Is God (Brahman, Emptiness, etc.) known mystically?

1. The cognitive value of sense experience: the "Theory of Appearing"

If S takes something a to appear to herself as F, then she has a reason for believing that a is F (Fa).

2. Similarities between sense and mystical experience

a. experience is taken by the subject to reveal realities

b. compelling character

c. checks for differentiating veridical and non-veridical experiences

3. Dissimilarities

a. lack of universality (see C & D)

b. nature of the object(s) taken to be revealed

B. Testimony and the principle of credulity

1. 1st-person and 3rd-person perspectives

2. criteria of reliability

• character
• self-consistency
• nature of the claims (coherence with other things we know, e.g., evil or lifelessness of Mars)
• personal investment, objectivity

C. Objectivity and intersubjectivity

D. The problem of mystic diversity

Some philosophic answers:

1. William James's "piecemeal supernaturalism"

2. W. T. Stace's "core view"

3. Aurobindo's "logic of the Infinite"

4. irreconcilable diversity

E. World views

1. motivation

2. problems of coherence (e.g. God & evil)

3. spirituality without a world view

4. metaphysical minimalism

F. Debunking views

1. Hume on miracles (naturalism)

2. psychological debunking (including brain chemistry)

3. sociological debunking