What is Consciousness?

"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience." – Frank Herbert, Dune

From Materialism to Questioning Consciousness

From a philosophical point of view, I've been a materialist for pretty much my whole life. I was born into one of the very few Christian religions that do not believe in a soul, so looking back, this likely made the transition into a scientific mindset much easier. But once you break free from the grasp an ideology has on your mind, it becomes easier to recognize the same patterns of constraint in others. Every framework of thinking comes with its own chains.

After 35 years of believing that consciousness is an emergent property of the brain, I was willing to give idealism a true chance—to explore the idea that the brain may not be the creator of consciousness, but merely its receiver.

I had entertained this idea before, but only as a vague spiritual notion, something separate from the material world. This time, I committed fully. And because humans are emotional beings, you can’t truly commit to an idea without, at some level, believing in it.

Science is, in my view, humanity’s greatest tool—one deeply ingrained in my way of thinking. So I approached this shift not as a rejection of science, but as a way to test the flexibility of the scientific framework itself. Science considers consciousness an emergent property of the brain, but this is because, within its current model, that is the most probable explanation. It is, in many ways, a default assumption in the absence of evidence to the contrary. But the truth is, we know almost nothing about the nature of consciousness. Assuming it functions as a field that the brain receives is not necessarily inconsistent with the scientific framework—it simply requires a different interpretation of what we already observe.

A Consciousness Field? The Brain as an Antenna

What if consciousness is not generated by the brain but instead captured by it? This perspective reinterprets consciousness as a fundamental field, much like electromagnetism or gravity, that pervades the universe. The brain, in this model, functions as a biological receiver, tuning into consciousness rather than producing it. This would explain why self-awareness and subjective experience feel so distinct from other physical processes—because they are something separate, interfacing with the brain rather than emerging from it.

If consciousness exists beyond the individual, how does this impact our understanding of evolution? Under materialism, evolution is a blind process driven by natural selection, mutations, and survival pressures. But in a consciousness-field framework, evolution could be seen as a process directed toward enhancing organisms’ ability to access this field. This suggests that increasing complexity in evolution is not just an incidental byproduct of survival but part of a deeper, systemic progression.

How This Changes the Way We See Evolution

Once I truly entertained idealism, I noticed that certain aspects of evolutionary theory that had always seemed unsatisfying to me started to make more sense. Three points in particular stood out:

1. Complexity and the Paradox of Evolution – Evolutionary theory suggests that complexity emerges as a byproduct of survival pressures. Yet, looking at the long arc of life, we don’t just see isolated cases of complexity—we see a general trend toward it. If life were purely driven by random mutations and natural selection, simpler organisms should have remained dominant. Instead, we see an undeniable movement toward greater biological intricacy.

   Traditional evolutionary models assume that genetic mutations occur randomly, with useful ones being preserved through selection. However, complex organisms face a paradox: as they develop more traits controlled by more genes, the probability of any single mutation being beneficial decreases. Additionally, they tend to have fewer offspring, reducing the opportunities for advantageous mutations to arise. In a purely random system, complexity should be extremely rare, yet not only does it emerge, but evolution seems to favor it over time.

   This presents a deeper contradiction: if evolution is purely governed by randomness and survival pressures, why does it consistently move toward greater biological intricacy? If consciousness is a field, then as life becomes more complex, it may also develop a stronger connection to this field. This could create a feedback loop where the field itself influences evolution, subtly reducing the randomness of mutations. In such a scenario, complexity is not just an incidental outcome of evolution but a necessary step toward a deeper interaction with consciousness. As life refines its ability to receive this field, evolution may become less of a blind process and more of an unfolding pattern toward greater awareness.

2. Self-awareness – From a scientific perspective, self-awareness is often seen as a byproduct of complex cognition, an emergent trait that allows organisms to reflect on their actions, anticipate consequences, and navigate social structures. It has been argued that self-awareness provides evolutionary advantages, such as improved problem-solving, cooperation, and adaptability. However, it also introduces existential distress, hesitation, and sometimes even behaviors that are counterproductive to survival. If evolution were purely blind, why would it produce beings who question their own existence?

   If consciousness is a field, then self-awareness may not be an accidental byproduct but a result of a clearer connection to it, like the brain receiving a stronger signal over time. As organisms develop more complex neural structures, their ability to tune into this field may improve, leading to a deeper awareness of existence.

A New Perspective, but No Absolute Answers

Embracing this perspective doesn’t mean rejecting science—it means questioning the limitations of its current framework. Science follows materialism because it offers testable, reproducible results. But that does not mean materialism is the ultimate truth. If consciousness is a field rather than a product of the brain, evolution may not be an aimless process but a structured journey toward greater awareness.

I don’t claim to have answers. What I do know is that, after a lifetime of believing in a strict materialist view of consciousness, I allowed myself to step outside of that framework. And in doing so, I saw patterns I hadn’t noticed before. Whether this perspective holds up in the long run remains to be seen, but for now, I find myself drawn to the possibility that consciousness is not something we produce, but something we receive—and that evolution itself might be shaped by this unseen field.

This shift in perspective also found its way into my creative process. The idea of consciousness as a wave, something we do not generate but tune into, inspired one of my ring designs. I wanted to capture this concept visually—the way consciousness flows through us, shaping our perceptions, just as waves shape the shore. The design features a woman's face, partially formed by waves, symbolizing the connection between mind and an unseen, greater field. It stands as a reminder that we are not separate from the vastness of existence, but part of its continuous movement.