Research
Theme and Paper for GPSS Award Study on
Consciousness,
Agency and Spiritual Experience
Other Papers
Binding
Experiences and Epistemologies
Binding Experiences for a First-Person Approach
Research
Background:
I got interested in the concept of 'consciousness'
during the final year of my post-graduation (1989). With a national
fellowship, I did doctoral research (1990-1995) studying the
metaphysical, epistemological, ontological and spiritual aspects
of and discussions on 'consciousness' in the foundational text
of Indian philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita, in the larger context
of phenomenological questions about activity, attitude, freedom,
happiness, meditation and spiritual growth.
Following
the completion of doctoral studies I was invited and appointed
as Faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (hereafter
'NIAS'), Bangalore, (1996 January) where I am working currently.
This institute which is a premier institution in the country
(in the beautiful campus of Indian Institute of Science) engages
in multidisciplinary research, with Faculty pursuing research
activities in as diverse fields as social anthropology, epigraphy,
international studies, gender studies, philosophy of science,
consciousness studies etc. The small group of people here interested
in consciousness studies, come from different disciplinary background
such as quantum mechanics, primatology, philosophy and linguistics.
Being
a trained philosopher and with a spiritual background, I got
an opportunity to have dialogues with my colleagues crossing
disciplinary barriers and frame questions and issues of equal
importance (to any analyst of 'consciousness'). Since my joining
NIAS I had two kinds of research activities (for consciousness
studies): One, to pursue my specific research interests in developing
an integral epistemology, look at alternative epistemological
tools such as use of metaphors, imageries, understand the basic
categories of thinking framed for the analysis, first-person
approaches in Indian thought etc. Two, to organise group activities
to make possible interdisciplinary dialogues on consciousness
studies, to list a few: a regular discussion forum at NIAS to
bring people working in different areas of science, philosophy,
psychology, art, spiritual traditions etc.; national and international
seminars; facilitating exchange and dialogues.
Spiritual
Background:
I
got interested in asking and thinking about the so-called metaphysical
questions during my undergraduate courses (1985) doing science,
especially cytogenetics and human evolution. The unexplained
restlessness and disquiet of my mind continued until I decided
to study philosophy for graduation. I always had an unexplainable
thirst for inquiring about the mysteries of life and human mind.
I
met my spiritual guide H.H.Swami Bodhananda in 1987. Since then
I am his student, studied foundational texts of Advaita Vedanta
from him over the years and with his guidance did doctoral research
on 'concept of consciousness in the Bhagavad Gita'. I continue
to have exciting discussions with him on a variety of topics.
I
am a member of a few charity organisations.
Broad
areas of research
Indian
psychology, Indian philosophy, Indian dramaturgy and Spiritual
Experiences in the context of current discussions on consciousness.
New
methods in the digital archiving of ancient manuscripts.
Introduction
My
work has been primarily in the area of consciousness studies
and philosophical debates in recent interdisciplinary dialogues
on 'consciousness'. I try to juxtapose two discussions such
as (i) the recent semantic trends in interdisciplinary dialogues
on 'consciousness', and, (ii) perspectives on 'experience' and
'self-exploration' in Indian psychology, Indian philosophy and
Indian dramaturgy.
I
have been particularly looking at the importance of the 'experiencer',
which I term as the 'harder problem of consciousness' in the
context of different ways of Indian thinking, in order to understand
the intractable relationship between physical mechanisms and
subjective experiences. The hard problem of consciousness has
caused a major change in the 'method' for understanding consciousness
by questioning the source for the qualitative nature of consciousness.
I hope to develop the 'harder problem' of consciousness which
I believe will resolve the 'hard problem' to a greater extent.
I
juxtapose, for this end, two seemingly unrelated ideas but both
founded on experiential level than theoretical: the being of
self in specified contexts, and the tools offered so as to integrate/transcend
the self-in-a-context to a larger self. My study looks at the
'doing self', the 'loving self' and the 'meditating self' and
understanding them from the standpoint of a variety of states
of mind, choices, relationships and attitudes as discussed in
Indian systems of philosophy, psychology and spiritual practises.
Earlier Studies Completed and Brief Description
* Binding Experiences for a First-Person
Approach: Looking at Indian ways of Thinking (darsana) and Acting
(natya) in the Context of Current Discussions on 'Consciousness'
By
following the current discussions on consciousness in the West
one gets to think that the understanding of consciousness is
dependent on the understanding of if not brain, physical processes
guided by a mechanism and having the capabilities for replicating
the phenomenon in vitro with the help of controlled experiments;
secondly there is not a consensual definition of the problem,
method and the major goals of inquiry itself; and thirdly there
is insufficient recognition of the very complexity and subjective
nature of the phenomenon. All the three features have jointly
contributed towards generating vast literature, dialogues and
discussions about a variety of issues relating to consciousness,
the primary being empirical research and medical possibilities,
especially in the area of 'abnormalities'.
