Religion, Sprituality and Consciousness Research Group

Religion, Spirituality and Consciousness Research Group was established with a specific purpose—to delve into the complex and nuanced aspects of religion and its implications for society. To achieve this aim, the group has organised conferences and seminars in the past, focusing on various themes such as religious pluralism, social healing, communal conflict, and theoretical discussions on the limitations of conventional social and political analyses of religion. Their primary objective is to unravel the complex ways religion is intertwined with society and politics, emphasising the need for a nuanced understanding that goes beyond academic clarity and contributes to envisioning a better and more decent society.

The group's engagement with religion is twofold regarding epistemic concerns or themes. Firstly, they explore religion as a site of conflict and contestation and a domain in which societal and cultural pluralism manifests itself. This involves examining how religion interacts with social dynamics and shapes communities. Secondly, the group focuses on comprehending the ontic component of religion, which consists in understanding the ontological reality that serves as the source or core of religious and spiritual traditions. This inquiry leads them into profound philosophical and metaphysical debates regarding the nature of religion and the existence of a common ontic reality to which all religions and spiritual traditions point. The group argues that our conventional epistemological lens needs to comprehend religion if such a reality exists.

Consequently, they explore the limitations and narrow perspectives of traditional concepts and tools used in social sciences and research, which rely excessively on classical or modern theorists like Weber, Marx, Durkheim, and Freud. This exploration compels them to delve into the complex philosophical questions surrounding religion and its relationship with reality, whether social or natural. They seek insights from diverse disciplines such as the philosophy of mind, cognitive science, affect theory, philosophy of science, continental philosophy of religion, and evolutionary biology to develop a nuanced understanding of religion and its association with reality as manifested in nature and society.

At the heart of this analysis lies a mode of conceptualisation that perceives reality as layered, with each layer corresponding to different epistemological tools. This conceptual framework proposes a totalised ontology—a holistic and non-dualistic understanding of reality. It posits that the spiritual aspect of religion constitutes an integral component of reality alongside the economic and political dimensions. Therefore, any comprehensive account of reality or epistemological tool must encompass a notion of totalised ontology as its metaphysical counterpart. The group employs various methods to explore different layers of reality. One layer involves empirical observations, where the methods of natural sciences prove fruitful. Another layer pertains to the social and cultural aspects, wherein sociological or anthropological tools and methods bring us closer to understanding social facts and truth. However, what distinguishes this mode of analysis or conceptualisation is that it does not halt at these two layers of reality. It posits the existence of deeper layers, such as the psychological/consciousness/awareness layer and the cosmic layer, which necessitate innovative methods and tools to unravel their mysteries. Through this mode of conceptualisation, the group proposes that religion, as a crucial element in social, political, and cultural analysis, also constitutes an integral element of natural and philosophical research.

The group's ultimate goal is to foster a dialogue between religion's various aspects and themes. They seek to bridge the gap between those aspects of religion linked to identity or community, which contribute to conflicts and the formation of communities/identities, and the proposed universal or spiritual core of religion, referred to as the ontic part. This ontic component, often synonymous with the spiritual dimension, requires both experiential and conceptual tools to access. The approach taken in exploring this enigma aligns with the method employed to comprehend consciousness. The group grapples with the central question of understanding the divide between the identity-centric component of religion and its spiritual or universal core, which also serves as the ontic core. They strive to explore the transformation from viewing religion as an inherently plural and universal ontic and spiritual phenomenon to perceiving it as a tool for identity politics, often subservient to ideology. In unravelling the enigma, the group on religion and society transcends disciplinary boundaries and embraces an interdisciplinary approach. They draw equally from the frameworks and methods of philosophy of mind, science, sociology, and anthropology to gain deeper insights into the multifaceted nature of religion and its relationship with society.

In summary, the group was formed to investigate the complexities and implications of religion for society. Their work involves exploring religion as a site of conflict and societal pluralism and comprehending the ontic component of religion and its relationship with reality. They challenge conventional epistemological lenses, emphasising the limitations of traditional concepts and tools. Adopting a totalised ontology, they view reality as layered and employ different methods to explore these layers. Their goal is to foster a dialogue between the various aspects of religion, bridging the gap between identity-centric concerns and the universal or spiritual core. The group aims to unravel the enigma of religion's transformative potential and significance in society through an interdisciplinary approach.