Acosmism, in contrast to pantheism, denies the reality of the universe, seeing it as ultimately illusory, (the prefix "a-" in Greek meaning negation; like "un-" in English), and only the infinite unmanifest Absolute as real. Pantheism (Greek: pan = all and Theos = God) literally means God is All and All is God. It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. ... Reality in everyday usage means everything that exists. ... The deepest visible-light image of the cosmos. ... An illusion is a distortion of a sensory perception. ... Infinity is a word carrying a number of different meanings in mathematics, philosophy, theology and everyday life. ... Look up Absolute in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Absolute can mean: The Absolute - a concept in philosophy Absolut Vodka - a Swedish brand of vodka Absolute value - in mathematics, the distance either a positive or negative number is from zero. ...

This philosophy begins with the recognition that there is only one Reality, which is infinite, non-dual, blissful, etc. Yet the phenomenal reality of which we are normally aware is none of these things; it is in fact just the opposite: i.e. dualistic, finite, full of suffering and pain, and so on. And since the Absolute is the only reality, that means that everything that is not-Absolute cannot be real. Thus, according to this viewpoint, the phenomenal dualistic world is ultimately an illusion (maya to use the technical Indian term), irrespective of the apparent reality it possesses at the mundane or empirical level. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A nondual philosophical or religious perspective or theory maintains that there is no fundamental distinction between mind and matter. ... A phenomenon (plural: phenomena) is an observable event, especially something special (literally something that can be seen from the Greek word phainomenon = observable). ... The term dualism can refer to a variety of doctrines, mainly in theology and philosophy, each involving the purported existence of two opposites of some kind. ... Suffering is any unwanted condition and the corresponding negative emotion. ... The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya – a Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya – a concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of... Empiricism comes from the Greek word εμπειρισμός, a noun meaning a test or trial. The -pir- is ultimately related to the -per- of the Latin words experientia and experimentum, both of which mean experiment, and from which our words experiment and experience come. ...

Acosmic monistic spiritual practice emphasises attaining the Absolute through a kind of intellectual or conceptual realisation. This may involve holding the thought that "I am that" (the Absolute), as in the of the Advaita Vedanta school and its recent advocates; or alternatively through a standing back and simply watching the thoughts and sensations arise and pass away; realising all the time that they are not a part of one's true Self. Both these approaches are termed the path of jnana ("knowledge"). Monism is the metaphysical and theological view that all is of one essential essence, principle, substance or energy. ... A spiritual practice, spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise (sadhana) includes any activity that one associates with cultivating spirituality. ... Thou Art That, or You are that (both translations of the Sanskrit Tat Twam Asi), is one of the most important phrases in Hinduism. ... Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. ... Vedanta (Vedānta, वेदान्त, pronounced as ) means the anta or culmination of Vedas. ... Jnana is the Sanskrit term for knowledge. ...

So whereas the Western monistic philosophers (Zeno, Spinoza, etc.), tend to be pantheistic, the Indian philosophies and religions tend be Acosmic. They were and are concerned not so much with the manifest reality we see about us, but with the unmanifest Absolute Transcendent. What matters is simply the practical attainment of a state of this universal, transcendent, transpersonal existence. In that state, according to Adi Shankara, there is no difference between Self and God; there is only the Absolute (Brahman). The term Western world or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... Zeno may mean: a person Zeno (emperor) (c. ... Baruch Spinoza Benedictus de Spinoza (November 24, 1632 - February 21, 1677), named Baruch Spinoza by his synagogue elders and known as Bento de Spinoza or Bento dEspiñoza in the community in which he grew up. ... Transcendental in philosophical contexts In philosophy, transcendental experiences are experiences of an exclusively human nature that are other-worldly or beyond the human realm of understanding. ... The term Transpersonal is often used to refer to psychological categories that transcend the normal features of ordinary ego-functioning. ... ... Adi Shankara with the Four Disciples Adi Shankara (Åšaá¹…kara, Shri Shankaracharya, Adhi Shankaracharya, Ä€di Åšaá¹…karācārya; the first Shankara in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of the Lord) (approximately 8th century, but see below) was the most famous advaita philosopher, who... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel) This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and derived henotheistic forms. ... Brahman (ब्रह्मन् in devanagari script) in the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) schools of Hinduism, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being in this universe. ...

See also

• Christian science
• New thought