The Reading Room
A curated library of academic papers, seminal books, and contemporary research exploring consciousness, noetics, metaphysics, anomalous experience, and the hidden dimensions of reality.
Intellectual Influences
David Bohm, PHD
A pioneering theoretical physicist whose work explored the deeper interconnectedness of reality, most notably through his concept of the implicate order and the idea of an underlying wholeness beneath apparent separation.
Bohm was one of the most influential theoretical physicists of the twentieth century, best known for his work on quantum theory and his philosophical exploration of the nature of reality. Through concepts such as the implicate order, he proposed that the apparently separate objects of the world emerge from a deeper, interconnected whole in which information, relationship, and process are more fundamental than isolated things. His vision of reality as an undivided, dynamic totality has profoundly shaped my own thinking about consciousness, participation, and the possibility of a holographic universe.
Karl Pribram, PHD
The eminent neuroscientist and psychologist whose holonomic brain theory explored the possibility that perception, memory, and consciousness are organised through distributed patterns of information.
Pribram was a pioneering neuroscientist, psychologist, and philosopher best known for developing the holonomic brain theory, which proposed that the brain processes and stores information in ways analogous to a hologram. His work challenged conventional models of memory, perception, and cognition, suggesting that consciousness may be more deeply relational and distributed than previously understood. Together with David Bohm’s concept of the implicate order, Pribram’s ideas have been instrumental in shaping my own exploration of consciousness, information, and the holographic nature of reality.
Rupert Sheldrake, PHD
A biologist and author whose work challenges conventional assumptions about nature through his hypothesis of morphic resonance and his research into unexplained aspects of animal and human behaviour.
Sheldrake is a biologist and author whose work bridges mainstream biology and the scientific investigation of anomalous phenomena. Best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance, he has spent decades exploring questions about memory, development, telepathy, precognition, and the nature of consciousness, while encouraging a more open and self-critical approach to scientific inquiry. His work has been an important influence on my own thinking, not because it provides definitive answers, but because it demonstrates the value of investigating difficult questions with both intellectual rigour and genuine curiosity.
Carl Jung
A psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology whose exploration of archetypes, the collective unconscious, symbolism, and synchronicity transformed our understanding of the relationship between psyche, myth, and meaning.
Jung was one of the most influential psychologists of the twentieth century, whose work expanded the study of the psyche beyond individual cognition into the realms of symbolism, mythology, and the unconscious. His concepts of archetypes, the collective unconscious, and synchronicity offered new ways of understanding the relationship between mind, meaning, and experience. Jung’s willingness to explore the symbolic and transpersonal dimensions of human consciousness has been a significant influence on my own work, particularly in examining the connections between consciousness, anomalous experience, and the enduring wisdom preserved within myth and esoteric traditions.
Mark Booth (a.k.a Jonathan Black)
An author and researcher of Western esotericism whose work explores esoteric traditions, hidden philosophies, and spiritual ideas that have shaped the history of Western thought.
Booth is an author and researcher whose work explores the hidden philosophical and spiritual traditions that have shaped Western civilisation. Through his influential book The Secret History of the World, he presents a sweeping exploration of esoteric philosophy, symbolism, mythology, and the idea that reality contains deeper layers of meaning beyond its material appearance. His work has been an important influence on my own exploration of Western esotericism, symbolic systems, and the possibility that ancient traditions preserve profound insights into consciousness and our relationship with the universe.
Graham Hancock
An investigative journalist and author whose work explores ancient civilisations, mythology, and human prehistory, encouraging readers to question conventional narratives about our origins and forgotten knowledge.
Hancock’s work has encouraged millions of readers to re-examine conventional assumptions about ancient civilisations, mythology, and human prehistory. Drawing on archaeology, comparative mythology, anthropology, and historical investigation, he has consistently explored the possibility that humanity’s past may be more complex than orthodox narratives suggest. Although many of his ideas remain controversial, his willingness to ask ambitious, interdisciplinary questions has profoundly influenced my own approach to exploring consciousness, history, and the enduring wisdom preserved within ancient traditions.
