A new theoretical model by Uppsala University materials scientist Maria Strømme proposes that consciousness is the fundamental basis of reality, not just a byproduct of brain activity. In her AIP Advances paper, Strømme argues that consciousness exists first and gives rise to time, space, and matter. Drawing on early quantum physicists such as Einstein, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and Planck, her framework views individual minds as expressions of a shared field of consciousness underlying the universe.
Strømme's theory blends quantum physics with philosophical traditions that view reality as fundamentally interconnected. She suggests that phenomena often considered mysterious, such as telepathy or near-death experiences, could potentially arise from this universal field rather than from supernatural causes. The model also proposes that consciousness persists beyond individual life by returning to this broader field. While highly speculative, Strømme presents the concept using mathematical reasoning and suggests it could eventually yield testable predictions in physics, neuroscience, and cosmology, reshaping scientific understanding of reality.