The Problem of Pure Consciousness

Are mystical experiences formed by the mystic's cultural background and concepts as 'constructivists' maintain or do mystics sometimes transcend language belief and culturally conditioned expectations? Do mystical experiences differ throughout the various religious traditions as 'pluralists' contend or are they somehow ecumenical? The contributors to this collection scrutinize a common mystical experience the 'pure consciousness event'--the experience of being awake but devoid of intentional content--in order to answer these questions. Through the use of historical Hindu Buddhist Christian and Jewish mystical writings as well as those of modern mystics the contributors reveal the inconsistencies and inadequacies of current models as make significant strides towards developing new models for the understanding of the mystical phenomenon in particular and of human experience in general.