In this paper, I investigate the phenomenology of awakening in Chinese Zen Buddhism. In this tradition, to awaken is to ‘see your true nature’. In particular, the two aspects of awakening are: (1) seeing that the nature of one’s self or mind is empty or void and (2) an erasing of the usual (though merely apparent) boundary between subject and object. In the early Zen tradition, there are many references to awakening as chopping off your head, not having eyes, nose (...) and tongue, and seeing your ‘Original Face’. These references bear a remarkable resemblance to an approach to awakening developed by Douglas Harding. I will guide the reader through a series of Harding’s first-person experiments which investigate the gap where you cannot see your own head. I will endeavour to show that these methods, although radically different from traditional meditation techniques, result in an experience with striking similarities to Zen accounts of awakening, in particular, as experiencing oneself as empty or void and yet totally united with the given world. The repeatability and apparent reliability of these first-person methods opens up a class of awakening experience to empirical investigation and has the potential to provide new insights into nondual traditions. (shrink)

This paper highlights the corrective and complementary role that historically informed philosophy can play in contemporary discussions. What it takes for an experience to count as genuinely mystical has been the source of significant controversy; most current philosophical definitions of ‘mystical experience’ exclude embodied, non-unitive states -- but, in so doing, they exclude the majority of reported mystical experiences. I use a re- examination of the full range of reported medieval mystical experiences (both in the apophatic tradition, which excludes or (...) denigrates embodied states, and in the affective tradition, which treats such states as fully mystical) to demonstrate how a better understanding of the historical medieval mystic tradition can serve as a valuable complement to ongoing philosophical discussions of religious and mystical experience. (shrink)

This article looks at the feminist activism of particular women in the ancestry of the eminent Canadian sociologist, Dorothy E. Smith, and at the archival data that confirm the traces of their influence found in her theory-building. Using the method of interpretative historical sociology and a conceptual framework drawn from Marx called the `productive forces', the article examines the feminist theology of her Quaker ancestor, Margaret Fell, and the militant suffrage activism of her mother and her grandmother, Dorothy Foster Place (...) and Lucy Ellison Abraham, respectively. The article argues that the household labour of the remarkable women in her family line became a `productive force' that facilitated her imagining of the feminist theory, `the standpoint of women'. (shrink)

In this paper I argue that from the point of view of a theist, inclusivism with respect to the issue whether adherents of different religious traditions can have veridical experience of God (or Ultimate Reality) now, is more plausible than the Alstonian exclusivism. I suggest that mystical inclusivism of the kind I imply in this paper may contribute to the development of cross-cultural philosophy of religion, as well as to the theoretical framework for inter-religious dialogue, because (1) it allows for (...) the possibility of veridical experience of God in a variety of religious traditions, but (2) it avoids the radical revisionist postulates of Hickian pluralism and (3) it leaves open the question whether the creed of any specific tradition is a better approximation to the truth about God than the creeds of other traditions. (edited). (shrink)

Following a survey of how universal the electromagnetic interaction (EMI) and light, its radiation, are in the living experience and spirituality of men and women, I make a case for the hypothesis that the EMI serves as a physical correlate for the immanence of God. This in turn will be used as partial support for the principal thesis of this article: given the vast spectrum of natural phenomena, from atoms to human brains, that operate via the EMI, we need seriously (...) to consider the EMI in formulating a viable natural theology. The encompassing properties of the EMI provide a unifying and cohesive influence heretofore neglected by the natural theology community. I intend here to stimulate more rigorous study of this approach. (shrink)

This article is an introduction to a philosophical approach termed “panspiritism.” The fundamental principles of this approach are summarized, with discussion of how it links to earlier (mainly Eastern) philosophical perspectives, how it differs from panpsychism and its relationship to idealism and theism. Issues such as the relationship between mind and matter, the relationship between the mind and the brain, and the emergence of mind are discussed from a “panspiritist” perspective. There is a discussion of how panspiritism relates to mystical (...) experiences. The article concludes by suggesting that this approach can help to elucidate a wide range of phenomena that appear anomalous or problematic from a materialist point of view. (shrink)

It is shown in this article that many positions that are usually considered incompatible or antagonistic can be synthesized into a unified framework, creating a model of transpersonal development based around plurality and complexity. The model focuses on evolutionary developmental biology as well as around psychological theories. A large degree of variability in the nature of transpersonal experience in the life cycle is to be expected, due to differences in both the “timing of onset” of transpersonal characteristics and the “length (...) of developmental period.” Numerous developmental patterns are identified, using the work of some prominent transpersonal theorists. (shrink)

