The deep reads and philosophy essays explore fundamental questions about reality, consciousness, and the nature of knowledge from a cross-cultural perspective — integrating Western philosophy, Indian thought, and contemporary science.

The Nature of Reality

The essays 42 and The 10 Questions open with the question “What is reality? How do we know what is real?” and argue that these are ultimately semantic rather than profound dilemmas. Following Philip K. Dick’s definition — “reality is that which doesn’t go away when you stop believing in it” — the essays examine simulation theory (Bostrom’s ancestor simulations), the NOMA thesis (Gould’s non-overlapping magisteria), and the epistemological foundations of science and religion.

The argument distinguishes between science and religion not as bodies of knowledge but as outputs of different epistemological methods. The scientific method — observation, experience, reason, and falsifiability (Popper) — is contrasted with faith, revelation, or divination as means of acquiring knowledge.

Free Will

The Free Will essay examines the philosophical problem of free will from both Western and Indian perspectives, questioning the compatibility of determinism with moral responsibility and the implications for dharma and karma.

Consciousness Studies

Multiple essays explore consciousness through different lenses: Science on Consciousness reviews scientific approaches, Theology on Consciousness examines theological perspectives, and Ontic Bloom approaches consciousness through the Heideggerian ontical/ontological distinction.

Western Philosophers

  • Camus - engagement with absurdism, the myth of Sisyphus, and the question of meaning
  • McKenna - Terence McKenna’s ideas on consciousness, novelty theory, and psychedelics
  • Cogito Ergo Sum - Cartesian foundations and their critique from Indian perspectives
  • Critical Path - Buckminster Fuller’s critical path methodology

Philosophical Foundations

See Also