Ferrer’s Participatory Enactive Realism

Psychologist and philosopher Jorge Ferrer presents a Participatory Theory of Consciousness that shifts the ontological focus from a search for foundational substances—whether matter or consciousness—to the co-creative, enactive relationship between the human and the mystery of the Real (Ferrer, 2001, 2017). By the “mystery of the Real,” Ferrer refers to the creative power of the cosmos—the ongoing, generative process accepted by modern science and cosmology (Ferrer, 2024). He notes that while astrophysicists frequently invoke an elemental “energy” driving cosmic inflation, its ultimate nature remains undetermined: as Ray Gould observes, “No one knows the nature of the primordial energy… or how it relates to the larger framework of physics” (Gould, 2018).

Ferrer’s approach is founded on three primary observations about the status of the observer within the cosmos:

1. Existence: The undeniable fact that “something” exists rather than nothing.
2. Creative Diversification: This “something” undergoes a discernible process of complexification and interiorization—from particulate to galactic, biological to mental, and cultural to contemplative.
3. Self-Conscious Participation: Human beings are not mere observers but active participants in this cosmic creative unfolding.

This framework suggests that phenomenal consciousness is neither a mere epiphenomenon of neural activity nor necessarily a solitary foundational “ground,” but rather a participatory event that somehow manifests through embodied and relational engagement with a multifaceted, always-evolving cosmic reality.

The Critique of Ontological Closure

Ferrer diagnoses a prevalent “either/or fallacy” in contemporary consciousness studies. While materialist reductionism (Matter-first) fails to account for the “explanatory gap” of qualia, Ferrer argues that foundational idealism (Consciousness-first) risks a different form of “ontological closure” by prematurely declaring the mystery of the cosmos solved without the requisite evidence (Ferrer, 2025).

He contends that current neurobiological and clinical data—including veridical perception in Near-Death Experiences (NDEs; Van Lommel et al., 2001; Van Lommel, 2011)—are “ontologically polysemic.” Ferrer emphasizes that even if the possibility of consciousness persisting beyond the brain were established beyond doubt, this must be sharply distinguished from the metaphysical claim that consciousness is the foundational principle of the cosmos. Such data could also be interpreted within ontologically rich emergentist paradigms (Ferrer, 2025).

Consequently, Ferrer advocates for a stance of open naturalism—a position not committed a priori to any potentially restrictive worldview, but one that accepts as real whatever is necessary to make sense of the full range of human experience (Stroud, 2004)—and metaphysical openness (Ferrer, 2017, 2024) to these and a myriad of other ontological possibilities (see Kuhn, 2024).

Consciousness as Enactive Participation

Ferrer’s participatory approach adapts and extends the enactive paradigm of cognition first proposed by Varela, Thompson, and Rosch (1991). While the original enactive view focuses on how sensorimotor action “brings forth” a world of perceptual distinctions, Ferrer’s formulation applies this logic to the enaction of spiritual phenomena and realms of potential ontological richness. These are theorized to be co-created by the interplay of diverse human ways of knowing (e.g., cognitive, emotional, imaginal) and the generative force of life and the cosmos (Ferrer, 2001, 2008). In this sense, participatory enaction is epistemologically constructivist—recognizing the formative role of the observer—but metaphysically realist, as it entails a genuine engagement with a protean reality (Ferrer & Sherman, 2008).

The participatory approach posits that phenomenal consciousness and spiritual knowing are not aimed at the “discovery” of any pre-given realities, but rather at their enactment. Once enacted historically, these realities become more accessible—and, in a sense, ontologically “given”—yet they always remain open to re-enactment and creative transformation. (Consider, for example, the diverse iterations of the Buddhist experience of emptiness or the Christian God throughout history). Drawing on the Participatory Turn (Da, Hartelius, & Ferrer, 2026; Ferrer & Sherman, 2008), Ferrer suggests that human beings are “co-creative partners” with all sentient beings and the cosmos. In this view, consciousness is not defined solely as a property we possess or a substance the universe primordially is, but can also be understood as a co-evolutionary unfolding—an activity the cosmos performs and that we, as the cosmos made self-conscious, continue to co-create through mutual interaction.

This account reframes the “hard problem”: if consciousness is participatory, the question of whether it is “foundational” or “emergent” is secondary to the quality of the engagement through which it manifests. Consciousness and matter may both be foundational in ways that exceed current conceptual binaries—perhaps manifesting from a “dimension of the real” (or dimensions) that remain largely unperceived (Ferrer, 2025). This ontological expansion differentiates his approach from dual-aspect monism, which typically posits mind and matter as dualistic expressions of a single underlying reality; Ferrer’s model leaves open a more pluralist or multidimensional ontological landscape that could even entail a diversity of post-mortem scenarios (Ferrer, 2017).

Ferrer says that a unique contribution of his theory is the invitation to meet the “hard problem” with a blend of intellectual rigor and participatory awe. He frames the debate through three ‘equally profound possibilities,’ which he terms the “marvels” of existence (Ferrer, 2025):

• The Marvel of Continuity: If the universe has always been conscious (Idealism/Panpsychism), we witness the infinite depth of Being.
• The Marvel of Self-Awakening: If consciousness arose from “senseless dead matter,” we witness the radical self-awakening of the cosmos.
• The Marvel of the Underlying Real: If both manifest from a third, unknown dimension (e.g., the Unus Mundus or hyperspace) or dimensions, we face an even greater mystery.

This stance avoids the “existential despair” of materialism without retreating into dogmatic idealist or religionist metaphysics. It also encourages an epistemological pluralism where scientists can, for example, explore the “Filter Theory” and neuroimaging (such as the reduction of the default mode network in psychedelic states) as valid pointers toward the understanding of consciousness, while remaining open to the insights of cross-cultural ontologies (Indigenous, contemplative, etc.).

Subjectivity and the Relational Field

Thus, Ferrer posits phenomenal consciousness as an embodied and relational event. Subjective experience is not an isolated “inner light” but is inextricably linked to the relational field—between persons, between the body and the environment, and between the human and the Real. This participatory epistemology suggests that a more complete account of consciousness cannot be achieved in a laboratory or via firsthand contemplation alone; rather, it must also be approached through embodied and relational engagement (Ferrer & Sohmer, 2017). Ultimately, integrated first-, second-, and third-person approaches are all necessary to better understand the nature of qualia, mind, and consciousness.

Consequently, Ferrer says his project transforms the study of consciousness into a practice of “enactive participation,” where the act of asking the question of consciousness is itself recognized as both the ultimate participatory act and a fundamental expression of the universe's creative mystery—and, perhaps, as he concludes, “its very longing to understand itself.”