On the Utility of Finitude for the Neuroscience of Awakening
Preprints.org September 1, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.20944/preprints202509.0045.v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cognitive science |
| Key points | Argues that awakening is a dynamic, non-permanent process of embracing impermanence, not a fixed state of liberation. |
Abstract
This philosophical essay explores the concept of "awakening" as a dynamic, non-permanent process by bridging ancient philosophy and modern neuroscience. It challenges the traditional view of a static, eternal nirvana by interpreting the human yearning for such a state as a form of "incompetence-compensation." Drawing on Heraclitus's idea of Aletheia (unconcealment) and Buddhist teachings on attachment (upadana), the text argues that true liberation lies not in achieving a fixed state but in embracing the continuous, impermanent zigzag path of reason. Neurological theories, such as Karl Friston's predictive coding and Georg Northoff's spatiotemporal theory of consciousness, are used as metaphorical frameworks to illustrate how the brain, as a "master of compensation," temporarily deconstructs its rigid, narrative self to experience a timeless present. The essay concludes that this dynamic process, far from being a failure, is the very essence of human existence: a perpetual negotiation between finitude and the hope for a greater whole.