The luminous self: Indian theories of consciousness and their philosophical relevance today
International Journal of Science and Research Archive June 30, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2025.15.3.1690 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
This article compares three major Indian theories of consciousness—Advaita Vedānta, Sāṃkhya-Yoga, and Buddhist traditions—examining their relevance to modern philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cognitive science. It analyzes Advaita's non-dual self-luminous ātman, Sāṃkhya's dualistic plurality of passive puruṣas, and Buddhism's anattā alongside a luminous, non-substantial mind. Through close readings of classical texts and modern interpretations, it argues these traditions conceptualize consciousness beyond reductionist or materialist paradigms and engage with contemporary issues like the hard problem of consciousness, panpsychism, self-illusion theories, and phenomenological subjectivity.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Indian philosophical traditions offer critical insights that can transform contemporary understanding of consciousness, subjectivity, and the self by presenting non-reductionist models of luminous consciousness. |
Abstract
This article presents a comparative philosophical investigation into three major Indian theories of consciousness, Advaita Vedānta, Sāṃkhya-Yoga, and Buddhist traditions and examines their enduring relevance to contemporary debates in the philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cognitive science. Focusing on the motif of consciousness as “luminous,” the article analyses Advaita’s doctrine of non-dual self-luminous ātman, Sāṃkhya’s dualistic plurality of passive puruṣas, and the Buddhist doctrine of anattā alongside the evolving concept of a luminous, non-substantial mind. Through close readings of classical texts such as the Upaniṣads, Sāṃkhya Kārikā, Yoga Sūtras, and key Buddhist discourses, as well as modern interpretations, the study illuminates how these traditions conceptualise consciousness beyond reductionist or materialist paradigms. The article also evaluates how these models engage with or anticipate contemporary issues, including the ‘Hard problem’ of consciousness, panpsychism, self-illusion theories, and phenomenological accounts of subjectivity. By situating Indian philosophical insights within global discourse, the paper argues for their critical potential to transform our understanding of consciousness, subjectivity, and the self.