This
study examined the importance of the following issues in the
context of two different traditions of thinking and experiencing:
Indian epistemology (pramana-prameya-prama-prayojana vyaparah)
and Indian dramaturgy (natya sastra).
(i)
recognizing 'consciousness' as a complex phenomenon by itself,
(ii) understanding of 'consciousness' as an understanding of
its ontology,
(iii) shifting the focus of epistemology to normal and ordinary
experiences from abnormal and transcendental experiences,
(iv) holistic definition of the problem and method,
(v) breaking 'habitual' ways of event or object oriented analysis
by experience or first person oriented understanding,
(vi) the categories of thinking formed by the analyst and his/her
world view.
*
Binding Experiences: Looking at the contributions of Adi Sankaracarya
, Tunchettu Ezuttacchan and Sri Narayana Guru in the Context
of Recent Discussions on Consciousness Studies
Brain
studies, theoretical analysis, cognitive science and cultural
studies have, jointly in the last ten years, redefined the complexity
of 'consciousness' by the factorisation of otherwise considered
less important categories of analysis and understanding of the
problem. The major epistemological worry faced equally by the
empirical analyst as well as the philosopher and psychologist
is based on the central feature of 'consciousness' which is
'experience'. Prima facie, this worry could be described as
how to have a theoretical explanation for the mutual influence
of neural events and subjective experiences. Nevertheless, it
is recognised that the field of consciousness studies is no
more a school of reductionism, whether it be the case of understanding
segregated mechanisms for neural events or mystifying experiences
under unexplained 'transcendences'. Interestingly, any attempt
to understand 'experience', such as simple physical pain or
much complex psychological pain, will have to cross the epistemological
barriers of hierarchies and causal relationships, demanding
a non-linear path. The classical description of consciousness
as 'unitary' has even evolved, to accommodate the questions
emerging in interdisciplinary dialogues, to present the term
'self' which was once considered metaphysical, but very much
scientific today. The epistemological transition, however implicit
it is, is from a third-person perspective to a first-person
perspective.
This
study attempted to juxtapose two discussions. The first discussion
looked at:
(i)
the recent semantic trends in interdisciplinary dialogues on
'consciousness',
(ii)
how 'experience' itself is defined in these dialogues as a problematic,
(iii) how far non-linear and integral are the categories of
thinking employed in the analysis, and
(iv)
how far holistic the larger goals of these dialogues are towards
health, creativity and personal growth.
The
second discussion looked at the distinctive styles of approach
and analysis engaged in by three saints from Kerala: Adi Sankaracarya
( 8th c. A.D.), Tuncettu Ramanujan Ezuttacchan (16th c. A.D.)
and Sri Narayana Guru (19th c. A.D.) towards understanding human
mind with the following foci:
(i)
alternative epistemological tools used by them such as 'metaphors'
and 'imageries' facilitating 'transcendental thinking',
(ii) first-person and 'Self'-oriented analysis of experience,
(iii) phenomenological descriptions of ordinary and transcendental
states and experiences,
(iv) 'complexity' as not a property of the phenomenon but of
the epistemological devices needed for integral understanding
of the problem,
(v) personal growth, self-healing, self-identities and relationships
as important factors in understanding the reality of the 'given'
and the possibility of the 'unknown', and
(vi) the therapeutic value of their methods of analysis and
presentation.
* Binding Experiences: Looking at 'Two Faces' of Consciousness
Understanding
is always of something which is 'other' than us, to which we
are not acquainted with. We intend to know the 'other'. We understand
the 'other' by means of images, ideas, words and metaphors.
In the process of understanding we also try to integrate the
knowledge we get, to a larger system of our world-view, which
in turn influences, consciously and unconsciously, our ways
of responding to situations.
In
study of mind and consciousness the basic duality involved in
understanding takes an interesting turn of that of integrating
the understanding of the experiencer with experience itself.
Experience itself will be a factor in the process of intending
to understand it. If definition and knowledge are to be objective,
potential of predictability and repeatability, can study of
human mind and consciousness included under classical ways of
understanding? Can we define consciousness based on pre-experiential
understanding of it? Can the experience be studied with the
experiencer having minimal or no role? Conversely, can the self/experiencer
be understood with experience having minimal or no role? In
short will the definition of consciousness be exhaustive of
its complexity?
