Comparative Study of the Vision of God in Islamic Mysticism and Augmented Reality Experiences: Epistemological and Ontological Analysis

The increasing prevalence of digital technologies, especially Augmented Reality (AR), has sparked questions about the possibility of recreating mystical experiences, particularly the vision of God (Ru'yat Allah) in Islamic mysticism. This research offers an epistemological and ontological comparison, highlighting the fundamental differences between the vision of God – an intuitive, transformative experience rooted in self-purification and divine unveiling – and AR experiences, which are essentially sensory and material simulations. The core issue investigated is digital technology's inability to reproduce the spiritual elements of divine vision, such as heartfelt intuition and divine manifestation, when contrasted with AR's digital characteristics like sensory immersion and visual simulation. By analyzing mystical texts (from Ibn Arabi, Qushayri, and Ruzbihan Baqli) through the lenses of Baudrillard's simulation theory and Heidegger's phenomenology, the study concludes that the vision of God, due to its direct and transcendent nature in the realm of authentic presence, cannot be simulated by AR, which is limited to artificial simulation. This pioneering comparative study proposes the theoretical framework of "the distinction between the realm of authentic presence and artificial simulation" to explain digital technology's limitations in replicating mystical experiences, offering insights for designing spiritual educational tools and understanding technology's impact on spirituality, with future research suggested on the psychological effects of digital experiences on the mystical path.