The Groundwork for Idealism Part XI

Introduction

In part IV of this series I promised that, for the purposes of clarification, over the course of the next few posts, my blog would cover a range issues, including, but not limited to:

1. the advantages associated with using the PSR as a theoretical foundation for idealism,
2. the question of what precisely it means to say that “Matter is the visibility of Mind,” (and the implications associated with that)
3. the exact nature of “Pure Mind,” within the context of this system (beyond merely its definition as a function of the negation of subjective self-objectification).
4. the question of what precisely it means to say that “Mind is reality experienced in Time alone”

In this post, I will be covering topic 4.

Mind is Reality Experienced in Time Alone

This point is relatively straightfoward.

When the Mind is detached from the sensory information of the external world (i.e., Matter) all that is left behind is an immediate field of self-aware consciousness suspended in an immediate awareness of Time without Space.

This is most obviously demonstrable in sensory deprivation tanks, but is also phenomenologically present in extended periods of meditation.

A mind detached from the sensory awareness of the external environment eventually loses its sense of embodiment in that Space, and becomes only aware of the Time that passes by within its frame of consciousness.

Given enough of an extended period, even awareness of Time eventually is lost, as is the case with sleeping. While sleeping the Mind disassociates from the sense of embodiment it usually has in the waking hours. (Think to how you don’t feel nor are aware of your body while asleep/dreaming). Furthermore, in deep sleep even an awareness of Time is diminished, as is evidenced by how a period of sleep can seem to transpire in mere instants before you wake up and realize you’ve spent an entire 8 hours in sleep.

Time, therefore, more so than Space is the link between Pure Mind and Matter. Awareness of Time, and its duration, is directly linked to the state of self-awareness. The moment you lose awareness of Time, you have lost awareness of the self, and thus are in a state of pure subjectivity.