The experience of presence

This chapter describes and analyzes what happens in the attainment of a deep state of meditation, and argues that the experience enables the practitioner to become aware of consciousness as such, as opposed to one’s typical exclusive awareness of the contents or objects of consciousness, and that considering this awareness of consciousness itself has potential philosophical significance for our understanding of the nature of consciousness, particularly an understanding that diverges from the somewhat widespread view that conceptualizes consciousness primarily in terms of phenomenal qualities, instead of strictly as consciousness of whatever qualities.