Idealist Philosophy: What is Real ?
Conscious Experience Seen as Basic to All Ontology. An Overviewˇ

Randrup, Axel Abraham (2003) Idealist Philosophy: What is Real ?
Conscious Experience Seen as Basic to All Ontology. An Overviewˇ.

Abstract

Abstract

The idealist attitude followed in this paper is based on the assumption that only conscious experience
in the Now is real. Conscious experience in the Now is supposed to be known directly or intuitively,
it can not be explained. I think it constitutes the basis of all ontology. Consciousness is conceived as
the total of conscious experience in the Now, the ontology of consciousness is thus derived directly
from the basis. The ontology of nature is derived more indirectly from the basis. Science is regarded
as a catalog of selected conscious experiences (observations), acknowledged to be scientific and
structured by means of concepts and theories (also regarded as conscious experiences). Material
objects are regarded as heuristic concepts constru cted from the immediate experiences in the Now and
useful for expressing observations within a certain domain with some of their mutual relations.
History is also regarded as a construct from conscious experiences in the Now. Concepts of worlds
without an ego are seen to be in harmony with immediate egoless experiences. Worlds including
spirituality are conceived as based on immediate spiritual experiences together with other immediate
experiences. Idealist or immaterial philosophies have been criticized for implying solipsism or
"solipsism of the present moment". This critique is countered by emphasizing the importance of
intersubjectivity for science and by introducing the more precise concepts of collective conscious
experience and collective conscious experience across time. Comprehensive evidence supporting the
heuristic value of these concepts is related.
I conclude that the idealist approach leads to a coherent comprehension of natural science including
mind-brain relations, while the mainstream ma terialist approach entails contradictions and other
problems for a coherent understanding. The idealist approach and the notion of collective conscious
experience also facilitates cross-cultural studies and the understanding of intersubjectivity.

Key-wo rds : Idealist ontology; philosophy of science; cognition; reality;
psychological Now; collective conscious experience;psychological Now; collective conscious experience; collective consciousness; egoless
experience; egolessness; philosophy of mind; mind-brain relations; mind-matter
relations; spirituality; shamanism; science and religion; God..ˇ