There is a growing understanding that addressing the global crisis facing humanity will require new methods for knowing, understanding, and valuing the world. Narrow, disciplinary, and reductionist perceptions of reality are proving inadequate for addressing the complex, interconnected problems of the current age. The pervasive Cartesian worldview, which is based on the metaphor of the universe as a machine, promotes fragmentation in our thinking and our perception of the cosmos. This divisive, compartmentalized thinking fosters alienation and self-focused behavior. I aim (...) to show in this essay that healing the fragmentation that is at the root of the current world crises requires an integrated epistemology that embraces both the rational knowledge of scientific empiricism and the inner knowledge of spiritual experience. This “deep science‘ transcends the illusion of separateness to discern the unity, the unbroken wholeness, that underlies the diverse forms of the universe. Our perception of connectedness, of our integral place in the web of life, emerges as an attribute of our connection with the eternal, beatific source of all existence. This awakened spiritual vision “widens our circle of understanding and compassion, to embrace all living creatures in the whole of nature‘ (Einstein, quoted in Goldstein [1976] 1987). Our behavior, as it emerges naturally out of our perception of the sacredness of the natural world, will naturally embody love and respect for all life forms. This vision promotes the healing of our long-standing alienation from the natural world and offers hope for renewal in the midst of widespread cultural deterioration and environmental destruction. (shrink)

When faith traditions confront postmodern uncertainties regarding historical liturgical practices, political and cultural ideologies, the self and sacred space, the assurance of truth claims, allegorical readings and interpretations of sites where divine presence is found are equally questioned. Can allegorical interpretations offer a valuable strategy in postmodern understandings for identifying how Divine presence is embodied? One possibility is to discover how two Anglican women embody their faith community’s via media and in turn these women may be read as an “open (...) icon.” To provide contrasting views, Orthodox Icons are particularly noted for their allegorical certainties that identify and point with sharp clarification to Tradition and the Church’s sacramental understandings. An allegorical frame “closes” the Orthodox icon. In a postmodern view, allegory “opens” said frame to a vast horizontal landscape that discovers spaces, places, and persons in which the Holy Spirit works mysteriously and unexpectedly. Both Evelyn Underhill and Barbara Brown Taylor writing almost a century apart and each encountering their respective historical reactions to “modernism,” trace the margins of their faith along the Anglican understanding of the via media. In doing so, both suggest the notion of “open” icon—the body itself. (shrink)

This article deals with the grounds for accepting or rejecting the insights of mystics. We examine the social-epistemological question of what the non-mystic should make of the mystic's claim, and what she might be able to make of it, given various possible states of the evidence available to her.For clarity, let's reserve the term “mystic” for one who claims to have had an ineffable insight. As such, there are two parts to the mystic's claim: first, a substantive insight into the (...) way the world works; second, a meta-insight that the substantive insight is ineffable. The two parts to the claim are independent: it is possible to accept that the mystic has been struck by an ineffable idea, but refuse to lend credence to the idea itself. Similarly, it is possible to accept the mystic's claim that she has had a veridical insight, whilst denying her claim that it is ineffable, or that she can know that it's ineffable. Thus, we could inquire into the grounds for accepting either part of the mystic's conjunctive claim. In this article, we deal only with the grounds for rejecting or accepting the substantive insight of a mystic, granting the meta-insight that the insight is ineffable. (shrink)

Dancing, here defined as “rhythmical movement of any part or all parts of the body in accordance with some scheme of individual or concerted action”, is an universal human activity. The focus of this article is religious dance of ceremonial character in the context of Hasidism. Hasidism is an outgoing movement bearing strong characteristics of Jewish mysticism, kabbalah. Hasidism made ideas traditionally emphasized within kabbalah more known and practiced in more mainstream strands of Judaism. The core of the religious experience, (...) according to Hasidic thought, is union with God. (shrink)

This essay, suggesting two physical phenomena that might serve as meaningful analogies to divine transcendence, is a theological complement to two earlier Zygon articles that show how the underlying ubiquity of electromagnetic phenomena in all of nature is a compelling physical analogy to divine immanence. My perception of transcendence and its relation to immanence are specified to provide a context for the discussion. A description of our being ensconced in what I term a cosmic cocoon introduces the discussion of how (...) the finite limit of the speed of light and quantum non‐locality could be considered as physical analogies of, or pointers to, God's transcendence. The relevance of our cosmologic future to transcendence is also treated. Selected examples of transcendence found in spiritual experiences and in religious scriptures are presented that complement the physical discussion. Finally, the relevance of this study to a theology of nature as well as a natural theology is examined. (shrink)

