Spirituality Studies 10-2 Fall 2024 1 EDITORIAL Editorial Among the distinguishing features of spirituality, the inversion of consciousness seems to be the central one. This term refers to an intentional modality of consciousness, in particular “a reversed movement of attention turned from objects to itself”, by which consciousness comes back to itself and recognizes itself as consciousness (Martin Dojčár, Self-Transcendence and Prosociality, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2017, 147). The philosophical equivalent of the term is transcendence or self-transcendence. It is the intentional consciousness or ego that is transcended so that the non-intentional modality of consciousness can come into play as “uncovered” (Gr. alétheia). Most spiritual traditions condition this central process of self-transcendence by stilling or ceasing (Sa. nirodha) the movements of the intentional consciousness or mind (Sa. citta vṛtti – “thought waves” or “mental fluctuations”, which are “fluctuations of intentional consciousness”). This is the case in Indian traditions of yoga, as well as Christian traditions of mysticism, or traditions of ṣūfism in Islam, to name just a few of the major families of spiritual traditions. In these traditions, stilling or ceasing of the movements of the intentional consciousness is approached through access to the vital energy (Sa. prāṇa, He. néfesh), performed either intentionally or unintentionally, and manifested as Kuṇḍalinī śakti, as described, for example, by Monique Rebelle in the current issue of Spirituality Studies. Spiritual practices serve this very purpose – the inversion of consciousness – and in their own way contribute to its realization. It is this kind of internalization that should be considered the hallmark of any authentic spirituality. For ten years, Spirituality Studies has addressed these very issues at the heart of spirituality and continues to do so. The Fall 2024 edition brings forward some of the key themes for understanding spirituality, such as the subject-object relationship, the unmanifested and manifested aspect of reality, or spiritual symbolism and the structure of human existence. I invite you, dear readers, to delve into these topics and be inspired by the insights of the authors featured in the Fall 2024 edition of Spirituality Studies. Cordially Martin Dojčár
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