Science of Consciousness
Comprehending consciousness is perhaps the most profound mystery currently facing humanity. The realm of science is vast; however, the focus here is on research about consciousness. Modern science began in the 17th century when Galileo, the father of modern science, discovered that the earth revolves around the sun.
Later, Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time, published his law of universal gravitation. Both of these men were widely known for their belief in God. By the nineteenth century, however, mainstream science had become locked into the materialistic paradigm.
Materialism maintains that anything that is not material cannot exist. Materialism purports, without evidence, that consciousness is produced by the brain, and when the brain stops functioning, consciousness ceases to exist. Materialism is a false, dogmatic belief system that cannot be proven.
In the last century, experiments in quantum mechanics showed that matter exists as probabilities and tendencies rather than absolute things. Current thinking suggests that we might consider matter as energy vibrations rather than actual solid material. Everything is energy, and everything is connected to everything else. Some scientists have theorized that even emotions are energy, so everything we think and feel would have an influence on everything and everyone.
We learned in school that matter is made up of molecules consisting of atoms. Atoms consist of a nucleus with electrons circling around the nucleus. We think of these elements as separate particles. However, appearances can be deceptive. It turns out that solid matter is less solid than it appears. Scientists have calculated that your body is 99.99999999% empty space. So why do things feel solid if everything is energy?
Our electrons are everywhere at once, filling up space with their wave functions. The reality is that nothing is solid and you have never truly touched anything made of solid matter in your life. It is an illusion. It is all simply energy waves. Everything is energy.
“The universe is not a domain of matter moving in space and time; It is a sea of coherent vibrations.”—Ervin Laszlo The Intelligence of the Cosmos: Why Are We Here? New Answers from the Frontiers of Science
There have been highly accomplished physicists who have rejected the materialism paradigm, among these physicists was the founder of quantum physics, Max Planck, who understood that consciousness underlies all matter:
“All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force…We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter…I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.”
—Max Planck (1858–1947) Founder of Quantum Physics, Nobel Prize for Physics, 1918
The Double Slit Experiment - The Observer Effect
The observer effect is the theory that the mere observation of a phenomenon inevitably changes that phenomenon.
One of the most famous experiments in physics is the double-slit experiment. It demonstrates, with unparalleled strangeness, that little particles of matter have something of a wave about them, and suggests that the very act of observing a particle has a dramatic effect on its behavior.
Aspects of the double-slit experiment (such as the collapse of the wavefunction upon observation) bring into question the possibility of consciousness interacting with matter. Nevertheless, experimental evidence for the interaction of consciousness and matter or the non-locality of consciousness is generally ignored by mainstream science, which limits its investigations to the physical world. The missing link in mainstream science is consciousness. (See Dean Radin, Ph.D., below). Scientists believe that non-local consciousness might be modeled by quantum entanglement. Quantum mechanics is a fundamental and well-established theory.
One of the founders of quantum mechanics, physicist Werner Heisenberg, also recognized the fundamental role of the consciousness of the observer:
“Separation of the observer from the phenomenon to be observed is no longer possible.”—Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976) Nobel Prize – Physics, 1932 for Creation of Quantum Mechanicshe prominent physicist, Neils Bohr, also embraced this reality:
The prominent physicist, Neils Bohr, also embraced this reality:
“The universe may be nothing more than a giant hologram created by the mind.”
—Neils Bohr (1885–1962) Nobel Prize – Physics, 1922 for Contributions to Quantum Mechanics
The following popular video introduces the basics of quantum mechanics: Quantum Mechanics for Dummies
The following three-minute video addresses the nature of reality: Everything Is Energy
The next video shows the results of many double-slit experiments that suggest that consciousness is an active participant in reality: New Experiments Show Consciousness Affects Matter ~ Dean Radin Ph.D.
Psi science also supports the existence of nonlocal consciousness. Psi science studies involve parapsychological or psychic ability. Mainstream science does not recognize psi science as being valid because it is outside the materialistic paradigm. Nonetheless, according to Charles T. Tart, Ph.D., there have been thousands of scientifically valid parapsychological experiments carried out over the past 100 years. Dr. Tart authored The End of Materialism; How Evidence of the Paranormal is Bringing Science and Spirit Together. (See his other books listed below).
Dean Radin, Ph.D., covers psi research on telepathy, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, and precognition in this video: “Science and the Taboo of psi” with Dean Radin. Positive research findings have also been reported on topics other than the four covered in Radin’s video. Many of these findings can be found in books referenced in the following sections: Science of Consciousness, Energy Healing, Near-Death Experience, Out-of-Body Experiences, Reincarnation, Mediumship, Death, and Dying.
Mainstream scientists maintain that the brain produces consciousness, and when the brain dies its consciousness dies as well. This is a false belief. Recently scientists confirmed that a single-cell organism can learn, remember, solve problems and make decisions, all without a brain or neurons. This study was published in Current Biology on December 5, 2019. Therefore, consciousness CAN indeed work without the brain. Consciousness is nonlocal. This is explained further in this video: Heather Barnett: What humans can learn from semi-intelligent slime.
