Abstract

In this essay, I detail the mainsprings of Evan Thompson's creative synthesis of Indian philosophy, Western phenomenology, philosophy of mind, and neuroscience—what he calls “contemplative neuroscience”—and sketch some of his key arguments. I focus on his method of “neurophenomenology” and the connections among his understanding of three key concepts: consciousness, dreaming, and the link between the two—imagination. I explore three epistemological questions his work raises: When contemplatives claim to access nondual, pure awareness, is this truly knowledge? If so, what kind of knowledge is it? And can it be deemed scientific in any meaningful way? My criticism has to do with what I take to be a glaring omission in the book: it does not directly investigate what I want to call the “phenomenology of kensho,” of the breakthrough experiences long-time meditators are alleged to undergo.