An Argument Against Physicalism
Those who identify as physicalists hold the belief that the empirical world is something beings may never inherently know. We can only ever apprehend the world and our experience of it through the lens of our psyche, a lens that is always relative to the individual perceiving the ‘reality’ they find themselves in. Therefore, our experience of the world is, in fact, a relative experience of our brain’s functionality, never a true representation of the world itself. At best, we experience an imperfect copy of the empirical world, if such a thing exists.
Physicalism posits: What reason do we have to believe that our apprehensions are an accurate depiction of what is “real?”
However, consciousness presents a dilemma that physicalism struggles to reconcile. Physicalists attempt to reduce consciousness to the operations of the brain, such as the firing of neurons and electromagnetic stimulation, but this reduction leaves many questions unanswered. Such as, explaining why and how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences. We can account for the brain’s functions, but why are those functions accompanied by consciousness or emotional experiences at all?
Any individual, whether an academic philosopher or not, will eventually conclude that it is impossible to possess any knowledge of the world that is not directly experiential in nature. One of the first instances of our experiential apprehension of the world comes in the form of consciousness. We may not have a reliable explanation as to why or how consciousness emerged, but perhaps that is the wrong question to ask. Instead, we might turn our focus to the experience of the world within our consciousness and how this experience manages to be so vast. Not only is our interpretation of our conscious mind incredibly intricate, but it also has the power to influence and intertwine with other forms of consciousness around it. Our apprehension of the world is always filtered through consciousness, which can never be directly observed or measured in the same way physical objects can.
This lead us not only to denounce physicalism, but also to hold the certainty that consciousness is in fact, our only certainty.
Consciousness as a Prerequisite of Reality
If we conclude that consciousness is a prerequisite for reality, this fundamentally alters its metaphysical position. From this perspective, consciousness can be seen as analogous to space-time in the physicalist framework. Just as space-time is the underlying “something” that allows for the existence of material objects and the physical world, consciousness is the foundational element that enables reality to be experienced or apprehended.
In this view, consciousness is the fabric of reality itself, much like space-time is the fabric of the physical universe. The relationship between space-time and physics mirrors the relationship between consciousness and reality: just as space-time provides the framework within which physical phenomena occur, consciousness provides the framework within which reality is perceived and understood.
From this standpoint, the brain does not originate consciousness; rather, consciousness exists independently of the brain. This idea aligns with panpsychism, the view that consciousness is a fundamental and pervasive aspect of the universe, present with or without brains. The brain, then, is merely a physical manifestation or representation of subjective conscious states, rather than the source of consciousness itself. I won’t be arguing for panpsychism specifically, but it is something I am intrigued by and continue to learn more about.
Fluctuations in consciousness can be likened to warps in space-time. Just as oscillations in radio circuitry respond to radio waves without producing them, brain states are seen as responses to consciousness rather than generators of it. Consciousness, while fundamental to reality, does not necessarily exist uniformly across all entities. Different minds are the result of these variations in consciousness, what might be described as the “peculiarities of consciousness,” reflecting the diverse ways in which this fundamental aspect of reality can manifest.
What if there were genres of these “peculiarities?” Entire wavelengths or groups of personalities, based on the fabric of their consciousness, that naturally gravitate toward one another across all instances of subjectivity. Individuals or minds you were destined to interact with throughout space-time? Imagine consciousness as a vast, interconnected web where each individual mind represents a unique junction or point within this web. These junctions are not isolated but resonate with certain frequencies or “genres” of consciousness. Just as musical notes form harmonious chords when they resonate at compatible frequencies, so too might these conscious nodes form natural groupings or “realms” based on shared characteristics or vibrations.
Realms of Consciousness
These realsm could be thought of as clusters of consciousness that share certain fundamental qualities, whether emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. Individuals within these clusters might feel a deep sense of connection or understanding with one another, transcending the physical and temporal boundaries of space-time. This could explain why some people feel an immediate affinity or resonance with others, even across vast distances or different periods of time.
If consciousness indeed has such genres, there may be an inherent pull that draws these similar conscious beings together. This pull could manifest in various ways, such as through shared life experiences, synchronistic encounters, or even the development of parallel ideas or emotions across different minds. This gravitational pull could operate much like the physical forces that draw celestial bodies together, suggesting a deeper, underlying connection that transcends individual subjectivity.
As these realms of consciousness navigate through space-time, they may naturally seek out and resonate with one another, creating patterns of relationships, communities, or even cultural movements that reflect the shared essence of these conscious junctions.
Dark Matter Mind 
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