10 papers in the library · 191 citations · publishing 1990
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Robert K C Forman 57 citations
Mysticism's origins, causes, and shape are debated: is mystical experience a reliable source of knowledge, universal across traditions, or does it vary by culture and era? Twelve authors challenge the recent "received view" called constructivism, which holds that mystical experience is significantly shaped by a subject's beliefs, concepts, and expectations.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Daniel C Matt 48 citations
The concept of nothingness appears in many mystical traditions—Eckhart's Nichts, John of the Cross's nada, Taoist wu, Buddhist sunyata—but each term carries distinct meanings shaped by its own cultural and linguistic context. This paper traces the development of ayin (nothingness) in Jewish mysticism. In medieval Kabbalah, ayin functions as a theosophical symbol within the sefirot, the stages of divine manifestation, from which everything emerges and to which everything returns. In later Hasidism, the focus shifts to ayin's psychological significance as a medium for self-transformation, where the mystic directly experiences nothingness and emerges renewed.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Anthony N Perovich 24 citations
Immanuel Kant rejected the possibility of genuine mystical experience—direct experience of the divine in this life—because his epistemology made no room for the cognitive faculties such experience would require. Despite his hostility, many later philosophers of mysticism have adopted Kant's general epistemological framework as the foundation for analyzing all kinds of experience, including mystical ones. This article examines the tension between Kant's denial of mystical experience and the subsequent attraction of his philosophical scheme for theorists of mysticism.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Donald Rothberg 17 citations
The essay examines how different epistemologies and methodologies shape the study of mysticism, focusing on the limits of constructivism, an approach that emphasizes how mystical experience is shaped by its context—core texts, practices, social relations, and historical traditions. The author argues that while constructivism, as developed in collections edited by Steven T. Katz, clarifies some aspects of mysticism, it obscures others by privileging certain ways of looking. The essay aims to open up questions about where and how scholars investigate mystical traditions, suggesting that reliance on context may limit understanding of phenomena that resist contextual explanation.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Paul J Griffiths 16 citations
Recent philosophical debate examines whether a special type of consciousness—called pure, unmediated, or contentless consciousness—can exist. Steven Katz argues that such pure unmediated experience neither logically can nor actually occurs. This paper engages with that debate, discussing the possibility of consciousness without content or mediation.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Philip C Almond 9 citations
This essay argues that philosophical analysis of mysticism can avoid the two opposing positions of mystical essentialism and mystical relativism. The author contends that recognizing the context-dependent nature of all mystical experience is compatible with both experiential novelty and the occurrence of what Ninian Smart calls the experience of consciousness-purity. The work demonstrates that it is possible to formulate a methodology that steers between these extremes, suggesting that neither position is necessary for understanding mystical experiences.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Stephen Bernhardt 8 citations
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The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 R L Franklin 6 citations
The author describes three successive scholarly views of mystical experience. An earlier generation saw mysticism as a single, pure, contentless awareness of ultimate reality, forming the basis for a perennial philosophy. Later scholars distinguished several recurring types of mystical experience across traditions. Most recently, the "diversity view" emphasizes differences so strongly that it denies any common experience or perennial philosophy, stemming from a growing awareness that experience is deeply mediated and organized by one's belief system.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Mark B Woodhouse 6 citations
Throughout history and across cultures, many people have reported experiences of 'pure' consciousness—awareness without content or intention. Major spiritual traditions are built around these experiences and the goal of achieving them. However, many Western philosophical and scientific traditions deny not only that such experiences occur, but also that they are possible, often defining consciousness in ways that rule out a pure state by definition. This essay argues that neither logical nor phenomenological considerations exclude the existence of pure consciousness.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness March 29, 1990 Norman Prigge, Gary E Kessler
A common assumption in mysticism scholarship is that mystical experiences are fundamentally the same across individuals and cultures. Steven T. Katz challenged this view, arguing that mystical experiences are shaped by the mystic's language and cultural background. The authors, who had previously accepted the universalist view, examine Katz's argument and identify a defect shared by most literature on the topic, including Katz's article. They aim to respond to his challenge and explore the implications for understanding mystical experience.