Hermeneutic Neurophenomenology in the Science-Religion Dialogue
Analysis of States of Consciousness in the Zohar
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3455604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brian Lancaster, Brian L Lancaster (University of Manchester, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 146-171 |
| Publication date | 2015-03-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel6010146 |
| OpenAlex | W2074675291 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 48 |
Many mystical texts convey insights into the nature of mind that have the potential to assist in the framing of scientific models in psychology and neuroscience. In many cases, however, the insights are concealed within complex, codified symbolic systems, meaning that the reader must engage with the hermeneutic employed by the texts' authors in order to access the insights. Combining such a hermeneutic approach with that of neurophenomenology can enrich the input from mysticism to science. I exemplify this hermeneutic neurophenomenology through an analysis of states of mystical consciousness as portrayed in the classic of Jewish mysticism, the Zohar. Three distinct mystical states are identified, each of which is understood as being dominated by a specific dimension of consciousness. The normal state of consciousness is dominated by the narrative construction of self. The first mystical state arises as this narrative is attenuated, allowing the intentionality of perception and emotion to become the dominating dimension. The second mystical state comes to the fore as the mystic increasingly identifies with an associational propensity at the core of memory processing. The final mystical state conveys the essential feature of consciousness-phenomenality-with little, if any, intentional content. I explore how the Zohar's insights into these states can combine with neurocognitive data and thereby enrich our understanding of consciousness
Consciousness · Epistemology · Hermeneutics · Linguistics · Mysticism · Narrative · Theology · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
Kabbalah
The Wiley‐Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology
The varieties of religious experience
Metaphors We Live By
Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation
Two neural correlates of consciousness
The distinct modes of vision offered by feedforward and recurrent processing
On a confusion about a function of consciousness
Effects of mindfulness on psychological health
Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits
Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation
Conscious, preconscious, and subliminal processing
Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia, The
Absorbing Perfections
Shamanic Trance in Modern Kabbalah
Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality
Measurement of Beliefs about Consciousness and Reality
Through a Speculum That Shines
When perception becomes conscious
Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness
Mysticism and Language
The Midrashic Imagination
Between Buddhism and Science, Between Mind and Body
The Innate Capacity
Mystical Experience Among Tibetan Buddhists
The Eye in the Torah
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,33 |
| Citation span | 2017 - 2025 (9) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |