Physicist Proposes Consciousness as Foundational Reality Field

Professor Maria Strømme, a Norwegian-born physicist based at Uppsala University in Sweden, has introduced a theoretical framework suggesting that consciousness is the primary constituent of reality, rather than a byproduct of neural activity. Strømme, who became the youngest professor in a technical subject at Uppsala University in 2004, details this concept in her article, "Universal consciousness as foundational field: A theoretical bridge between quantum physics and non-dual philosophy."

The paper, published in AIP Advances on November 13, 2025, and subsequently featured on the journal's cover as the issue's best paper, posits that a universal consciousness field precedes and generates all established physical structures, including space, time, and matter. Strømme mathematically models this universal consciousness as a foundational field, suggesting that individual awareness differentiates through physical mechanisms such as quantum fluctuations and symmetry breaking. This framework seeks to integrate insights from quantum field theory and non-dual philosophy, following historical explorations by physicists such as Einstein, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and Planck.

This model directly challenges reductionist neuroscientific views by framing the perceived separation between individual minds as an artifact originating from a unified, formless substrate. Furthermore, the theory offers a context for the pre-Big Bang state, describing it as a timeless, undifferentiated potential existing before the emergence of space and time. Individual subjective experiences are then interpreted as the result of localized structuring within this universal field, causing an observed state.

The theoretical structure draws parallels with historical philosophical traditions and notes that early quantum mechanics pioneers contemplated similar concepts. The research revives the notion of consciousness as a fundamental, active component of physical reality, contrasting with purely materialistic viewpoints. This work is particularly relevant in 2025, a time characterized by increased scientific investigation into interdisciplinary approaches to consciousness. Strømme, previously recognized with the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences' gold medal in 2012 for her nanotechnology contributions, including engineering a battery that charges in ten seconds, is now shifting her focus from the nanoscale to the cosmic scale with this conceptual leap.