Key Texts & Research
Foundations: Reality, Information & the Structure of the Universe
Papers exploring whether information, rather than matter alone, may be fundamental to physical reality.
A Suggested Interpretation of the Quantum Theory in Terms of “Hidden” Variables. I
Author: David Bohm
Year: 1952
Field: Quantum Physics, Foundations of Physics, Ontology
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.85.166
Why it matters:
Bohm’s hidden-variable interpretation of quantum mechanics challenged the conventional Copenhagen interpretation by proposing an underlying order beneath observable phenomena. His work demonstrated that quantum theory could be interpreted through a deeper non-local structure, laying groundwork for later ideas about implicate order, interconnectedness, and a more holistic understanding of reality.
A Suggested Interpretation of the Quantum Theory in Terms of “Hidden” Variables. II
Author: David Bohm
Year: 1952
Field: Quantum Physics, Foundations of Physics
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.85.180
Why it matters:
The second part of Bohm’s landmark work develops the mathematical framework for his hidden-variable interpretation. Together with Part I, these papers established Bohm as one of the major figures in alternative interpretations of quantum mechanics and influenced later discussions of non-locality, quantum potential, and the relationship between consciousness and reality.
A New Theory of the Relationship of Mind and Matter
Author: David Bohm
Year: 1990
Field: Physics, Philosophy of Mind, Consciousness Studies
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00004022
Why it matters:
Bohm explores the possibility that mind and matter should not be treated as fundamentally separate categories. Drawing from his ideas of implicate order and wholeness, he proposes a more unified approach to understanding consciousness and physical reality.
Information, Physics, Quantum: The Search for Links
Author: John Archibald Wheeler
Year: 1990
Field: Quantum Physics, Information Theory, Foundations of Physics
Read the paper:
https://philpapers.org/rec/WHEIPQ
Why it matters:
Wheeler introduced the influential concept of “it from bit,” proposing that information may be more fundamental than matter and energy in describing the foundations of physical reality. The paper explores the possibility that physical phenomena may ultimately arise from informational processes, influencing later developments in quantum information theory, digital physics, and theories of an information-based universe. For readers exploring holographic models of reality and consciousness, Wheeler provides an important conceptual bridge between physics and questions about the fundamental nature of reality.
Dimensional Reduction in Quantum Gravity
Author: Gerard ’t Hooft
Year: 1993
Field: Quantum Gravity, Theoretical Physics, Holographic Principle
Read the paper:
https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9310026
Why it matters:
’t Hooft introduced the idea that gravitational systems may contain fewer fundamental degrees of freedom than expected, suggesting that information within a volume of space could be encoded on its boundary. This work became one of the foundations of the holographic principle, a major development in attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and gravity.
The World as a Hologram
Authors: Leonard Susskind
Year: 1995
Publication: Journal of Mathematical Physics, 36(11), 6377–6396
Topics: Holographic Principle, Quantum Gravity, String Theory, Black Hole Physics, Information Theory
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9409089
Why it matters:
Susskind develops the holographic principle, building on earlier ideas from Gerard ’t Hooft, proposing that the information describing a three-dimensional volume of space may be encoded on a two-dimensional boundary surface. The paper emerged from attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics with gravity and became one of the foundational ideas behind modern quantum gravity research, including the AdS/CFT correspondence. For readers exploring consciousness-first and information-based models of reality, the holographic principle provides important scientific context for the idea that space, matter, and physical reality may emerge from a deeper informational structure.
