Àṣẹ, Èṣù, and Consciousness: Yoruba Philosophy and the Interpretation of Reality. Three ChatGPT Edited Versions of Essay by Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju.
Oluwatoyin Adepoju
1. Àṣẹ, Èṣù, and Consciousness
Yoruba Philosophy and the Interpretation of Reality
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
Edited Version by ChatGPT
Image by ChatGPT
Abstract
This essay reflects on the interplay of Àṣẹ, Èṣù, and consciousness within Yoruba philosophy as a framework for interpreting reality.
Two complementary orientations in Orisa cosmology are explored: the mythic-humanoid, which interprets cosmic powers through humanized divinities, and the abstract-vitalist, centered on the pervasive life force of àṣẹ as the basis of creativity, change, and consciousness.
Drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship, from Bolaji Idowu’s Olodumare to Rowland Abiodun’s meditations on art and energy, the essay highlights how these perspectives illuminate both religious and secular interpretations of existence.
It argues that àṣẹ may be understood as a theory of consciousness and creativity, adaptable for secular as well as spiritual inquiry, while also resonating with cross-cultural philosophies of the sublime, numinous, and transcendent.
The reflection concludes with a personal experiential account, where Yoruba art, history, and environment converge in Osogbo to evoke the transformative power of àṣẹ, suggesting pathways for integrating aesthetics, spirituality, and philosophical reflection in the interpretation of human and cosmic existence.
Two Cosmological Orientations in Orisa Thought
The Yoruba Orisa system of knowledge, the unifying framework of classical Yoruba thought, may be approached through two major cosmological orientations.
Though distinct, they are not separable in practice; rather, they form complementary strands within a single tapestry. Scholars often emphasize one or the other, yet invariably gesture toward the opposite perspective to complete the picture.
Mythic, Narrative, Anthropomorphic
The first approach is mythic and narrative, anthropomorphic in form. Here the universe is interpreted through divinities rendered in human terms while representing powers that transcend human scope.
In narratives, rituals, and visual art, the Orisa are depicted as human figures, thereby bringing the cosmos within the grasp of human imagination while retaining the vastness and mystery of the universe and the Earth as its theatre.
This style of thought, perhaps the most widespread mode of religious theology globally, is exemplified in Bolaji Idowu’s Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief.
Though Idowu was a Methodist minister rather than a practitioner of Orisa spirituality, his work may be read as a landmark contribution to the theology and philosophy of Yoruba religion, mediating between oral traditions and the written theological form.
Abstract and Vitalist
The second approach is abstract and vitalist, concerned not with personalities or individualized identities but with a pervasive life force enabling creativity, transformation, and relationality: àṣẹ.
This principle, issuing ultimately from Olodumare and concentrated particularly in the figure of Èṣù, bridges the mythic and the abstract. Scholars such as Rowland Abiodun, John Pemberton III, and Henry Drewal describe àṣẹ as a generative force beyond deific embodiment, while Babatunde Lawal extends the idea into a philosophy of energy and aesthetics.
Àṣẹ as a Theory of Consciousness
In this sense, àṣẹ may be interpreted as a theory of consciousness—awareness of self and environment linked with dimensions beyond the human mind, offering a vision of the cosmos as unified through creative dynamism. Consciousness, interacting with natural, interpersonal, and technological environments, becomes the site of history’s unpredictability and creativity.
Àṣẹ thus provides both a religious and secular vocabulary: as a spiritual force rooted in Yoruba belief, but also as a philosophical model adaptable to secular inquiry, emphasizing consciousness as a defining quality of existence.
Comparative Reflections
This perspective invites comparative reflection. Is this not akin to global efforts to locate the essence of consciousness?
May àṣẹ be explored biologically, spiritually, and contemplatively—through science, philosophy, or prayer—as an attempt to trace consciousness back to its ultimate source?
Even if its metaphysical ground remains elusive, àṣẹ may be approached intellectually and experientially, as an energy of life and thought, manifest in ritual spaces, natural environments, and creative practices.
Abiodun, for instance, connects àṣẹ with the energetic aura of ritual action, perceivable in sacred environments or works of art.
Ritual spaces generate atmospheres distinct from ordinary environments, suggesting that human thought and action shape environments in turn—creating conditions conducive to further creativity, an intersubjective phenomenon observable across cultures.
These ideas resonate with Immanuel Kant’s sublime, Rudolf Otto’s numinous, and Susanne Wenger’s reflections on the non-material aesthetic force of nature in Osogbo’s sacred forest.
Convergence in Osogbo
This convergence of aesthetics, creativity, and cosmology came alive for me personally in July 2025, during a stay in Osogbo. Sculptures of Oduduwa, Obatala, and Yoruba babalawo—artworks embodying cosmological and historical vision—stood in my room, shimmering with layered meaning.
They seemed to embody the intellectual insights of Akinwunmi Ogundiran and Toyin Falola, who interpret Yoruba history as a record of cognitive and spiritual creativity. These figures embodied for me the human power to transmute history into myth, and the tangible into the intangible.
Looking back from Lagos, I interpret that moment as a living demonstration of àṣẹ: the evocative force of art meeting the imaginative capacity of the human mind within a spiritually charged environment.
Osogbo’s sacred forest exemplifies this synergy—where nature, community, and cosmology intertwine to dramatize Yoruba history and creativity. From prehistoric forest to contemporary ritual city, Osogbo crystallizes the powers that precede and transcend humanity: nature’s sublime evocation of both presence and mystery, chance and intelligence, consciousness and the cosmic.
