Interlude XXII - The Cosmic Self: Consciousness Beyond the Brain

In this enlightening interlude of The Observable Unknown, Dr. Juan Carlos Rey of crowscupboard.com traces the frontier where neuroscience meets metaphysics – where consciousness ceases to be a human trait and becomes a cosmic condition.

Neuroscientist Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin introduced Integrated Information Theory (IIT), proposing that consciousness emerges from the degree of informational integration within any system. His collaborator Christof Koch of the Allen Institute for Brain Science extended this work, measuring the brain’s coherence during wakefulness, dreaming, and anesthesia. Philosopher Bernardo Kastrup of the University of Amsterdam re-envisions their data through analytic idealism - a universe not made of matter that thinks, but of mind that materializes.

From neurons to galaxies, from quantum entanglement to human empathy, Interlude XXII explores the ancient question of whether awareness is fundamental. What if the cosmos itself computes its own experience? What if every atom hums with interiority?

Blending rigorous science with philosophical depth, Dr. Rey revisits the lineage from panpsychism and Vedanta to modern physics and information theory. The result is a breathtaking meditation on participation: to know is to belong to a thinking universe.

Write to [email protected] or text 336-675-5836 to share your reflections. Rate and review The Observable Unknown on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify to help the dialogue expand.

Keywords: panpsychism, integrated information theory, Giulio Tononi, Christof Koch, Bernardo Kastrup, analytic idealism, consciousness studies, quantum mind, cosmic self, philosophy of mind, The Observable Unknown, Dr Juan Carlos Rey, crowscupboard.