The Large N Limit of Superconformal Field Theories and Supergravity
Authors: Juan Maldacena
Year: 1998
Publication: Advances in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, 2, 231–252
Topics: Holographic Principle, String Theory, Quantum Gravity, AdS/CFT Correspondence, Information Theory
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9711200
Why it matters:
Maldacena introduced the AdS/CFT correspondence, one of the most influential developments in theoretical physics of the past several decades. The paper proposes a deep mathematical duality between a gravitational theory in a higher-dimensional Anti-de Sitter space and a quantum field theory existing on its lower-dimensional boundary. This provided the strongest realisation of the holographic principle and suggested that spacetime itself may emerge from underlying quantum information. For readers exploring holographic models of reality, this paper is essential for understanding the scientific foundations behind the idea that physical reality may be encoded in a deeper informational structure.
Information: What Do You Mean? On the Formative Element of Our Universe
Authors: Dirk K. F. Meijer
Year: 2012
Publication: Information, 3(4), 462–493
Topics: Information Theory, Quantum Information, Cosmology, Complexity, Consciousness, Foundations of Reality
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/3/4/462
Why it matters:
Meijer explores information as a possible foundational principle underlying physical reality, examining its role across quantum physics, biology, cosmology, and consciousness studies. The paper discusses how information theory provides a common language for understanding processes ranging from subatomic interactions to biological complexity and cognition. While the proposal that information may connect physical and conscious processes remains a subject of philosophical debate, the work contributes to broader conversations about whether information, rather than matter or energy alone, may represent a fundamental organising principle of the universe.
Quantum Biology & Consciousness
Research exploring whether quantum processes may contribute to biological organisation and conscious experience.
Quantum Coherence in Biological Systems
Authors: Seth Lloyd
Year: 2011
Publication: Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 306, 012037
Topics: Quantum Biology, Quantum Coherence, Photosynthesis, Quantum Information, Biological Systems
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/306/1/012037
Why it matters:
Lloyd reviews the role of quantum mechanics in biological systems, focusing on how quantum coherence and decoherence can influence energy transfer in photosynthesis. The paper provides an important foundation for understanding the emerging field of quantum biology, demonstrating that quantum effects can play functional roles in living systems. For readers exploring quantum approaches to consciousness, this work offers essential context by showing that biological systems can harness quantum phenomena under certain conditions, while also highlighting the distinction between established quantum biology and more speculative theories of quantum consciousness.
Quantum Fluctuations and Life
Authors: P. C. W. Davies
Year: 2004
Publication: Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 54, 1–8
Topics: Quantum Biology, Quantum Information, Origin of Life, Decoherence, Consciousness, Biological Systems
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/54/1/001
Why it matters:
Davies examines the possibility that quantum processes may play functional roles in biological systems beyond their established role in molecular chemistry. The paper reviews proposals ranging from quantum effects in mutation and biological organisation to Hameroff and Penrose’s Orch-OR theory of consciousness, while highlighting the central challenge of decoherence in warm, complex biological environments. By exploring both the possibilities and limitations of quantum approaches to life, the paper provides valuable context for understanding the emerging field of quantum biology and the ongoing debate about whether quantum processes contribute to cognition and consciousness.
Orchestrated Reduction of Quantum Coherence in Brain Microtubules: A Model for Consciousness
Authors: Stuart Hameroff, Roger Penrose
Year: 1996
Publication: Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 40(3–4), 453–480
Topics: Consciousness, Quantum Biology, Microtubules, Quantum Gravity, Orch-OR
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378475496003620 (or the openly accessible version from your library, if that’s the one you’re hosting/linking to)
Why it matters:
Hameroff and Penrose present the first detailed formulation of Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR), proposing that consciousness arises from quantum processes within neuronal microtubules rather than solely from classical neural computation. The theory combines neuroscience, quantum mechanics, and Penrose’s ideas about objective wavefunction collapse to offer a fundamentally non-reductionist account of conscious experience. Although Orch-OR remains controversial and continues to be debated and experimentally tested, it has become one of the most influential and enduring theories linking consciousness with fundamental physics, making it essential reading for anyone exploring quantum approaches to the mind.
