Implicit-explicit gradient of nondual awareness or consciousness as such.

Consciousness is often mapped with two dimensions—levels or states on one axis and phenomenal contents on the other—but this conflates awareness with alertness or content, hindering scientific understanding. Nondual awareness, a basic non-conceptual, non-propositional awareness free of subject-object fragmentation, cannot be captured by this two-dimensional map. The author proposes adding an implicit-explicit gradient of nondual awareness as a third axis, indicating how manifest nondual awareness is in any experience regardless of state or content. Alternatively, within a multi-dimensional state space model, nondual awareness can be specified by vectors representing its properties. The paper describes nondual awareness phenomenologically, functionally, and neurally, then explores how this gradient clarifies dualistic and nondual experiences from contemplative practices, substances, or spontaneous occurrences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Consciousness is multi-dimensional but is most often portrayed with a two-dimensional (2D) map that has global levels or states on one axis and phenomenal contents on the other. On this map, awareness is conflated either with general alertness or with phenomenal content. This contributes to ongoing difficulties in the scientific understanding of consciousness. Previously, I have proposed that consciousness as such or nondual awareness-a basic non-conceptual, non-propositional awareness in itself free of subject-object fragmentation-is a unique kind that cannot be adequately specified by this 2D map of states and contents. Here, I propose an implicit-explicit gradient of nondual awareness to be added as the z-axis to the existing 2D map of consciousness. This gradient informs about the degree to which nondual awareness is manifest in any experience, independent of the specifics of global state or local content. Alternatively, within the multi-dimensional state space model of consciousness, nondual awareness can be specified by several vectors, each representing one of its properties. In the first part, I outline nondual awareness or consciousness as such in terms of its phenomenal description, its function and its neural correlates. In the second part, I explore the implicit-explicit gradient of nondual awareness and how including it as an additional axis clarifies certain features of everyday dualistic experiences and is especially relevant for understanding the unitary and nondual experiences accessed via different contemplative methods, mind-altering substances or spontaneously.