Subject combination and the initiatory experience in Śrīvidyā
R. Krishnaswamy, Tarinee Awasthi
Religious Studies June 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s003441252610167x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Experiential learning Subject documents Argument complex analysis Security token Consciousness Value mathematics Epistemology Phenomenon Field mathematics Subject matter |
| Key points | Argues that Śrīvidyā initiatory experience can be understood as a 'shared token experience', which challenges but does not necessarily preclude assumptions about the unity and boundedness of conscious subjects. |
Abstract
Abstract Śrīvidyā is a Tantric tradition which includes a form of religious initiation into an esoteric practice. Descriptions of initiation allude to and often describe the initiator sharing an experience with the initiand. In this article, we will suggest that such experiences can be understood in terms of a ‘shared token experience’. To make a case for taking such an experience into account, we use an argument for the epistemic value of religious experience. Our defence of the sharing of token experience across subjects also opens up questions as to the limits of consciousness or subjecthood. The phenomenon of Śrīvidyā initiatory experience also undermines two assumptions regarding what it means to be a subject. The first assumption is that each conscious subject is a unified whole insofar as its different experiential parts are mereologically connected to one subject. The second assumption is that each subject’s experiential field is bounded to one subject such that no two subjects can share the same experiential field. We argue that these assumptions do not necessarily preclude the possibility of a shared token experience.