Quantum Effects in the Understanding of Consciousness
Authors: Stuart R. Hameroff, Travis J. A. Craddock, Jack A. Tuszynski
Year: 2014
Publication: Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 13(2), 157–178
Topics: Consciousness, Quantum Biology, Orch-OR, Microtubules, Quantum Coherence, Neuroscience
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S0219635214400013
Why it matters:
Hameroff, Craddock, and Tuszynski review the historical development of quantum approaches to biology and consciousness, examining how concepts from quantum physics have been applied beyond traditional physics into living systems. The paper discusses Orch-OR and related proposals involving microtubules, quantum coherence, ion channels, and sensory processes, while outlining both the potential and challenges of quantum models of consciousness. For readers exploring the relationship between mind and fundamental physics, this paper provides a useful overview of the current landscape of quantum consciousness research and the scientific questions that remain unresolved.
Scientific Theories of Consciousness
Contemporary attempts to explain consciousness through neuroscience, physics, and information theory.
Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness
Authors: David J. Chalmers
Year: 1995
Journal: Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2(3), 200–219
Topics: Consciousness, Philosophy of Mind, Hard Problem, Qualia, Philosophy
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://consc.net/papers/facing.html
Why it matters:
Chalmers distinguishes between explaining cognitive functions and explaining subjective experience itself, introducing what became known as the hard problem of consciousness. The paper reshaped modern philosophy of mind and remains one of the most widely cited works in consciousness research. It provides an essential starting point for understanding why many contemporary researchers are exploring alternatives to reductive materialism.
Consciousness as a State of Matter
Authors: Max Tegmark
Year: 2015
Publication: Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 76, 238–270
Topics: Consciousness, Information Theory, Integrated Information Theory, Physics of Mind, Emergence
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.1219
Why it matters:
Tegmark explores the possibility that consciousness could be understood as a distinct state of matter characterised by particular information-processing properties. Building on ideas from integrated information theory, quantum information, and condensed matter physics, he proposes four principles—information, integration, independence, and dynamics—as possible criteria for identifying conscious systems. The paper offers a novel attempt to bridge physics and consciousness studies by asking whether subjective experience might emerge from specific organisational properties of matter rather than from biological processes alone. For readers exploring the foundations of consciousness, it provides an important example of how contemporary physics is engaging with the problem of mind and matter.
An Information Integration Theory of Consciousness
Author: Giulio Tononi
Year: 2004
Field: Consciousness Studies, Neuroscience, Information Theory
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2004.06.014
Why it matters:
Tononi introduces Integrated Information Theory (IIT), one of the most influential contemporary scientific theories of consciousness. The theory proposes that consciousness corresponds to the capacity of a system to integrate information, measured through the quantity known as Φ (phi). IIT has significantly influenced modern debates about whether consciousness is an emergent property of complex systems or connected to more fundamental organisational principles.
The Free-Energy Principle: A Unified Brain Theory?
Author: Karl Friston
Year: 2010
Field: Computational Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Perception
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2009.11.009
Why it matters:
Friston presents the free-energy principle, a framework proposing that biological systems maintain themselves by minimising prediction error between their internal models and the external world. The theory has become highly influential in neuroscience and cognitive science, offering a model of perception in which the brain actively constructs its experience of reality rather than passively receiving information.
Can We Quantify Machine Consciousness?
Authors: Giulio Tononi & Christof Koch
Year: 2011
Field: Consciousness Studies, Artificial Intelligence, Neuroscience
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-010-9198-5
Why it matters:
Tononi and Koch examine whether consciousness can be scientifically measured and whether artificial systems could possess conscious experience. The paper explores Integrated Information Theory as a possible framework for evaluating consciousness beyond biological brains, contributing to ongoing debates about the relationship between information processing and subjective experience.
