Consciousness beyond neural fields: expanding the possibilities of what has not yet happened
arXiv Preprint Archive January 14, 2022 Birgitta Dresp-Langley
Consciousness, unlike physical fields, cannot be objectively measured or located in space, limiting the explanatory power of field theories and neural theories. The phenomenon has no spatial dimensionality and any operational definition is partial. Drawing on research on meditation, expanded consciousness, chronic pain, healthy aging, and well-being, consciousness is conceived as a source of potential energy without spatial dimensions that produces observable changes over time. It may have evolved to help humans cope with unprecedented adversity, potentially including conscious planning of extinction when survival is no longer acceptable.