophetic experiences, which diminished the uniqueness of Islamic Religious thought in the end. This attitude has open mindedly and happily accepted the fictitious versions of religion but this acceptance is disastrous and lethal than the explicit denial. To ensure the preservation of Islamic thought, it is crucial to approach Western philosophical ideas with caution and avoid conflating religious experiences. A re-evaluation of Iqbal's intellectual legacy is necessary to understand religious experiences from a non-Western perspective.