Meditation and Self-Awareness

Abstract

In this article, two theses are analysed in a discussion with Thomas Metzinger. These are the ubiquity thesis, which is much discussed in the theory of subjectivity, and the meditation thesis, which forms the basis of Metzinger’s considerations. The ubiquity thesis states that every case of consciousness includes occurrent awareness of an “I”, and the meditation thesis that insights gained through meditation can be taken into account when criticising the ubiquity thesis. The central theses of this essay are: a) Following Metzinger, it is possible to justify a critique of the ubiquity thesis; b) a variant of the meditation thesis restricted to secular and unintentional meditation practice is valid. In this essay, these theses are substantiated, and secular and unintentional meditation is characterised in more detail and differentiated from hallucinations, suggestions, and trance states.