The Universe it still has many mysteries pending to solve in order to increase our knowledge about our role within the cosmos.
In this regard, there is an interesting theory related to consciousness and to our way of understanding the universe called “panpsychism”.
It is a current of thought that proposes that every existing element would have a consciousness (some would identify this concept with that of alama, having to say that panpsychism derives from the Greek “psyche” which would precisely mean soul).
The proposal is that every element would have a consciousness, whether it were a living being or non-living matter. Thus, all matter would be conscious of some form although, it refers that not all the consciences would be equal.
This would imply that the smallest, subatomic atoms and particles (according to what we currently know), even the largest sets, such as galaxies and clusters of them, would have different consciences. Those elements of greater simplicity would have a more elemental consciousness that would increase in complexity as the body that contained it became more complex.
What would the consciousness of a star be like? And that of an atom?
The most elementary consciousnesses could unite forming more complex systems in a similar way to how, for example, atoms unite to form molecules.
But with this hypothesis, new problems would arise to be solved, among them, that of defining what a consciousness is, since delimiting this concept supposes a division between thinkers, although, roughly speaking, it could perhaps be understood as the capacity or understanding that an individual it has of itself and its relationship with the environment, that is, the own perception and experiences of the self. Although there are various currents of thought according to your understanding of consciousness and therefore, the brief definition provided is subject to change.
As with so many other concepts, panpsychism has generated a series of currents that vary in how they understand the main ideas proposed. Presenting some examples we would find:
Pancognitivism
He proposes that it is not a conscious experience that would be found in every existing element but thought, although this would be built on different levels according to its complexity, just as general panpsychism proposes.
Cosmopsychism
He maintains that the universe as a whole would act as a unit and that this is where all the consciousness it contains would emanate from.
Regardless of the possible variations that may arise in this regard, this interesting theory that is based on very similar concepts that were already proposed in ancient times, today has a good number of defenders and continues its development.
It is a proposal that proposes an absolutist maxim that perhaps we could interpret as “everything has consciousness” and the concept of everything implies much more than it might seem in the first instance: from the smallest subatomic particle (even elements at these levels that are still we have not discovered) until the largest celestial bodies that are located in the universe, absolutely everything would have consciousness, the universe too?
