There is an “Out There” Out There

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It has become fashionable among some philosophers to adapt the Eastern mystic philosophy which says that all of reality exists only in the conscious mind, not outside of it.  This idea has some support, but upon closer examination, even that support can be more strongly applied to the idea that there is an objective reality that is external to the mind.

 

In order for us to be conscious of some thing, there must be “a some thing” to be conscious of.

 

This is not to say that consciousness is a phenomenon of physics.  Consciousness has not been explained by physics, neither by matter nor by any forces or principles of nature.  The weight of evidence is that consciousness is a separate thing unto itself, fundamental, and unlike any of the substances or properties of material nature.

 

Therefore, it follows that consciousness does not arise from physics, but rather, is fundamental to it.  The most compelling interpretations of quantum physics strongly suggest that consciousness influences physical events rather than arising from them.

 

This in turn strongly suggests that a hierarchical structure of nature best explains—well, everything we know.  Instead of creating a model of the universe that begins with subatomic particles, and working upward from there to atoms, planets and so forth, it makes more sense to start from the top and work downward. 

 

Therefore, the model suggests that we begin with a self-existent divine Creator, which is alive, conscious and volitional (having free will).  The Creator creates beings after His own image, who also have life, consciousness and free will.  Note that consciousness already exists before we get down to the physical universe.

 

The physical universe consists of natural laws and principles, and of the space-time-energy-matter which is governed by those laws.

 

The physical universe forms and fashions our brains, through which we can sense physical reality.  This makes sense, because to sense and interpret physical reality should require a physical brain.  But the brain alone would not be enough to do this, and in fact, it would pose a paradox, the eye seeing itself. 

 

The actual reality of physics may be something very unlike what we see.  For example, in physical reality, there are no colors, only photons with a mathematical property called wavelength.  The colors are not, “out there,” but they trigger in our consciousness an inner experience which interprets what is—and is indeed—out there.  Photons are really out there.

 

We bring what is in reality “out there”—we bring it “in here,” where our supernatural consciousness interprets it.  The brain is sort of like a TV set.  Consciousness is what watches that TV.

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