Paths to luminosity: A comparative study of ascetic and contemplative practices in select Tibetan Buddhist and Greek Christian traditions

Light, a common theme in virtually every religion, is ascribed particular significance in Tibetan Buddhist and Greek Christian traditions, where it is often correlated with the nature of consciousness, the nature of reality, or both. This dissertation puts forward the first comparative study of light-oriented practices and light-related doctrines found in the literature of select Tibetan Buddhist and Greek Christian traditions. Both religious traditions operate according to implicit or explicit path structures through which they prescribe specific practices and outline various stages that direct the practitioner towards a goal described as luminous. Structuring the comparison of these two traditions in terms of their path structures challenges scholarly distinctions between "asceticism" and "mysticism" and recasts them instead as overlapping discourses.;While in both traditions the discourses pertaining to sensory and mental practices serve as a response to the problem of human embodiment and reflect a desire to control and utilize the body towards particular ends, the specific practices prescribed, as well as the ways in which resultant experiences are characterized, are significantly shaped by the cultural and theological context in which they arise. This dissertation further explores how the commonalities and the important differences between the embodied practices advocated in these light-oriented paths can be better understood through a further comparison of the two paths with scientific data gleaned from experimental studies on sensory deprivation, meditation and prayer, as well as from neurobiological models for near-death experiences. Rather than simply using this scientific research to understand religious processes, this dissertation also provides a critique of their methods and conclusions, demonstrating how historical data can be used to enhance research methods and open up new lines of scientific inquiry. This dissertation concludes that (1) during the historical development of Tibetan Buddhist and Greek Christian traditions, light was ascribed increasing salvific value and became a sought-after goal of ascetic and contemplative practices; and (2) both of these religious traditions advocate ascetic and contemplative practices for controlling sense perception and mental imagery, which prepares practitioners for, and in some cases catalyzes, luminous awareness.