These
questions were proposed as difficult or easy as asking 'can
I see my face'. I can see my face as much as it is represented.
But none of the representations can replace my original face.
What we 'see' is only the reported. The being of the reported
cannot be confused with the being of the original. Whether they
are two distinct duals is of course a metaphysical theme for
discussion. How ever, I think, the most interesting issue is
that though the reported and that which is reported about could
not be reduced to one, 'the reported' and 'that which is reported
about' can influence each other. I understand and define my
self based on my experiences. At the same time, my experience
depends upon the notion I have of my self . I intend to know.
I also integrate that which I know. And this mysterious power
of consciousness to intend as well as integrate is the puzzle
we are all trying to solve!
*
Binding Experiences: Looking at the 'Harder Problem' of Consciousness
Being
with the problem of consciousness seeks at least three complex
explanations.
These explanations are for:
i) the neuronal processes which are responsible for, from, simple
cognitive
functions to complex human behaviours and responses,
ii) the shifts and interfaces between quantitative (chemical
and physical) brain
states to qualitative (mental and subjective) states, responses
and behaviours,
iii)
the strong sense/adherence of conscious/unconscious states,
behaviours,
responses to a Self which binds experiences, and which also
evolves.
Though
both the physical and non-physical (philosophical, transpersonal,
spiritual etc.) approaches try to address these three problems,
the starting point which is also the significant point seems
to be different for them. While the focus on one side is upon
the local and generative nature of consciousness in terms of
brain processes, on the other side the focus is on the non-local
and non-causal nature of consciousness. The first kind of focus
aims at the explanation of brain processes (for both cognitive
abilities and behavioural responses) and thereby the replication/simulation
of related subjective experiences. The second kind of focus
aims at the resolution and integration of individual subjective
feelings, thoughts, world views and experiences through spiritual
practices and philosophical theorisations.
In
both the approaches, in spite of the basic difference in the
focus of the problem, the evading issue is the 'experience'
of an enduring 'I-ness'. Also, both the top-down and bottom-up
approaches at the some point of the explanation recognize the
elusive nature of a factor which paradoxically is the beginning
and also the endpoint for understanding consciousness, namely
the subjective nature of experience. The 'hard problem' of consciousness,
which is how discrete neural functions are bound to give unitary
subjective experiences, might eventually be a 'easy problem'
with the advancement in brain studies. But the 'harder problem'
of consciousness is of the irreducible 'I-ness' where we begin
with to understand consciousness and also might be the endpoint.
This
study presented some of these issues in the context of, the
'harder' problem of consciousness.
* Binding Experiences: Looking at Being of Self
and Self-Transcendences in the Context of a Discussion on Transpersonal
Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita
Two
seemingly unrelated ideas but both founded on experiential level
than theoretical are juxtaposed: the being of self in specified
contexts, and the tools offered so as to integrate/transcend
the self-in-a-context to a larger self. The study focuses on
the 'doing self', the 'loving self' and the 'meditating self';
understanding them from the standpoint of a variety of states
of mind, choices, relationships and attitudes, suggested in
the Gita.
For
the second part of this study, 'self-transcendences', an integral
framework woven of 'epistemological tools', 'artistic tools',
'meditative tools', 'eschatological tools', 'interpersonal tools'
and 'transpersonal tools' will be presented to look at 'when'
and 'how' transcendences happen and what their nature are.
* Spiritual Experiences and Rare Ritual
Art Performers of North Kerala
Ritual-art
forms of Kerala are a class of its kind with equal significance
if not more along with the classical and folklore traditions.
Most of the ritual-art forms are associated with particular
communities, specific time of the calendar, observances, staging
etc. Though a significant number of the ritual-art forms are
documented, there are fast-disappearing forms of “ritual-arts”
of Malabar (North Kerala) which are yet to be documented in
print/video. Many subclasses of ritual-art forms have not been
recorded due to various reasons such as lack of public information,
disagreement from the ‘performers’ for the event to
be publicly shown. It is also startling that the number of performers
of certain complex ritual-art forms is fast declining and some
of the performances are completely unknown since they were never
documented in a systematic manner.
These
ritual-art forms constitute integrated holistic experiences,
of a community of people, which could be considered transpersonal.
All the ritual-art forms have some kind of a spiritual component
inbuilt in them though they differ in their usage of the nuances
of color, space, sound, movements and make-up for the body.
Another interesting feature is that how much these ritual-arts
are connected with the daily living of the particular community
of the people.
This
project completed a video documentation and photostory of the
‘Rare Ritual Arts of North Kerala’.