2..
Àṣẹ, Èṣù, and Consciousness: A Yoruba Path to Understanding Reality
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
There are two great pathways in Yoruba cosmology. Together, they form the foundation of Orisa thought, the unifying system of classical Yoruba philosophy. Though different in emphasis, they are complementary, like two voices weaving a single melody.
The first is mythic and human-shaped. Here the universe is interpreted through deities rendered in human form. The Orisa are pictured as beings like us, yet they embody powers beyond human grasp. Through stories, rituals, and art, they bring the cosmos into human understanding without stripping it of its mystery. Bolaji Idowu’s classic Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief exemplifies this perspective, showing how humanized divinity helps translate cosmic vastness into familiar terms.
The second pathway is abstract and vitalist. It turns not to personalities or mythic figures but to a pervasive force: àṣẹ. This is the power that makes and unmakes, that animates creation and drives transformation. Àṣẹ flows from Olodumare, the Creator, and is concentrated in Èṣù, the divine mediator, yet it also extends beyond personified divinities. Scholars such as Rowland Abiodun and Babatunde Lawal describe it as a principle of creativity and energy, present in art, ritual, and consciousness itself.
In this light, àṣẹ becomes a philosophy of consciousness. It describes awareness as always relational—acting on the world and being acted upon by it. It frames human life as dynamic, unpredictable, and creative. Consciousness, through the lens of àṣẹ, is not only biological but cosmological: part of the rhythm of the universe.
This makes the idea strikingly adaptable. On one hand, it is a deeply spiritual concept, rooted in Yoruba ritual and cosmology. On the other, it can be taken as a secular philosophy of energy and creativity, offering a framework for understanding art, thought, and history. Like the Sanskrit prana or Chinese qi, àṣẹ resonates far beyond its home context.
Ritual sites embody this energy vividly. Sacred spaces seem charged, set apart from ordinary life. Abiodun describes àṣẹ as the energetic atmosphere created by ritual action, perceptible not only in shrines but also in works of art. Anyone who has stood in a temple, cathedral, forest clearing, or art gallery knows the sense of presence that exceeds physical description. In Yoruba thought, this is the tangible manifestation of àṣẹ.
Cross-cultural echoes abound. The philosopher Immanuel Kant spoke of the sublime, Rudolf Otto of the numinous, and Susanne Wenger of the non-material force of nature in Osogbo’s sacred grove. Yoruba philosophy, through àṣẹ, enters into dialogue with these global efforts to understand the uncanny and the transcendent.
I experienced this convergence personally in Osogbo in July 2025. In my room at the Staff Club, small sculptures of Oduduwa, Obatala, and Yoruba spiritual adepts stood on a table. As I gazed at them, they seemed to shimmer with meaning, embodying the history and cosmology of the Yoruba. They recalled the insights of historians Akinwunmi Ogundiran and Toyin Falola, who interpret Yoruba history as a record of intellectual and spiritual creativity.
In that moment, the sculptures became more than carved forms. They were expressions of mind and spirit, transmuting history into myth, and the tangible into the intangible. They revealed how art, thought, and environment converge in the evocation of meaning—a lived demonstration of àṣẹ at work.
Osogbo itself exemplifies this principle. The sacred forest, entwined with the life of the community, is a living archive of Yoruba creativity. It dramatizes the intertwining of myth, philosophy, and nature, reminding us that human beings exist within forces that both precede and transcend us. Standing in the forest, one feels both awe and intimacy: the recognition that we are shaped by cosmic powers even as we seek to interpret them.
In the end, àṣẹ, Èṣù, and consciousness together offer a profound vision of reality. They suggest that the universe is alive with force, creativity, and mystery. They affirm that human thought, ritual, and art are not separate from the cosmos but continuous with it. And they challenge us to approach existence not only analytically, but also aesthetically, contemplatively, and reverentially.
Yoruba philosophy, then, is not only a cultural inheritance—it is a living resource for thinking about what it means to be conscious in a world charged with energy, possibility, and wonder.
The work of Osogbo artists Baale Esu Afolabi Esuleke and Olujide Francis Adesina in my Lagos study
Abstract
This essay explores the interplay between àṣẹ (vital force), Èṣù (the divine mediator), and consciousness within Yoruba philosophy as a framework for interpreting reality. It outlines two complementary streams of Yoruba cosmology: the mythic–narrative mode, which humanizes cosmic forces through divinities, and the abstract mode, which emphasizes àṣẹ as a pervasive life force underlying creativity, change, and consciousness.
Through critical engagement with seminal scholars such as Bolaji Idowu, Rowland Abiodun, Babatunde Lawal, and others, the essay situates àṣẹ as both a religious and philosophical concept, open to secular interpretation as a theory of consciousness and historiography.
The discussion further extends into aesthetics, ritual energy, and epistemology, highlighting convergences between Yoruba thought and global philosophical traditions. A personal reflection on an encounter with Yoruba art and sacred space in Osogbo underscores how lived experience, ritual environment, and artistic creativity illuminate the dynamic relationship between history, myth, and the metaphysical possibilities of àṣẹ.
Ultimately, the essay invites readers to consider Yoruba philosophy as both a system of spiritual insight and a universal mode of inquiry into the nature of consciousness, creativity, and reality.