Explores language and mysticism, Buddhism and Zen, Christianity, comparative religion, psychedelics, and psychology and psychotherapy. Gold Winner for Philosophy, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards To commemorate the 2015 centenary of the birth of Alan Watts (1915–1973), Peter J. Columbus and Donadrian L. Rice have assembled a much-needed collection of Watts’s scholarly essays and lectures. Compiled from professional journals, monographs, scholarly books, conferences, and symposia proceedings, the volume sheds valuable light on the developmental arc of Watts’s thinking about (...) language and mysticism, Buddhism and Zen, Christianity, comparative religion, psychedelics, and psychology and psychotherapy. This definitive collection challenges Watts’s reputation as a “popularizer” or “philosophical entertainer,” revealing his concerns to be much more expansive and transdisciplinary than is suggested by the parochial “Zen Buddhist” label commonly affixed to his writings. The editors’ authoritative introduction elucidates contemporary perspectives on Watts’s life and work, and supports a bold rethinking of his contributions to psychology, philosophy, and religion. Peter J. Columbus is Administrator of the Shantigar Foundation in Rowe, Massachusetts. Donadrian L. Rice is Professor of Psychology at the University of West Georgia. Together they are the coeditors of Alan Watts—Here and Now: Contributions to Psychology, Philosophy, and Religion, also published by SUNY Press. (shrink)

This research explores the link between the practice of contemplation and its influence on leadership. It investigates how the interiority of the leader can shape the style and quality of leadership practice. This research has as its ultimate goal the provision of a deeper understanding of contemplative leadership, its concepts, characteristics, challenges, and opportunities; and it shows how contemplative leadership can be realistically lived and demonstrated in an organisational setting. The literature includes an overview of the historical development of leadership (...) theories, an exploration of the history and development of the Christian contemplative tradition, and a review of the principal assumptions of contemplative leadership. The qualitative research methodology used was that of narrative inquiry by way of in-depth, semi-structured interviewing. The interview participants were a purposively chosen, information rich, non-probability group. Sixteen leaders who have a contemplative orientation to their life and work participated in the in-depth interviews. The study finds that to be a more authentic and effective leader, a major task is nurturing a disciplined contemplative life through developing an intimate relationship with God. The findings also provide an insight into the multifaceted reality of contemplative leadership including its concepts, characteristics, challenges, and opportunities. Further findings are described under the following themes: contemplation is transformative; contemplation and leadership are complementary; contemplative leadership can promote a good organizational culture. A new model of contemplative leadership is also presented with the hope of providing the language and a theoretical and practical framework necessary to inform and guide prospective leaders and future leadership development. (shrink)

عرفان بی‏شک جوهر تجربۀ دینی به شمار می‏رود و این تجربه، هم برای کسانی که دارای اعتقادات مذهبی هستند، و هم برای کسانی که چنین اعتقاداتی ندارند، نوعاً باعث تغییر در زندگی می‏شود. صرف‎نظر از دشواری توصیف حالات عرفانی که از چارچوب مفهومیِ تجارب عادی بسیار دور به نظر می‏رسند، به نظر می‏رسد می‏توان شباهتهای متعددی میان این حالات در سنتهای دینی ـ عرفانی مختلف یافت. این شباهت‏ها عبارتند از: تجربۀ وحدت، احساسِ قرار داشتن در ورای زمان و مکان، احساس (...) تقدّس، احساس لذت و شادکامی، وحدتی که توام با خلاء و ملأ است، و آگاهی از یک واقعیت غایی ابدی. حالات عرفانی را در قیاس با مراقبۀ معنوی می‎توانیم به دو دسته مقولات متمایز تقسیم کنیم: تنزیهی و تشبیهی. عرفان‏های تنزیهی و تشبیهی هر چند شباهتهای قابل توجهی با یکدیگر دارند، اما به طور قطع با یکدیگر متفاوت هستند. این دو نوع گرایش عرفانی در ادیان و آیین‏های مذهبی شرق و غرب جهان به تفاوت دیده می‏شود. تفاوت‏های موجود بر سر تفسیر تجارب عرفانی ممکن است ناشی از تفاوت‏ها و تمایزات فرهنگی و زبانی باشد. تفاسیر روان‎شناختی، عصب ـ روان‎شناختی، و علوم‎شناختی از تجارب عرفانی، از مهم‏ترین رویکردها در پژوهش‏های نوین در سطح جهان محسوب می‏شود. (shrink)