The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy

The book opens with Forman’s theoretical framing of the debate between perennialism and constructivism in the study of mysticism. It defines the problem of pure consciousness and distinguishes mystical states from visionary experiences, emphasizing non-sensory, non-imagistic forms of contemplative awareness. The first major section, “The Empirical Investigation,” studies pure consciousness through Sāṃkhya-Yoga, Indian Buddhism, Meister Eckhart, and Jewish mystical nothingness. The second section, “The Philosophical Investigation,” examines epistemology, context, mediation, interpretation, the possibility of pure consciousness, and whether mystical experience is the same across traditions. Overall, the volume develops a critical philosophical inquiry into whether consciousness can appear without intentional content and what such an experience means for the comparative study of mysticism.