Consciousness Across Cultures: A Phenomenological Catalog of Non-Ordinary Human Experience
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) January 27, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18394617 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that non-ordinary experiences reported across cultures and history can be cataloged descriptively without adjudicating their validity, prioritizing completeness of documentation over evaluative judgment as part of a consciousness-first metaphysical project. |
Abstract
Abstract: This essay presents a phenomenological catalog of non-ordinary human experiences reported across cultures and historical periods. It documents what has been reported—from near-death experiences to meditative states to apparent psychic phenomena—without adjudicating what should be believed. The goal is descriptive completeness rather than evaluative closure. Part of the Return to Consciousness research program—18 philosophical essays exploring consciousness-first metaphysics. Full project: https://brunoton.github.io/return-to-consciousness/