From: jimruttshow8596
Within the framework of metamodernism, spirituality and altered states of consciousness are recognized as profoundly relevant aspects of human experience, offering a nuanced approach that acknowledges their significance without falling into traditionalist or reductionist traps .
Defining Spirituality
Spirituality, in this context, refers to “higher subjective States” that occur when an individual looks within themselves . These states are characterized by a sense of “wholeness or love or connection,” often described as “pristine clarity” or a “super presence” . Such experiences evoke feelings of beauty and meaning, leading to a profound realization that “everything is gonna be alright” . Once experienced, these moments are “very important for the rest of your life” and “you can’t unsee them” . They also connect individuals to a deeper understanding of existence, including the reality of suffering .
Historical Perspective on Religion and Spirituality
According to metamodernism, traditional religions were “in some sense… right” about certain aspects of human experience . While modern society, driven by industry, science, and capitalism, divorced itself from specific religious beliefs (e.g., Jesus walking on water, Moses parting the sea), it simultaneously “forgot about some things that the religions actually got right” .
Historically, the impetus for philosophy has often been driven by individuals experiencing these high subjective states . Philosophical insights, such as those described by Descartes, can be understood as spiritual experiences . This stands in contrast to science, which tends to be less driven by this “spiritual impetus” .
Altered States of Awareness and Cognitive Complexity
Metamodernism pushes individuals towards the “farther stretches of existential development,” which includes exploring “unusual or altered states of awareness” . Research suggests that in these high states, neurons fire and connections are made in a much wider sense, acting as a “reset button for the brain” allowing for radical structural changes .
While acknowledging the reality of these experiences, it is important to understand their nature . They are seen as useful tools for life, but not necessarily as direct insights into “fundamental reality itself” . These states can be interpreted as the “confabulator” (the part of the brain that invents narratives for cohesion) operating on atypical brain-body networks and rhythms . They can be enjoyable and serve as a “reset” for mental circuits .
Metamodern Balance: Avoiding Extremes
Metamodernism seeks to avoid two common pitfalls:
- Essentialism: Ascribing inherent depth or reality to subjective experiences (e.g., believing angels are real because one saw them in a vision) . This pitfall is often seen in individuals with high depth and state but low cognitive complexity .
- Reductionism: Reducing all experience to its objective, third-person correlates, leading to a “disenchanted” view of the world . This is common in individuals with high complexity and code but lower depth and state .
The metamodern approach emphasizes a balance between “crude reductionism” and “trembling spirituality” . The goal is to coordinate these seemingly opposite principles, recognizing that experiences, even if physiologically explainable, do not lose their profound impact or depth . It allows for a “life of faith” in a moral project larger than oneself, while maintaining a critical mind that can question even sacred symbols .
Role in Societal Change
For metamodernism, integrating spirituality and altered states is not about universal adoption of a single dogma, but about leveraging these experiences for psychological, existential, cognitive, and sociological growth .
An important group identified in this context is the “yoga bourgeoisie” (e.g., Silicon Valley types), who often engage in spiritual practices (meditation, psychedelics) after experiencing dissatisfaction with purely material success . While these individuals value spirituality and aim for positive impact (e.g., “conscious capitalism”), they often lack the “metamodern code” or a comprehensive “map” to effectively organize and enact large-scale political and societal change .
The objective is not for everyone to become a metamodernist, but to align human agency and perspectives within a complex web of relations to achieve shared common goals . This involves changing informational architecture, political structures, and culture to fulfill the promises of the Enlightenment and address postmodern critiques, leading to a deeper, more just society .