Nondual Panpsychism and Panentheism: Pratyabhijñā Śaivism, Rāmakṛṣṇa, and Vivekānanda

Nondual Panpsychism is a metaphysical view that everything is a cognitive system and reality is neither one nor two. The article develops its panentheistic implications, explaining how finite cognitive systems emerge from a cosmic cognitive system. It rejects Sri Ramakrishna's hard theological determinism and instead endorses the theological libertarianism of Pratyabhijñā Śaivism and Swami Vivekananda. While māyā is central to Vivekananda's panentheism, the article argues he cannot account for it. God's essence is to manifest, making the cosmos real. God transcends the cosmos by not being determined by it, pervades it by creatively responding, and manifests as the despised and rejected, explaining why God does not laugh at some jokes.

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Abstract

Nondual Panpsychism, a revisionary metaphysics, is panpsychic in maintaining that everything is a cognitive system. It is nondualistic in claiming that reality is neither monist nor dualistic. This article articulates its panentheistic implications. Nondual Panpsychism explains the emergence of finite cognitive systems from the cosmic cognitive system. Rejecting Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa’s hard theological determinism, it affirms the theological libertarianism of Pratyabhijñā Śaivism and Swami Vivekānanda. Although māyā is crucial to Vivekānanda’s Panentheism, he cannot account for it. God’s essence is to manifest. As God’s manifestation, the cosmos is real. God transcends the cosmos by not being determined by it. God pervades the cosmos by creatively responding to it. God manifests as the despised and rejected. It explains why God does not laugh at some jokes.