This paper gives continuity to the criticism, undertaken in two papers previously published in this journal, of transpersonal systems that fail to discriminate between nirvanic, samsaric, and neithernirvanic-nor-samsaric transpersonal states, and which present the absolute sanity of Awakening as a dualistic, conceptually-tainted condition. It also gives continuity to the denunciation of the false disjunction between ontogenically ascending and descending paths, while showing the truly significant disjunction to be between existentially ascending and metaexistentially descending paths. However, whereas in the preceding paper (...) the focus was on Wilber’s so-called integral system, in this paper the focus of the main body is on the systems of Washburn and Grof. It features an appendix discussing psychedelics and the use of the term entheogens in their regard, and another appendix showing Wilber’s system to give continuity to the Orphic dualism of Pythagoreans, Eleatics, and Plato, and the covert Orphic dualism of Neo-Platonics. (shrink)

ABSTRACTLloyd claims that analogies might be misleading, but might similarly allow for insights not open to those who pursue ‘inappropriate quests for certainty.’ Analogy is then presented as a flawed vehicle for discourse, useful despite that flaw, the potential to mislead, because it simultaneously delivers benefit. The problem then becomes to identify the falsehood present in the analogy in order to gain insight. Certainty is inappropriate because this is impossible. If, however, it be considered as an expression of the Parmenidean (...) paradox of being and non-being, analogy becomes essential to the discussion of multidimensional truth through a simultaneous expression of that which is defined and that which is set apart from the definition. This paper argues that reflection on Parmenides in relation to analogy leads to a further and stronger grounding for the necessity of analogy in philosophical discourse. (shrink)