Being and Consciousness: An Introduction to Metaphysics | Seyyed Hossein Nasr | TIAIS

Opening lecture of Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s series on Islamic Metaphysics, delivered as part of a program organized by the Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies (TIAIS).

To watch the whole Islamic Metaphysics Series, visit https://tokatinstitute.org/academics/...

In this introductory talk, Prof. Nasr examines foundational metaphysical concepts—being, consciousness, non-being, ontology, levels of reality, and the relationship between mind and existence. Drawing from Islamic, Greek, Hindu and universal philosophical traditions, he clarifies how metaphysics provides the framework for understanding knowledge, ethics, the intellect, and the human condition.

Throughout the lecture, Prof. Nasr reflects on:
– the distinction between absolute and relative being,
– why metaphysics cannot be reduced to modern epistemology,
– the primacy of consciousness in traditional cosmologies,
– language and technical terminology (wujūd, shahūd, ʿilm),
– the spiritual significance of wakefulness, awareness, and the heart,
– and the metaphysical foundations shared across world traditions.

The session concluded with a rich Q&A on topics such as astrology, environmental ethics, the dream state, mind–brain relations, and the seat of consciousness.

Lecture Information
• Lecturer: Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr
• Organizer: Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies (TIAIS)
• Web: https://tokatinstitute.org/nasr
• Format: Online Lecture + Q&A
• Language: English
• Date: September 5th, 2025

Chapters

00:00:00 — Opening Invocation
A brief invocation and introduction to the lecture.

00:00:25 — Purpose of the Lecture Series
Prof. Nasr introduces the structure and intention of the metaphysics program.

00:02:00 — Why Metaphysics Matters Today
How metaphysics became marginalized in modern Western thought.

00:04:30 — Islamic Terms for Being and Consciousness
Definitions of wujūd, shahūd, and technical terminology.

00:07:00 — Greek and Latin Ontological Vocabulary
Comparison between Islamic, Greek, and Latin metaphysical terms.

00:09:30 — Modes and Levels of Being
Distinctions between absolute being, relative being, and existence.

00:13:00 — Non-Being and the Absolute
Why metaphysics begins beyond being itself.

00:15:40 — Consciousness as Primordial
Traditional perspectives on consciousness preceding matter.

00:19:20 — Hierarchy of Consciousness
Layers of awareness from nature to humanity to saints.

00:23:30 — Wakefulness and the Spiritual Path
Religion is the call to awaken to higher consciousness.

00:27:20 — Forms and the Formless
Human capacity for perceiving both form and the beyond-form.

00:30:00 — Conscience and Consciousness
The ethical dimension inherent in awareness.

00:33:40 — Metaphysics as Foundational Science
Metaphysics as the discipline that unites being, knowledge, and consciousness.

00:37:00 — Shared Cosmic Consciousness
Humanity’s participation in a universal field of awareness.

00:39:40 — Transition to Q&A
The lecture ends, and the question session begins.

00:40:10 — Q&A: What Should I Ask?
Nasr responds to a student asking how one should even frame questions.

00:41:00 — Q&A: Astrology and Awakening
The difference between traditional astrology and forbidden divination.

00:43:20 — Q&A: Dreams and Awareness
How consciousness operates in the dream state.

00:46:00 — Q&A: Ethics and the Natural World
Consciousness is the basis for environmental responsibility.

00:48:00 — Q&A: Mind and Brain
Clarifying how the mind uses—but is not reducible to—the brain.

00:50:20 — Q&A: Intelligence vs. Consciousness
How intelligence and consciousness relate but are not identical.

00:52:00 — Q&A: The Heart as the Seat of Consciousness
In Islamic metaphysics, consciousness ultimately resides in the heart.