Consciousness as the Subject and Object of Physics: Towards a New Paradigm for the Physical Sciences

This paper investigates the role of consciousness for the field of physics. We propose that physics needs to include a systematic account of consciousness if it aims to offer a complete account of the physical world. The discovery of quantum mechanics, and of completely unified quantum field theories such as superstring theory, has resulted in a profound transformation in the world view of physics. a view that makes it necessary to reassess the traditional perspective of physics which excludes subjective values. Our investigation is based on Maharishi Vedic Science, a science that provides a logically consistent, intellectually meaningful, and empirically validated framework for discussing the relationship between objective and subjective aspects of reality. In Maharishi Vedic Science, consciousness is explained as a universal field of intelligence which gives rise to both individual intelligence and to all aspects of the physical world, an understanding compatible with the view of modern physics. Maharishi Vedic Science also provides a unifying basis for understanding the relationship between objective and subjective values in physics leading to a vision of the completion and fulfillment of physics through the full development of individual consciousness. According to Maharishi Vedic Science, such development will result in the ability to directly experience the Laws of Nature in one’s own awareness and to apply the knowledge obtained spontaneously for the benefit of oneself, one’s society, and all of mankind. Thus, for the physicist, the direct subjective experience of the laws of nature and the intellectual mastery of the theories of modern physics will mutually promote and enrich each other. At the same time, the holistic expansion of awareness brought about by the technologies of Maharishi Vedic Science will eliminate the dangers of misuse of scientific knowledge. Empirical evidence from scientific research on the effects of the Maharishi Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, the inter-subjectively validated experiences of individuals trained in these programs, and comparisons between theoretical structures of Maharishi Vedic Science and of modern physics lend support to this vision.