“The universe is not a domain of matter moving in space and time; it is a sea of coherent vibrations.”—Ervin Laszlo The Intelligence of the Cosmos: Why Are We Here? New Answers from the Frontiers of Science
Author Ervin Laszlo is a philosopher of science and nominated for a noble peace prize twice.
Organizations on Science of Consciousness
Books and Videos on Science of Consciousness
Al-Khalili, Jim and McFadden, Johnjoe
Life on the Edge: The Coming Age of Quantum Biology
by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden, 355 pages (2014)
Both Al-Khalili and McFadden are science professors at the University of Surrey, Great Britain
Beauregard, Mario M.D.
Brain Wars: The Scientific Battle Over the Existence of the Mind and the Proof That Will Change the Way We Live Our Lives
by Mario Beauregard, 250 pages (2013)
The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul
by Mario Beauregard, Ph.D., & Denyse O’Leary, 368 pages (2007)
Begley, Sharon
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves
by Sharon Begley, 283 pages (2007)
Begley is a New York Times best-selling author.
Braden, Gregg
The Divine Matrix: Bridging Time, Space, Miracles and Belief
by Gregg Braden, 223 pages (2008)
Gregg Braden is a New York Times best-selling author of four other books and is the winner of Nautilus Book Awards for seven of his books.
Human by Design: From Evolution by Chance to Transformation by Choice
by Gregg Braden, 289 pages (2017)
The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits
by Gregg Braden, 215 pages (2008)
Carter, Chris
Science and the Afterlife Experience: Evidence for the Immortality of Consciousness
by Chris Carter, 369 pages (2012)
Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics
by Chris Carter, 303 pages (2007, 2012)
Science and the Near-Death Experience: How Consciousness Survives Death
by Chris Carter, 256 pages (2010)
Chamovitz, Daniel
What a Plant Knows
by Daniel Chamovitz, Ph.D., 177 pages (2012)
Plants respond to light, smell, touch, and exhibit different kinds of memory, an example of consciousness at work without a brain.
Website: DanielChamovitz.com
Childre, Doc
Heart Intelligence: Connecting with the Intuitive Guidance of the Heart
by Doc Childre, Howard Martin, Deborah Rozman & Rollin McCraty, 270 pages (2017)
Chilton Pearce, Joseph
The Heart-Mind Matrix: How the Heart Can Teach the Mind New Ways to Think
by Joseph Chilton Pearce, 205 pages (2012)
Website: JosephChiltonPearce.org
Chopra, Deepak M.D.
You Are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why It Matters
by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and Menas Kafatos, Ph.D., 276 pages (2017)
As of the publication date of this book, Dr. Chopra had written 85 books translated into over 43 languages including numerous New York Times bestsellers.
Kafatos is a Professor of Computational Physics and has authored 15 books.
Church, Dawson
Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality
by Dawson Church, Ph.D., 326 pages (2018)
Currivan, Jude Ph.D.
The Cosmic Hologram: Information at the Center of Creation
by Jude Currivan Ph.D., 256 pages (2017)
Jude Currivan has written six books that are available in 15 languages.
Website: JudeCurrivan.com
Davies, Paul Ph.D.
The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World
by Paul Davies, 254 pages (1993)
Paul Davies is a physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist.
Website: Cosmos.asu.edu
Dossey, Larry M.D.
One Mind: How Our Individual Mind is a Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters
by Larry Dossey, M.D., 337 pages (2014)
Dr. Larry Dossey is a New York Times best-selling author.
The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives
by Larry Dossey, M.D., 288 pages (2009)
Emoto, Masaru
The Hidden Messages in Water
by Dr. Masaru Emoto, 157 pages (2004)
This book is a New York Times bestseller.
Goswami, Amit Ph.D.
The Everything Answer Book: How Quantum Science Explains Love, Death, and the Meaning of Life
by Amit Goswami, Ph.D., 227 pages (2017)
God Is Not Dead: What Quantum Physics Tells Us About Our Origins and How We Should Live
by Amit Goswami, Ph.D., 309 pages (2010)
Physics of the Soul: The Quantum Book of Living, Dying, Reincarnation, and Immortality
by Amit Goswami, Ph.D., 289 pages (2001, 2013)
Grof, Stanislav, M.D., Ph.D.
The Way of the Psychonaut: Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys
by Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D., Volume One – 419 pages, Volume Two – 355 pages (2019)
Dr. Grof is a psychiatrist with over 60 years of experience researching non-ordinary states of consciousness. He has published 17 books translated into 22 languages. “To call him the Einstein of consciousness would be an understatement.” – Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Haisch, Bernard Ph.D.
The God Theory: Universes, Zero-Point Fields, and What’s Behind It All
by Bernard Haisch, Ph.D., 153 pages (2009)
Haisch is an astrophysicist and the author of 130 scientific publications.
Jawer, Michael and Micozzi, Marc S. M.D., Ph.D.
The Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion: How Feelings Link the Brain, the Body, and the Sixth Sense
by Michael A. Jawer with Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D., 558 pages (2009)
Katra, Jane Ph.D. and Targ, Russel
The Heart of the Mind: Using Our Mind to Transform Our Consciousness
by Jane Katra, Ph.D. & Russell Targ, 196 pages (2011)
Website: JaneKatra.org
Website: Russel Targ: ESPresearch.com
Kean, Leslie
Surviving Death: a Journalist Investigates Evidence for an Afterlife
by Leslie Kean, 432 pages (2018)
This book is a winner of the Parapsychological Association Book Award. Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist and a New York Times best-selling author.
Website: SurvingDeathKean.com
Kelly, Edward
Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century
by Edward F. Kelly, Emily Williams Kelly, Adam Crabtree, Alan Gauld, Michael Grosso, and Bruce Greyson, 832 pages (2009)
Lanza, Robert, M.D. with Berman, Bob
Beyond Biocentrism: Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death
by Robert Lanza, M.D., and Bob Berman, 213 pages (2013)
Laszlo, Ervin Ph.D.
Reconnecting to the Source: The New Science of Spiritual Experience, How it Can Change You, and How It Can Transform the World
by Ervin Laszlo, Ph.D., 244 pages (2020) Laszlo has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has published more than 75 books translated into 26 languages, and over 400 articles and research papers.
The Intelligence of the Cosmos: Why Are We Here? New Answers from the Frontiers of Science
by Ervin Laszlo, 180 pages (2017)
Lipton, Bruce Ph.D
The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles
by Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., 275 pages (2005, 2015)
In this book, Lipton discusses unleashing the power of consciousness, matter, and miracles.
Mancuso, Stefano
The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior
by Stefano Mancuso, 225 pages (2017)
Manusco is the world’s leading authority in the field of plant neurobiology. He is a professor at the University of Florence in Italy. Manusco writes that “plants exhibit unmistakable attributes of intelligence with no central brain.”
Website: Linv.org
McTaggart, Lynne
The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe
by Lynne McTaggart, 268 pages (2008)
Lynne McTaggart is the award-winning author of seven books. Her books are now available in some 30 languages.
Nadeau, Robert and Kafatos, Menas
The Non-Local Universe: The New Physics and Matters of the Mind
by Robert Nadeau and Menas Kafatos, 240 pages (1999)
Newberg, Andrew M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman
by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman, 278 pages (2016)
by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman, 321 pages (2006)
Pert, Candace Ph.D.
Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel
by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., 368 pages (1999)
This groundbreaking book by Dr. Candace Pert, a pioneering neuroscientist researcher and pharmacologist who discovered the opiate receptor, the cellular binding site for endorphins in the brain.
Playfair, Guy Lyon
Twin Telepathy
by Guy Lyon Playfair, 178 pages (2008)
This pioneering book presents an immense body of evidence indicating that there is a special communication connection between twins.
Radin, Dean Ph.D.
The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomenon
by Dean Radin, Ph.D., 408 pages (2010)
Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe
by Dean Radin, Ph.D., 258 pages (2018)
Dr. Dean Radin is a bestselling author and Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
Russell, Peter
From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness
by Peter Russell, 129 pages (2010)
Website: PeterRussell.com
Sheldrake, Rupert Ph.D,
Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health
by Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D, 240 pages (2019)
This book discusses transformative experiences and their effects on our bodies, brains, and health. Sheldrake is a biologist and the author of 85 scientific papers and 11 books.
Singer, Michael A.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
by Michael A. Singer, 295 pages (2007)
#1 New York Times bestseller.
Talbot, Michael
The Holographic Universe: The Revolutionary Theory of Reality
by Michael Talbot, 337 pages (2011)
Talbot reveals parallels between ancient mysticism and quantum mechanics. It presents a theoretical model of reality that suggests the universe is a hologram based on the research and conclusions of David Bohm and Karl H. Pribram.
Tart, Charles T., Ph.D
The End of Materialism: How Evidence of the Paranormal Is Bringing Science and Spirit Together
by Charles T. Tart, Ph.D., 405 pages (2009)
Dr. Charles Tart is one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology.
The Secret Science of the Soul: How Evidence of the Paranormal is Bringing Science and Spirit Together
by Charles T. Tart, Ph.D., 416 pages (2017)
Website: Paradigm-sys.com
Ullman, Montague M.D. and Krippner, Stanley Ph.D.
Dream Telepathy: Experiments in Nocturnal Extrasensory Perception
by Montague Ullman, M.D., Stanley Krippner, Ph.D. with Alan Vaughan, 274 pages (1973, 2002)
This volume is part of the Hampton Roads Studies in Consciousness series.
Wohlleben, Peter and Billinghurst, Jane
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World
by Peter Wohlleben, Jane Billinghurst, et al., 288 pages (2016)
New York Times Bestseller. Trees (and plants) communicate without brains.
Wolf, Fred Alan
The Spiritual Universe: Quantum Physics Proves the Existence of the Soul
by Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D., 367 pages (1996)
Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Non-Scientists
by Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D., 282 pages (1989)
Winner of the American Book Award