Universal Consciousness as Foundational Field: A Theoretical Bridge Between Quantum Physics and Non-Dual Philosophy
Authors: Maria Strømme
Year: 2025
Publication: AIP Advances, 15(11), 115319 (later retracted)
Topics: Consciousness, Quantum Physics, Cosmopsychism, Philosophy of Physics, Foundations of Reality
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A2015746
Why it matters:
Strømme proposes a theoretical framework in which consciousness is treated as a fundamental field from which space-time, matter, and individual awareness emerge. Drawing together concepts from quantum field theory, cosmology, and non-dual philosophy, the paper offers a contemporary consciousness-first model that seeks to bridge physics and metaphysics. Although the paper was later retracted because its central theory was considered insufficiently empirically testable, it remains a thought-provoking example of current attempts to develop mathematically informed models of consciousness as a fundamental feature of reality.
Quantum Theory of Consciousness
Authors: Gangsha Zhi, Rulin Xiu
Year: 2023
Publication: NeuroQuantology
Topics: Quantum Consciousness, Quantum Information Theory, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.neuroquantology.com/open-access/Quantum+Theory+of+Consciousness_14322/
Why it matters:
Zhi and Xiu propose a theoretical framework in which consciousness is understood as a quantum phenomenon, drawing on developments in quantum information theory, neural dynamics, and contemporary interpretations of quantum mechanics. The paper explores how concepts such as quantum entanglement, quantum error correction, and coherent brain activity might contribute to a unified account of consciousness and cognition. While the theory remains speculative and awaits empirical validation, it offers an ambitious example of current efforts to develop mathematically grounded models that connect quantum physics with the study of conscious experience.
What Is It Like to Be a Bat?
Author: Thomas Nagel
Year: 1974
Field: Philosophy of Mind, Consciousness Studies
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.2307/2183914
Why it matters:
Nagel’s influential essay argues that subjective experience — the “what it is like” aspect of consciousness — cannot be fully captured by objective scientific descriptions alone. The paper challenged reductionist approaches to mind and became one of the foundational works in contemporary philosophy of consciousness, shaping later discussions of qualia, the hard problem of consciousness, and the limits of physical explanations.
Holonomic Brain, Information & Participatory Models
Research exploring distributed information processing, perception, and the relationship between mind and reality.
The Holographic Brain: A New Model of Brain Functioning
Author: Karl H. Pribram
Year: 1975
Field: Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Holonomic Brain Theory
Read the paper:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0074774208600640
Why it matters:
Pribram’s holographic brain theory proposes that information in the brain may be distributed rather than stored in a purely localised manner. Drawing inspiration from holographic principles, he suggested that neural processing involves wave-like patterns and distributed information networks. This work became influential in theories of perception, memory, cognition, and later discussions connecting holographic models of the universe with theories of consciousness.
Significance: Foundational Theory of Brain Organisation
New Insights into Holonomic Brain Theory: Implications for Active Consciousness
Authors: Elham Alemdar, Robert R. Poznanski, L. A. Cacha, Gerald Leisman, E. J. Brändas
Year: 2021
Publication: Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 15, 718976
Topics: Consciousness, Holonomic Brain Theory, Neuroscience, Information Processing, Quantum Biology, Brain Dynamics
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2021.718976/full
Why it matters:
Alemdar and colleagues revisit holonomic brain theory through the lens of contemporary ideas about multiscale information processing, thermodynamics, and complex brain dynamics. Building on Karl Pribram’s original proposal that brain function involves distributed informational patterns rather than purely local processing, the paper explores how large-scale coherence and self-organising processes may contribute to conscious experience. Although the proposed mechanisms remain theoretical and require further empirical validation, the work represents a modern attempt to connect holonomic models of brain function with current research into information, complexity, and the biological basis of consciousness.
