Metaphysics

The two philosophical foundational experiences are fundamental to the construction of a new metaphysics. While on the one hand the doubt experience points to the finitude of our physical reality, on the other hand the totality experience reveals the infinity of reality as a whole. There seems to be a kind of dialectic between the two experiences, with the first resembling a question, to which the second then offers an answer. Central to that answer is Unconditional Love as the primal principle (archè) of all reality. Love in this metaphysical sense turns out not to be merely a human emotion, but an ontological principle. The totality experience offers an answer to the metaphysical question of the primal beginnings, a fundamental question that has traditionally belonged to the field of metaphysics and is sometimes summarized in the well-known sentence: ‘Why is there actually something and not rather nothing?’

A new metaphysics, with Unconditional Love as its axiomatic point of departure, is, after all, a metaphysics or philosophy of love, in short, a philosophy of love. In the book Liefde als wijsgerig grondbegrip, to be published by Uitgeverij Van Warven in 2022, an attempt has been made to present a first field exploration into such a new metaphysics. That first step involves delineating Unconditional Love as an absolute core concept from other important concepts in the history of theology and philosophy. Incidentally, for the writing of that systematic work, the specific research on the near-death experience (NDE) discussed in the section above was indispensable as an underpinning.

Follow-up steps may consist of research into the relationship between the primal principle and evil in the world, into the way in which Unconditional Love manifests itself in physical and non-physical reality through various degrees of emanation, into the meaning/signifi-cance of incarnation (the meaning of life), into the spiritual evolution of humanity, into possibly other civilizations beyond the earth through experiences of NDE’ers and others involved. And so on. These are challenging topics that can fundamentally change our current worldview. Treatment of them fits fully into the mission and vision of the maieutics school.