A positive naturalist understanding of mystical experiences is possible, and these experiences along with their associated practices can be incorporated into a secular mysticism. The text raises philosophical issues about whether a truly secular mysticism is possible, whether mystical experiences provide cognition of transcendent non-natural realities, whether secular mysticism can address the construction of mystical experiences, and whether meaning or purpose in life can be found when non-natural realities and life after death are excluded.
Analytic philosophers have debated whether experiences of 'pure consciousness'—non-intentional, selfless states often associated with mystical experiences—are intelligible. This examination considers their critiques and arguments for and against the coherence of such experiences. It also asks whether neuroscience can determine if these experiences are possible, concluding that philosophical analysis remains central to understanding their nature and possibility.