Is meditation the royal road that leads to pure consciousness?

Pure consciousness, known for millennia in contemplative traditions as experience free of content and ego, is now studied scientifically. This article examines Thomas Metzinger's claim that meditation is the best path to study it—the Royal Road Thesis (RRT). It critically analyzes the concept of meditation, uses non-meditative descriptions to further deconstruct it, and argues that Metzinger's minimal phenomenal experience is not inherently mystical. Interpreting these ideas within consciousness culture and spirituality, the article concludes the RRT is very problematic and should be replaced by a more nuanced approach.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, there has been an increasing scientific and philosophical attention to what contemplative and spiritual traditions for millennia have known as pure consciousness, free from concrete empirical content and egoic self-awareness. The article addresses whether meditation is the best candidate for the research of pure consciousness, as Thomas Metzinger claims in his book The Elephant and the Blind. The article calls this the Royal Road Thesis (RRT). The article first critically analyzes the concept of meditation, then uses descriptions of non-meditation to further deconstruct the concept of meditation. A section is devoted to an analysis of Metzinger?s claim that minimal phenomenal experience (and pure consciousness) is not mystical in itself, and finally, this is all interpreted in the context of consciousness culture and spirituality. The article concludes that RRT is very problematic and should be replaced by a more nuanced approach.