On the Possibility of Pure Consciousness

Summary

The essay argues that experiences of 'pure' consciousness, which are free of content and intention, have been claimed throughout history across various cultures and religions. While many spiritual traditions value these experiences, philosophical and scientific perspectives, particularly in the West, often deny their existence or possibility. The author contends that there are no logical or significant phenomenological reasons to dismiss the existence of pure consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Throughout recorded history and across major cultural and religious barriers many persons have claimed to have, had experiences of “pure” consciousness, that is, of a consciousness free of content and intention. Major spiritual traditions are built in significant ways around the existence of these experiences and the desirability of achieving them. Yet many philosophical and scientific traditions, especially in the West, deny not only their existence, but also their possibility. Consciousness often is conceived in ways that rule out the possibility of a pure state on a priori grounds. My purpose in this essay is to show that there are no logical or, to a lesser extent, phenomenological considerations that rule out the existence of pure consciousness.