On Extended Quantum-Holographic Framework for Consciousness and Free Will: Round Trip from Science to Spirituality
Authors: Dejan Raković
Year: 2011
Publication: International Journal of Transpersonal Studies (or conference proceedings depending on version)
Topics: Quantum Information, Holographic Models, Consciousness, Free Will, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychosomatic Medicine
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies/vol30/iss1/13/
(If this link proves unavailable, we can replace it with the author’s repository/preprint version.)
Why it matters:
Raković proposes an extended quantum-informational framework connecting ideas from quantum physics, holographic models of reality, consciousness studies, and transpersonal psychology. The paper explores whether concepts from quantum information and non-locality could provide a theoretical language for understanding altered states, consciousness, and mind–body interactions. While many of the proposed connections remain speculative and outside mainstream physics, the work represents an example of interdisciplinary attempts to integrate scientific concepts with broader philosophical and spiritual questions about consciousness.
The Easy Part of the Hard Problem: A Resonance Theory of Consciousness
Authors: Tam Hunt, Jonathan W. Schooler
Year: 2019
Publication: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Topics: Consciousness, Resonance Theory, Neuroscience, Panpsychism, Philosophy of Mind
Access: Open Access
Read the paper:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00378/full
Why it matters:
Hunt and Schooler propose that resonance, the synchronisation of oscillating systems across different scales, may explain how simpler forms of consciousness combine into the unified conscious experience we enjoy as human beings. Their General Resonance Theory (GRT) draws together findings from neuroscience, biology, and physics to address the longstanding combination problem in panpsychism. While still a theoretical framework, the paper offers a novel and testable approach to one of the most challenging questions in consciousness research, making it an important contribution to contemporary debates about the nature and unity of conscious experience.
Consciousness, Perception & Constructed Reality
Exploring whether conscious experience represents reality directly or constructs an internal model.
Objects of Consciousness
Authors: Donald Hoffman & Chetan Prakash
Year: 2014
Field: Consciousness Studies, Perception, Mathematical Models of Reality
Read the paper:
https://arxiv.org/abs/1405.2604
Why it matters:
Hoffman and Prakash develop a mathematical framework exploring the possibility that conscious experience does not directly reveal objective reality but instead functions as an evolved interface shaped by survival demands. The paper challenges naïve realism and contributes to broader discussions about perception, consciousness, and the relationship between experience and external reality.
Neurophenomenology: A Methodological Remedy for the Hard Problem
Author: Francisco J. Varela
Year: 1996
Field: Consciousness Studies, Phenomenology, Neuroscience
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-6123(08)60756-6
Why it matters:
Varela proposes neurophenomenology as an approach that combines first-person accounts of conscious experience with third-person neuroscience. The paper argues that understanding consciousness requires integrating subjective experience with objective scientific investigation, providing an important bridge between phenomenology, cognitive science, and consciousness research.
The Interface Theory of Perception
Authors: Donald D. Hoffman, Manish Singh & Chetan Prakash
Year: 2015
Field: Cognitive Science, Perception Theory, Consciousness Studies
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00241
Why it matters:
Hoffman and colleagues challenge the assumption that perception provides a direct representation of objective reality. The paper argues that evolution favours perceptual systems that are useful for survival rather than accurate depictions of the world itself. This framework has significant implications for theories of consciousness, perception, and the possibility that experienced reality functions more like an interface than a transparent window onto the underlying structure of reality.
Metaphysical & Consciousness-First Perspectives
Philosophical approaches exploring whether consciousness may be fundamental rather than an emergent property of matter.
Realistic Monism: Why Physicalism Entails Panpsychism
Author: Galen Strawson
Year: 2006
Field: Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Consciousness Studies
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199267962.003.0006
Why it matters:
Strawson argues that conventional physicalism struggles to explain how subjective experience can emerge from entirely non-conscious matter. He proposes that consciousness must be treated as a fundamental aspect of reality rather than something that appears from purely physical processes. The paper is influential in contemporary debates around panpsychism and consciousness-first approaches in philosophy of mind.
