Noumenon

The term "noumenon" originates from the Greek word "nooumenon," meaning "that which is thought" or "that which is perceived by the intellect." It is derived from "nous," meaning mind or intellect. Immanuel Kant famously employed it in his philosophy to distinguish the unknowable essence of things from their phenomenal manifestations.

The true essential nature of being as distinguished from the illusive objects of sense. Nous. (Gr.). A Platonic term for the Higher .Mind or Soul. It means Spirit as distinct from animal Soul — ps]jehe ; divine consciousness or mind in man : Nous was the designation given to the Supreme deity (third logos) by Anaxagoras. Taken from Egypt where it was called Nout, it was ado])ted by the Gnostics for their first conscious .^on which, with the Occultists, is the third logos, eosmieally, and the third "principle" (from above) or ynanas, in man. (See "Nout"). Nout. (Gr.). In the Pantheon of the Egy]>tians it meant the "Oneonly-One", because they did not proceed in theiipopular or exoteric religion higher than the ihird manifestation wliieh radiates from the Unknown and the Unknowahh , the first unmanifested and the second logoi in the esoteric philosoi)hy of every nation. The Nous of Anaxagoras was the Mahat of the Hindu Brahma, the first manifested Deity — "the Mind or Spirit self-potent"; this creative Principle being of course the primum mobile of everything in the Universe — its Soul and Ideation. (See "Seven Principles"" in man). Number Nip. An Elf, the mighty King of the Riesengebirge, the most powerful of the genii in Scandinavian and German folk-lore. Nuns. There were nuns in ancient Egypt as well as in Peru and old 218 THBOSOPHKAL Pagran Rome. Tlif,\wi-iv tlu"virjrin britli's" of tlit-ir ivspi-ftive (Solar) gods. Says IltTodotus, "The ])ruU'S of Aniiiion are cxt'luded from all intorcoursc witii men", they are "the brides of Heaven"; and virtually they become dead to the world, just as they are now. In Peru they were "Pure Virgins of tiie Sun", and the Pallakists of Aramon-Ra are referred to in some inscriptions as the "divine spouses". "The sister of Ounnefer, the chief propiiet of Osiris, during tiie reign oi Kameses II.." is dcseribed as "Taia. Lady Abbess of Nuns" ((]Mariette Bey).

Immanuel Kant, in his critique of pure reason, posited the noumenon as the thing-in-itself, existing independently of our sensory apparatus and cognitive categories. This unknowable essence stands in stark contrast to the phenomenon, the world as it appears to us through our senses and mental frameworks. For the modern seeker, this distinction is not merely an abstract philosophical exercise but a profound invitation to question the very nature of reality as we apprehend it. It echoes the ancient wisdom found across traditions that point to a deeper, more fundamental truth that eludes the grasp of ordinary consciousness.

In the Hermetic tradition, the concept resonates with the divine Mind, the ultimate source of all being, which is beyond the ken of the material senses. This is the "All," the unmanifest principle from which the manifest universe arises. Similarly, in Neoplatonism, the One is the ineffable source, the noumenal ground of existence, from which all emanations flow. The Gnostics, too, spoke of a divine realm of perfect beings or aeons, distinct from the flawed material world created by a lesser deity.

The challenge for the contemporary individual is to cultivate a mode of apprehension that transcends mere sensory observation and intellectual analysis. This involves practices that quiet the incessant chatter of the mind, allowing for a more direct, intuitive grasp of reality. Meditation, contemplation, and certain forms of contemplative prayer can serve as pathways to this deeper knowing, enabling one to glimpse the noumenal realm, not as an intellectual concept, but as a felt presence. It is the pursuit of an inner vision that sees beyond the ephemeral, recognizing the enduring spirit within the transient form, much like discerning the melody within the silence.

RELATED_TERMS: Thing-in-itself, Ultimate Reality, Essence, Phenomenon, Divine Mind, The One, Ineffable, True Nature ---