What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of spirituality based on perennial philosophy and explore the concept of ontological depth.

February 8, 2026Open Access

Consciousness, spirituality, and ontological depth

Key Points

The research aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of spirituality based on perennial philosophy and explore the concept of ontological depth.
Outlines the tenets of perennial philosophy related to spirituality.
Examines the role of cosmic consciousness in establishing meaning.
Discusses different grades of intension in relation to reality.
The essence of spirituality is identified as a connection to cosmic consciousness.
Establishes that reality has varying degrees of ontological depth.
Suggests a rehabilitation of neglected ideas concerning the nature of reality.

Abstract

This paper aims to achieve two complementary goals. The first goal is to outline and motivate a general account of spirituality along the lines of the so-called perennial philosophy. From this perspective, the essence of spirituality lies in establishing an orientation towards, and an inspirational connection to, a cosmic consciousness where the latter serves both as the ground of all infra-cosmic subjects and as an ultimate source of meaning and value. The second goal is to demonstrate that one of the advantages of this outlook on the nature of spirituality consists of the fact that it opens up the door for a potential rehabilitation of an important yet neglected idea, namely, the idea that concrete reality admits various grades of intension, or ontological depth.

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