Analytic Idealism: A Consciousness-Only Ontology
Author: Bernardo Kastrup
Year: 2017
Field: Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Analytic Idealism
Read the paper:
https://philpapers.org/rec/KASAIACO
Why it matters:
Kastrup presents a contemporary philosophical argument for analytic idealism, the view that consciousness is not produced by matter but is instead the fundamental basis of reality. Drawing on analytic philosophy, cognitive science, and critiques of materialism, the paper proposes that the physical world can be understood as an appearance within consciousness rather than as an independently existing material substrate. This provides a modern philosophical framework for readers exploring consciousness-first approaches to reality and complements scientific discussions of information, perception, and the foundations of consciousness.
An Ontological Solution to the Mind-Body Problem
Author: Bernardo Kastrup
Year: 2017
Field: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Idealism
Read the paper:
https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/2/2/10
Why it matters:
Kastrup develops a formal argument for analytic idealism as a solution to the mind–body problem. The paper examines why materialist explanations struggle to account for subjective experience and proposes consciousness as the primary ontological category from which the physical world is derived.
Significance: Contemporary Idealist Metaphysics
The Universe in Consciousness
Author: Bernardo Kastrup
Year: 2020
Field: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Analytic Idealism
Read the paper:
https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/5/2/15
Why it matters:
Kastrup develops his analytic idealist framework further by examining the relationship between consciousness and the physical universe. The paper argues that consciousness is not a product of matter but the fundamental medium in which reality appears. It provides a contemporary philosophical model for understanding reality as consciousness-first and engages with questions traditionally addressed by metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and cosmology.
Anomalous Cognition & Consciousness-Matter Interaction
Experimental research investigating unconventional relationships between consciousness and physical systems.
Feeling the Future: Experimental Evidence for Anomalous Retroactive Influences on Cognition and Affect
Author: Daryl Bem
Year: 2011
Field: Psychology, Anomalous Cognition, Parapsychology
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021524
Why it matters:
Bem presents a series of experiments investigating whether future events can influence present cognitive and emotional responses. The paper generated significant debate within psychology regarding replication, statistical methodology, and the boundaries of conventional models of cognition. Regardless of interpretation, it remains one of the most discussed modern studies in anomalous cognition research.
Psychophysical Interactions with a Double-Slit Optical System
Authors: Dean Radin, Leena Michel, Paul J. Pierce, et al.
Year: 2012
Field: Parapsychology, Consciousness Studies, Quantum Measurement
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00390
Why it matters:
This paper investigates whether focused human intention can influence outcomes in a quantum optical double-slit experiment. The study sits at the intersection of consciousness research and quantum measurement, exploring questions about the possible relationship between observation, intention, and physical systems. The findings remain controversial and require further independent investigation, but the paper represents an important example of experimental approaches to consciousness–matter interaction.
The Experimental Evidence for Parapsychological Phenomena: A Review
Author: Etzel Cardeña
Year: 2018
Field: Psychology, Parapsychology, Anomalous Cognition
Read the paper:
https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000236
Why it matters:
Published in American Psychologist, this review examines decades of experimental research into parapsychological phenomena, including areas such as telepathy, precognition, and psychokinesis. Cardeña argues that certain findings have produced statistically significant results that merit continued scientific investigation, while also discussing methodological challenges and limitations within the field.
Western Esotericism & Mystery Traditions
Foundational texts exploring symbolic cosmologies, consciousness, metaphysics, and humanity’s relationship with the cosmos. These works represent historical streams of thought that influenced later philosophical, spiritual, and consciousness-oriented approaches to reality.
The Enneads
Author: Plotinus
Date: c. 250–270 CE
Field: Neoplatonism, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Mysticism
Read the text:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42930
Recommended translation:
Plotinus, The Enneads, translated by Lloyd P. Gerson et al. (Cambridge University Press, 2018)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/plotinus/0C5D5A0A0F1F5B4B5F7A3A0E4D7A7A3B
Why it matters:
Plotinus developed one of the most influential metaphysical systems in Western philosophy, centred on the idea of The One — an ultimate source or principle from which all reality emanates. His philosophy presents consciousness not as a late product of matter, but as part of a deeper hierarchical structure of reality in which mind (Nous), soul, and the material world are interconnected expressions of a unified source.
