The Consciousness Problem

In an earlier article ‘Existence of anything can ultimately point to God’1 I have already shown that if anything exists at all then ultimately there would have to be something that would be neither in space nor in time, as otherwise there would be an infinite regress.

The above shows that the ultimate reality - whatever that ultimate reality may be - cannot be within any space and time. So the ultimate reality will always be spaceless and timeless and it will be so simply by default, uncaused. It would be uncaused, because being the ultimate reality there would be absolutely nothing beyond it that could have been the cause of it. Everything else other than the ultimate reality would be within some space and time and so none of them would be spaceless and timeless.

Now the question is: Can there be an infinite regress in nature? Have we done the correct thing here by stopping an infinite regress? Here nature has given its verdict very clearly regarding the infinite regress: Nature abhors infinite regress.

I have also stated earlier2 that scientists who are working with the quantum theory of gravity are now saying unanimously that space and time are not fundamental entities at all and that they have emerged from some non-spatiotemporal entity.

So what we have shown above by logic alone that if anything exists at all and if we do not allow infinite regress, then ultimately there would be something spaceless and timeless is also now supported by scientific observation that there is something non-spatiotemporal in nature from which space and time have emerged.

Here we should mention that ‘non-spatiotemporal’ is the new scientific term for the old term ‘spaceless and timeless’. Theories of relativity have taught the scientists that space and time are not two separate entities, rather space and time combined should be treated as one single entity: spacetime. So instead of saying ‘spaceless and timeless’ they are now saying ‘non-spatiotemporal’. But the meaning remains the same in both the cases; the particular entity is not within any space and time.

At least two reasons can be given as to why this spaceless and timeless/non-spatiotemporal entity (NSE) should precede the beginning of the universe:

1) One reason is that space and time are relative and that there is no evidence that they were absolute at any time. So we will have to conclude from this that they were always relative, that is, they were relative from the very beginning of their existence. In that case the cause due to which they are relative must already be present there before the beginning of space and time i.e. before the beginning of the universe.

2) The other reason is that space and time are not only relative, but emergent as well. An emergent entity cannot emerge from just anything, or everything, or nothing. It can emerge from some particular entity or entities only. Space and time can emerge from NSE only. So, prior presence of this NSE is absolutely necessary before the beginning of the universe in order that space and time can emerge from it at the beginning of the universe.

Now, is there any evidence that NSE is also conscious?

It has already been stated earlier that the ultimate reality is the only entity that would be spaceless and timeless, because being the ultimate reality it would not be within any space and time. Everything else would be within space and time and so they cannot be spaceless and timeless. However there is only one single exception here: light. Light is within the space-time of the universe and despite that light is spaceless and timeless. As per SR the distance from the place of origin of light to its ultimate destination is zero and time taken for light to arrive at its destination from its place of origin is also zero. So as per SR light occupies zero space for zero time within the universe. This is as good as saying that light is neither in space nor in time.

But it cannot be said about light that it is spaceless and timeless by default, because light is within space and time. So, if it is spaceless and timeless, then this must have been caused by something else. This something else can only be the ultimate reality, because it is the only other entity that is spaceless and timeless and that also by default only.

So, here there are two entities that are spaceless and timeless. One entity, the ultimate reality, is spaceless and timeless by default; the other entity, light, is also spaceless and timeless, but not by default.

Now let us take two spheres; one sphere is extremely hot and the other one is extremely cold. If the two spheres are kept side by side with a little gap between them, then the cold sphere will also be somehow heated up after some time due to the heat dissipated in its surroundings from the hot sphere. Here we need not have to assume that the hot sphere is conscious and that it has some sort of intention, wish or desire to make the cold sphere hot and so it willingly transfers some of its body-heat to the cold sphere. No, nothing of the sort. Whatever would be in the vicinity of the hot sphere will be automatically heated up due to the heat dissipated from the hot sphere. There is no need of any conscious effort here.

Now let us take another two spheres; this time one sphere is spaceless and timeless whereas the other one is not. Here also we can think that the spaceless and timeless sphere will automatically make the other sphere spaceless and timeless, because the attributes of spacelessness and timelessness will flow from it to its surroundings and whatever would be in its vicinity would become spaceless and timeless; no consciousness being needed here also. If this can really so happen, then we will not need any God at all. But the question is: can this really so happen? Can one spaceless and timeless entity make another entity spaceless and timeless in this way? What is the actual mechanism needed here?

So whether there is a God or not will ultimately depend on how scientists solve the above problem. If scientists can show that there is a natural way as to how one spaceless and timeless entity can bestow its own attributes of spacelessness and timelessness on another entity, then we need not have to think that this universe needs any God. However their failure here will mean that the ultimate reality is a conscious entity.

Here we are not dogmatically asserting that there is a God. Rather we are keeping our mind open to the possibility that one day scientists might find a natural solution to the problem stated above. On that day we will also have to accept that scientific solution and admit that this universe does not need any God.

However, if scientists fail to give any natural solution to the above problem, then only we will be forced to conclude that the spaceless and timeless entity is not a lifeless, mindless and unconscious entity; rather it is life, mind and consciousness itself.

So let the scientists show as to how a lifeless, mindless and unconscious entity but that happens to be spaceless and timeless by default can naturally bestow its own attributes of spacelessness and timelessness on another entity and thus makes it also spaceless and timeless.

We will wait for that day.

Reference:
1. https://www.11prompt.com/?q=node/537
2. https://www.11prompt.com/?q=node/567