Prolegomenon to a philosophy of meditation

Summary

The text outlines key issues in the philosophy of meditation, emphasizing that meditative practices can be significant forms of spiritual and philosophical engagement. It discusses various aspects such as the differences between practices, the influence of religious traditions, and contemporary approaches. The author reflects on personal experiences and posits that these practices may reveal metaphysical truths or lead to enlightenment, while also considering the implications of these findings.

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Abstract

This prolegomenon sketches issues central to a philosophy of meditation, develops only some of them here, and refers readers to other works where some not covered here are addressed. A complete philosophy of meditation would include accounts of: the differences between meditative practices, states, and traits; religion-based meditative traditions; novel contemporary meditative practices and research; meditative practices that are and aren?t philosophical practices and vice versa; ?McMindfulness?; whether any such practices reveal metaphysical truths or lead to enlightenment; what physics/metaphysics might make the paranormal corollaries of mystical experiences possible; and the pros and cons of these issues. The author shares some personal experiences, speculative hypotheses, and arguments for the central claim that meditative practices are one of the most powerful forms of spiritual and philosophical practice.

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