The Enneads profoundly influenced later Hermetic philosophy, Christian mysticism, Renaissance esotericism, and modern discussions of consciousness, idealism, and non-dual metaphysics.
The Corpus Hermeticum
Authors: Hermes Trismegistus (traditional attribution)
Translation recommended: Brian P. Copenhaver (1992)
Field: Hermetic Philosophy, Western Esotericism, Ancient Philosophy
Read the text:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/hermetica/6D0F8C8C3F4E7B9B0C9F9C6A5F7A1A0A
Why it matters:
The Corpus Hermeticum is one of the foundational texts of the Western Hermetic tradition. Emerging in late antiquity, these writings explore themes of divine intelligence, the relationship between the human being and the cosmos, and the idea that consciousness participates in a greater universal order. Hermetic philosophy profoundly influenced Renaissance thinkers and later Western esoteric traditions.
Theosophy: An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human Life and the Cosmos
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Year: 1904
Field: Anthroposophy, Esoteric Philosophy, Consciousness Studies
Read the book:
https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA009/
Recommended edition:
SteinerBooks, translated by Catherine E. Creeger (1994)
Why it matters:
Theosophy is one of Steiner’s foundational works and provides an introduction to his understanding of the human being as a relationship between body, soul, and spirit. The book explores consciousness, human development, reincarnation, karma, and the relationship between individual experience and wider spiritual realities.
For readers interested in consciousness beyond a purely materialist framework, Steiner’s work represents an important development within modern Western esotericism, attempting to create a systematic “spiritual science” based on disciplined inner observation and phenomenological experience.
Occult Science: An Outline
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Year: 1910
Field: Anthroposophy, Esoteric Philosophy, Spiritual Science
Read the text:
https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA013/
Why it matters:
Steiner presents his systematic account of spiritual evolution, human consciousness, and the relationship between physical and supersensible realities. Although not an academic work in the conventional sense, Occult Science is one of the most influential texts in modern Western esotericism and provides important context for later discussions of consciousness, perception, and reality beyond materialism.
The Secret Teachings of All Ages
Author: Manly P. Hall
Year: 1928
Field: Comparative Religion, Symbolism, Western Esotericism
Read the text:
https://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/
Why it matters:
Hall’s encyclopaedic work surveys the symbolism, philosophy, mythology, and initiatory traditions of Western civilisation. Although not an academic study by modern standards, it remains one of the most widely read introductions to Western esoteric symbolism and provides historical context for traditions including Hermeticism, alchemy, astrology, mystery schools, and occult philosophy.
The Secret History of the World
Author: Jonathan Black (pseudonym of Mark Booth)
Year: 2007
Field: Esoteric History, Symbolism, Western Mystery Traditions
Read the book:
https://www.jonathanblack.co.uk/books/the-secret-history-of-the-world/
Why it matters:
This modern synthesis presents an esoteric interpretation of history, exploring themes of symbolism, hidden traditions, consciousness, and humanity’s spiritual development. While speculative rather than academic, it serves as an accessible introduction to the worldview underlying many Western mystery traditions.
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◦ moving towards the re-enchantment of our living universe through a consciousness-first, holographic lens ◡ connecting noetics, anomalous experience, metaphysics + the Western mystery traditions ◦
In my work I explore consciousness, anomalous experience, and high strangeness using modern science, psychology, and esoteric traditions to bring these perspectives into dialogue for better understanding the world we inhabit.
My aim to answer three questions:
- Who are we?
- What kind of world do we inhabit?
- And how can we participate in it more consciously and effectively?