1. Abstract

This synthesis articulates a rigorous neuro-phenomenological framework to restore visionary depth to contemplative science, proposing a transition from reductive “McMindfulness” to a robust “Mindfulness 2.0.” Central to this model is a six-phase taxonomy of phosphene emergence—endogenous light phenomena that serve as the “ground zero” for mystical iconography. By integrating the silencing of the Default Mode Network (DMN), the autonomic nervous system’s (ANS) role in the James-Lange production of awe, and the modulating influence of endogenous N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), we identify the neurobiological substrates of illumination. This paper introduces the “Ultrasubjective Hyperspace” (USH) as a verifiable, structure-function unity of consciousness where reality construction occurs. Comparative analyses of the Tibetan Dzogchen tradition, Christian mysticism, and Jungian psychology demonstrate that these visionary states are not metaphysical anomalies but structured disclosures of the human central nervous system (CNS).

2. Introduction: Beyond “McMindfulness” to Mindfulness 2.0

Modern Western meditation has suffered a profound “McMindful” dilution, commodified into a tool for productivity and self-regulation (Purser, 2013). This reductionist framing severs the practice from its ancestral lineages of illumination, transforming a portal to the absolute into a mere relaxation technique. There is a critical need for a restoration of meaning—a “Mindfulness 2.0″—grounded in the direct perception of the inner light.

The foundation of this restoration is the systematic study of phosphenes: the innate visual vocabulary of the mind. We propose the following seven Postulates as the scaffolding for a unified model of reality:

1. Innate Nature of Archetypes: Religious symbols are hardwired into the architecture and functional geometry of the CNS.
2. Access Points: Altered states of consciousness (ASC), induced via meditation, trance, or entheogens, serve as portals to these innate geometries.
3. Phosphenes as Ground Zero: Religious visions are fundamentally composed of universal geometric patterns, identified as Klüver form constants.
4. Structure-Function Unity: The universal perception of the “Divine” is the byproduct of the CNS encountering its own inherent structure and function.
5. DMT as a Physiological Vehicle: Endogenous DMT serves as a physical modulator that intensifies and stabilizes advanced visionary phases.
6. Reframing the Collective Unconscious: Jung’s “collective unconscious” is a shared pool of experienced phosphene patterns given cultural names.
7. Genesis of Theology: The systematic perception of these inner lights provides the empirical basis for all historical visionary lineages.

3. Phenomenology of Phosphenes: The Innate Visual Vocabulary

Phosphenes are spontaneous, endogenous visual phenomena that unfold in a repeatable, hierarchical progression.

3.1 The 15 Form Constants

Heinrich Klüver and subsequent researchers identified recurring geometric archetypes that serve as the building blocks of inner vision.

Form Constant	Visual Characteristic
1. Spirals	Pulsing, vortex-like patterns radiating from a luminous center.
2. Tunnels	Cylindrical passages or tubes suggesting depth and rapid movement.
3. Lattices	Tessellated grid-like arrangements; honeycombs or nets.
4. Zigzags	Sharp, angular, flickering lines in repetitive sequences.
5. Cobwebs	Overlapping, radiating net-like structures.
6. Concentric Circles	Pulsating nested circular patterns expanding or contracting.
7. Radial Stars	Intense beams of light radiating outward from a central point.
8. Hexagons	Tessellated six-sided geometric shapes in stable arrays.
9. Checkerboards	Alternating dark and light square grids, often colored (red-green).
10. Crosses	Intersecting luminous lines forming an X or cross shape.
11. Waves	Undulating, sinuous lines resembling ripples or sine curves.
12. Dots or Points	Scattered “thig le” or luminous points; star-like flashes.
13. Arcs	Curved lines appearing in succession or sequences.
14. Cones	Triangular or funnel-like shapes suggesting multidimensional perspective.
15. Serpentine Lines	Wavy, sinuous paths resembling snakes or sinuous energy.

3.2 The Six-Phase Taxonomy

This taxonomy describes the trajectory of visionary ascension from retinal noise to non-dual awareness:

1. Phase 1: Initial Flickers. Subtle, fleeting points or diffuse mists (violet or blue) representing baseline visual system activity.
2. Phase 2: Basic Geometric Patterns. Coalescence into form constants (grids, spirals, zigzags); the visual system begins to organize spontaneous activity.
3. Phase 3: Complex, Moving Structures. Kaleidoscopic morphing and rotation; the viewer feels drawn into a tunnel or vortex of shifting patterns.
4. Phase 4: Structured, Vibrant Displays. Symbolic emergence; the mind interprets kaleidoscopic displays as mandalas, light beings, or archetypal figures (angels, Buddhas).
5. Phase 5: Pure, Undifferentiated Light (The Urlicht). Dissolution of forms into an immersive, dimensionless space of radiance. This “structure-function unity” is often perceived as sacred geometry.
6. Phase 6: Formless Light and Boundless Awareness. The total collapse of the subject-object distinction. Perception becomes centerless, self-luminous, and non-dual.

4. The Neurobiological Substrate: A Unified Model of Awe

The transition from visual data to mystical awe is grounded in the synaptic and network dynamics of the brain.

4.1 DMN Silencing

The Default Mode Network (DMN), responsible for self-referential “narrative” thought, acts as a cognitive filter. Contemplative attenuation of the DMN reduces “self-noise,” allowing the endogenous phosphene “signal” to emerge with unprecedented clarity.

