The Neurophilosophy of Awakening: The Witnessing-Space as an Operative Bridge to Resolving the Mind-Body Problem

Awakening is redefined not as a final, irreversible state described in Asian traditions but as an ongoing recognition of reality's structure—a moment when consciousness becomes aware of itself, entering meta-awareness. Within a framework called processual perspectivism, a 'Witnessing-Space' is the central, metastable configuration of an enactive inference system. Awakening involves a radical reorganization of this space: moving from fragmented, emotionally dysregulated patterns to an integrated perspective where the system sees its own generative architecture. This Witnessing-Space connects process-ontological philosophy, brain dynamics, and existential spiritual self-realization. The study of awakening may offer a key to resolving the mind-body problem by revealing how phenomenal appearance is generated.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This contribution proposes an ontological interpretation of the "neurophilosophy of awakening" through the lens of enactive inference. Here, awakening is conceptualized not as an elusive, irreversible endgame found in classical Asian traditions, but as a process-oriented recognition of reality's fundamental structure. It marks the spiritual moment when consciousness becomes aware of itself—a transition into meta-awareness. Within the framework of processual perspectivism, the "Witnessing-Space" emerges as the central, metastable configuration of an enactive inference system. We describe awakening as a radical reorganization of this space: a transition from fragmented, affectively dysregulated patterns to an integrated perspective where the system discerns its own generative architecture. The Witnessing-Space thus serves as an operative hinge between process-ontological philosophy, empirical brain dynamics, and the existential dimensions of spiritual self-realization. Ultimately, we argue that the study of awakening provides a heuristic key to resolving the classical mind-body problem by exposing the generative mechanisms of phenomenal appearance.