Is Consciousness Material? A Brain Researcher’s Case for Life Beyond Matter

Eric Hall is an American brain researcher who became well known for a mathematical model he developed to study human dreams. He has received awards and authored several widely read books.

In recent years, Hall has turned his attention to the nature of human consciousness. In his latest article on the subject, he writes: “It is becoming increasingly clear that human consciousness is not a material phenomenon like other physical phenomena in the world. Consciousness has one foot within our tangible experience of time, and the other in an eternal realm.”

“As a physicist and as a human being, I am fascinated by humanity’s hope for life after death. Can this be grounded scientifically? I have no direct proof, but within my field of research, a growing body of data points to the conclusion that life is not material.”

“The very existence of life, the fact that we are here at all to ask this question, requires something beyond physical nature. The unexplained complexity of living organisms, from bacteria to human beings, cannot be explained by material causes alone.”

Why Physics Cannot Produce Life

“The four fundamental forces of nature recognized by physics are not capable of producing life from matter. And yet life exists, not as a fragile foothold on the margins of the natural world, but in great abundance. It displays beauty, vitality, astonishing diversity, and interdependent coexistence within well functioning ecosystems.

“We can only conclude that if material nature cannot explain life, then the existence of life points to a source, a powerful reality, beyond our shared understanding of nature.”

“Here we encounter the non material aspects of human existence: our consciousness, our sense of self, and our rational mind. These lie beyond the physics we currently know. Once again, the non material aspects of living beings point to a source beyond particles and natural laws. They originate from something higher.”

Life Points Beyond Space and Time

“Life exhibits creativity, functional complexity, purpose, consciousness, intelligence, and freedom of choice. Since none of these qualities can arise from our scientific study of nature, we can rationally conclude that the source of life exists beyond our domain of space and time. Moreover, the source of life must necessarily possess all of these qualities in their fullest form.”

Near Death Experiences and Consciousness

“Near death experiences also deserve attention. They present a compelling cumulative case for the continuation of life beyond the death of the physical body.

“As one small example, a scientist named John Burke examined over one thousand cases of near death experiences over a period of thirty five years. He found remarkably consistent elements across cultures worldwide. One of these elements is the experience of consciousness separating from the physical body, accompanied by intense positive emotions and heightened awareness.

“If consciousness were merely an emergent phenomenon arising from neural complexity based on biochemistry, the thermodynamic decay of the brain at death would be expected to produce diminished awareness, collapse of consciousness, and fading emotions. Yet the reality is precisely the opposite.”

“It should also be noted that nature possesses another non physical property: beauty. Beauty expresses qualities in their deepest form, beyond physical explanations. To understand beauty requires subjective consciousness. An animal will never be moved by the beauty of a landscape.”

“There is abundant evidence in biology for purpose and intention. Attempting to explain purpose and meaning purely through physiological descriptions reflects a misunderstanding of the laws of physics.”

“For these reasons, I believe that the belief in the survival of the soul has a fully rational foundation. It is anchored in everything we know about consciousness and the human soul.”