In philosophy and religion, the word noetic, from the Greek νοῦς (nous) is usually translated as "mind", "understanding", "intellect", or "reason". Most dictionaries define the term noetic as a synonym of "mental" or "intellectual." Philosopher in Meditation (detail), by Rembrandt Philosophy is a field of study that includes diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics, in which people ask questions such as whether God exists, whether knowledge is possible, and what makes actions right or wrong. ...

The ancient Pythagoreans and Platonists used the term to mean "the cosmic soul". According to Neo-Platonic cosmology, the nous emanates from the One. Pythagoreanism is a term used for the esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were much influenced by mathematics and probably a main inspirational source for Plato and platonism. ... Platonic idealism is the theory that the substantive reality around us is only a reflection of a higher truth. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is an ancient school of philosophy beginning in the 3rd century A.D. It was based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists; but it interpreted Plato in many new ways, such that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato taught, though not many Neoplatonists would... // Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (cosmologia, κόσμος (cosmos) world + λογια (logia) discourse) is the study of the Universe in its totality, and by extension, humanitys place in it. ... Emanationism is a component in the cosmology of certain religious or philosophical systems that argue a Supreme Being did not directly create the physical universe, but instead emanated into different spiritual powers that created the world. ... The Absolute is the totality of things, all that is, whether it has been discovered or not. ...

Anaxagoras wrote: Anaxagoras Anaxagoras (c. ...

All other things partake in a portion of everything, while Nous is infinite and self-ruled, and is mixed with nothing, but is alone, itself by itself. For if it were not by itself, but were mixed with anything else, it would partake in all things if it were mixed with any; for in everything there is a portion of everything, as has been said by me in what goes before, and the things mixed with it would hinder it, so that it would have power over nothing in the same way that it has now being alone by itself. For it is the thinnest of all things and the purest, and it has all knowledge about everything and the greatest strength; and Nous has power over all things, both greater and smaller, that have soul. (Translation by J. Burnet)

From the nous emerges the world soul, which gives rise to the manifest realm. In recent decades, the term has taken on new usages. Walter J. Ong and James A. Berlin used the term noetic to describe a "noetic economy", "noetic processes" and "noetic field." The Institute of Noetic Sciences defines noetic as, roughly, 'relating to consciousness or intuition'. Mystical, cosmic and holistic connotations are why the New Age movement has embraced the term noetic and used it to refer to the exploration of individual or cosmic consciousness. Beginning with Vedantic Hindu philosophy, the Ātman — Sanskrit (masculine nominative singular: Ātmā) is regarded as an underlying metaphysical self. ... Manifest adj: Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious. ... Walter Ong Father Walter Jackson Ong, Ph. ... Founded in 1973 by astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the Institute of Noetic Sciences explores the frontiers of consciousness through rigorous scientific research, bridges science and spirit, and seeks to support a fundamental shift in human consciousness to create a world grounded in freedom, wisdom and love. ... Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and ones environment. ... Intuition has many but close meanings across many cultures, including: Quick and ready insight seemingly independent of previous experiences and empirical knowledge Immediate apprehension or cognition Knowledge or conviction gained immediately and without detailed consideration The power or faculty of attaining knowledge or cognition immediately without thought and inference. ... The Flammarion Woodcut can be taken to illustrate the Gnostics mystical search for spiritual worlds by circumventing the constraints of materialism. ... Holism (from holos, a Greek word meaning all, entire, total) is the idea that all the properties of a given system (biological, chemical, social, mental, linguistic, etc. ...

See also

• Noosphere
• Phenomenology
• Epistemology

The noosphere can be seen as the sphere of human thought being derived from the Greek νους (nous) meaning mind in the style of atmosphere and biosphere. Just as the biosphere is composed of all the organisms on Earth and their interactions, the noosphere is composed of all the interacting minds... Look up Phenomenology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Knowledge. ...

External links

• Anaxagoras : NOUS
• "Knowledge, Power and Control: Some Issues in Epistemology"
• "Toward an Epistemology for Response Research"
• "Toward a field theory of journalism"
• "What is Noetic" by the Institute of Noetic Sciences
• FIONS – Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences

References

• James A. Berlin (1984), "Writing Instruction in Nineteenth-Century American Colleges", ISBN 0809311666
• Walter J. Ong (1982), "Orality and Literacy", ISBN 0415027969