4.2 The James-Lange Perspective on Awe

Consistent with the James-Lange theory—positing that emotion follows physiological response—we argue that we feel awe because our body reacts to the internal stimulus of Phase 3–6 phosphenes.

• Stimulus: The emergence of complex, vibrant geometries.
• Physiological Response: Intense activation of the ANS, causing specific somatic markers: involuntary lacrimation (tears), shivering, goosebumps (piloerection), and a sensation of “melting or opening” in the chest.
• Emotion: In the absence of DMN labeling, these profound somatic shifts are interpreted as the emotion of Awe. The body perceives the “divine” before the mind can categorize it.

4.3 Endogenous DMT

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is hypothesized as the “physical vehicle” for these states. As an endogenous modulator, it may amplify phosphene intensity, facilitating the transition from geometric patterns into the radiant “Urlicht.”

5. Comparative Mysticism I: The Tibetan Dzogchen Tradition

The Tibetan Bardo Thödol (Book of the Dead) serves as a phenomenological manual for the navigating the inner light.

5.1 The Bardo Visions

The text describes “seminal points of light” (thig le) and “five-colored lights” that arise from the “natural expressive power of one’s own mind.” This is a direct account of Phosphene Phase 4, where intrinsic awareness takes form as radiant mandalas. The instruction to “recognize this as the radiance of your own mind” is the key to non-dual realization.

5.2 The Rainbow Body (Jalü) and the Haptic Dimension

The “Rainbow Body” attainment—where the physical form dissolves into light—is a complex, dynamic “phosphene-movie.” Crucially, this contains a haptic dimension: the practitioner experiences a powerful proprioceptive sensation of floating upward, inseparable from the visual up-streaming surge of “rainbow banners.” This sensation of ascension is a co-creative element, where the “mu cord” or light-axis becomes a unified multi-sensory illusion of dissolution.

5.3 Thangkas as Visual Records

Tibetan scroll paintings are solidified snapshots of dynamic phosphene flows. The Vajrabhairava (c. 1740) provides empirical evidence: the footsoles are depicted as kaleidoscopic fields of alternating red and blue, identical to observed phosphene grids. The stylized “seas of flames” and repetitive “eye-like structures” record the kaleidoscopic replication of Phase 3 and 4 phosphenes.

6. Comparative Mysticism II: The Christian and Gnostic Heritage

Western traditions corroborate this universal neurophenomenological grammar.

6.1 Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard’s visions in Scivias—featuring “Living Light,” zigzag rays, and concentric rings—are clinical examples of scintillating scotoma and fortification spectra. Her “mountain the color of iron” and “image full of eyes” represent the translation of Phase 4 phosphenes into sacred iconography.

6.2 The Gospel of Thomas and St. Teresa

• Gospel of Thomas (Saying 50): The description of the light’s sign as “movement and stillness” defines the paradoxical nature of Phase 6 phosphene dissolution—where the field is entirely still yet subtly dynamic.
• St. Teresa of Ávila: Her “eyes of the soul” and the “Urlicht” experience describe the structured transition into the radiant ground of the USH.

7. Reinterpreting the Collective Unconscious: Jung, Blake, and Archetypes

Jung’s “Collective Unconscious” is not an abstract concept but a biological reality. Archetypes are a “pool of experienced phosphenes” culturally named by the observer.

Evidence of this is found in Jung’s Red Book. In the section Nox tertia, Jung illustrates precise phosphene grids and fortification spectra (zigzag patterns) migrating across the visual field. This “neurophenomenological grammar” is also visible in William Blake’s prophetic art, which utilizes spirals and lattices to document the structure of the visual cortex in visionary states.

8. The Ultrasubjective Hyperspace (USH): A Unified Model of Reality

The USH is the fundamental, verifiable dimension of pure consciousness where inner perception shapes reality.

• Dimensions of the USH: An “empty yet vibrant field of infinite consciousness,” the USH is a structure-function unity that exists beyond form, time, and localization.
• Resonant Field: Symbols and intentions function as “resonance keys” that activate specific archetypal zones within the inner space.
• Reality Construction: The USH bridges the gap between the placebo effect (symbolic healing) and ceremonial magick. By using sigils or “resonance keys,” the practitioner bypasses the sensory cortex to access the transpersonal source, causing “change in conformity with Will.”

9. Conclusion: Towards Mankind 2.0

The synthesis of phosphene research and comparative mysticism reveals that “illumination” is a directly experienceable condition grounded in the CNS. By moving beyond “McMindfulness,” we enter “Mindfulness 2.0″—a yoga of the inner light. In this paradigm, the evolution of human consciousness leads to a “Mankind 2.0,” characterized by the ability to consciously co-create reality within the USH. As we navigate this inner radiance, light itself becomes the teacher.

10. References

• Bressloff, P. C., et al. (2002). What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex. Neural Computation.
• Dorje, G., Coleman, G., & Jinpa, T. (2006). The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Viking Press.
• Hyland, T. (2017). McDonaldizing Spirituality: Mindfulness, Education, and Consumerism.
• Keppel Hesselink, J. M. (2025). The Ultrasubjective Hyperspace: A Unified Model of Consciousness and Reality. PsyArXiv Preprints.
• Klüver, H. (1966). Mescal and Mechanisms of Hallucinations. University of Chicago Press.
• Rabjam, L. (1998). The Precious Treasury of the Way of Abiding. Padma Publishing.
• Purser, R. (2013). Beyond McMindfulness. HuffPost.