"This book, written in the spirit of William James, urges our appreciation of the intensely personal character of spiritual transcendence. Phil Oliver's work has important implications for specialists who are concerned with the Jamesian concept of "pure experience," and it illuminates significant interdisciplinary ties between philosophy, literature, and other intellectual domains. Moreover, Oliver argues, Jamesian transcendence is relevant to current questions in cognitive science and the emerging ecological, computer, and cyber worlds." "Jamesian transcendence, according to Oliver, seeks to reconcile individual growth with social responsibility. In this age of impersonal information, it invites us all to embrace our own enthusiasms, or "delights," as the surest sources of personal happiness, mutual regard, and depth of experience."--BOOK JACKET.