Browsing by Author "Jones, Naamleela Free"

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    The Zero-Point Paradigm: "Radical" Hermeneutics of Nonduality in the Work of Adi Da Samraj
    (2023-04-13) Jones, Naamleela Free; Kripal, Jeffrey J; DeConick, April D
    This dissertation examines the paradigm of the "zero-point" in the work of my father, Adi Da Samraj (1939–2008)—philosopher, artist, and founder of a twentieth- to twenty-first century new religious movement. It argues that there are advantages in applying the broader conceptual categories and theoretical framework of esotericism to Adi Da’s spiritual and philosophical worldview. To begin with, I work retroactively to trace the history of the zero-point through key figures in nineteenth to twentieth century esotericism, including H.P. Blavatsky, Rudolf Steiner, C. G. Jung, Thomas Merton, and Ervin Laszlo. Through a close reading of Adi Da’s textual corpus, I then go on to consider how the zero-point paradigm represents a core thread of “radical” nonduality woven through the lens of philosophy and metaphysics, cosmology and anthropology, and ethics and politics. I write this study as both an insider and an outsider—an intimate participant and a historian of religions. Given my history and location, I situate my project as a scholar-practitioner in the academic area of new religious movements, contemporary esotericism, and East-West integrative traditions, or Asian-inspired American spiritualities. In the end, I argue that Adi Da’s zero-point paradigm represents a compelling case study of East-West integrative spirituality, one that exemplifies the mystical epistemologies and rich combinative project that lies at the very heart of American metaphysical religion.