habits of learning. He believed stronglythat successful education was dependent upon the establishment of healthy habits. Stagesinvolved in establishing good personal habits include: 1) a need or desire 2) information 3)repetition. Of course will is essential in establishing good habits (or breaking bad habits)so the training and strengthening of will were of major concern for James. He proposedthat individuals accomplish this by practicing a useless task daily in order to train andproof themselves capable of willing themselves into any activity. Desired habits can beestablished with repetition. He does however recognize the occasional need to surrenderthe will and allow events to occur naturally. This, he believes, may induce a state ofcomplete unification, or total oneness of self, and may require or lead to a transcendentstate of mind.Self is defined by James as the place from which all our mental processesoriginate and through which all our experiences are perceived. The layers of self includethe Material Self (the part of us that defines and identifies ourselves via material goodsand relationships), the Social Self (similar to Jungs persona, is the self we play in socialencounters) and the Spiritual Self (the feeling, sensing, and subjective layer).His theory of emotions is fascinating and has lead to further research. Emotionsin Jamess mind are dependent upon feedback from ones body and are a result of physicalmanifestations (rather than the common believe the emotions cause physicalmanifestations). This is the basis for his belief in nonattachment to emotional feelings andthe open release of emotions as they are irrelevant in that they are only indicators of yourphysical state. He believed that unexpressed emotions may lead to physical and mentalillness. He also advocated that one should maintain healthy-mindedness by choosing toact positive and believe in a sense of wellness. Supporting his believe in the physical...
