Perceiving the self, performing knowledge

In Sufism, the pursuit of Truth requires embodied, reciprocal engagement with the world, not just cognition. Perception is a social practice shaped by interactions and heightened awareness, with aesthetic perception central to Sufi practices. Using phenomenological and constructivist approaches, the study investigates how subjective experiences gain meaning through communicative actions, focusing on materiality and corporeality. It highlights challenges of verbalizing experiences and emphasizes bodily performativity and sensory experiences in constructing reality and social relationships. Examining emotion and action within the Sufi milieu underscores aesthetic perception's importance in Islamic cultural contexts. The chapter concludes with reflections on how research methods influence understanding of perception as a cultural practice within Islamic subjectivity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In Sufism, the pursuit of Truth requires more than just cognition, demanding an embodied, reciprocal engagement with the world. Perception is seen as a social practice shaped by interactions and heightened self- and other-awareness, with aesthetic perception playing a crucial role in Sufi practices. Using phenomenological and constructivist approaches, this study investigates how subjective experiences gain meaning through communicative actions, focusing on the materiality and corporeality of these interactions. The analysis highlights the challenges of verbalizing experiences and emphasizes the role of bodily performativity and sensory experiences in constructing reality and social relationships. By examining the interplay between emotion and action within the Sufi milieu, the study underscores the importance of aesthetic perception in Islamic cultural contexts. The chapter concludes with reflections on how research methods influence the understanding of perception as a cultural practice, particularly within the framework of Islamic subjectivity.