A baffling new theory to explain human consciousness has suggested it comes from hidden dimensions and is not just brain activity.
A physicist claimed that we plug in to these invisible planes of the universe when making art, practicing science, pondering philosophy or dreaming, and this could explain the phenomenon that has evaded scientific understanding for centuries.
Michael Pravica, a professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has based the wild idea on hyperdimensionality, the idea that the universe is made up of more dimensions than just the four we perceive: height, length width and time.
But his theory is highly controversial, with one scientist saying that the cornerstone of Pravica's theory 'borders on science fiction.'
Physicist Michael Pravica believes that human consciousness transcend the physical world and move between hidden dimensions
'The sheer fact that we can conceive of higher dimensions than four within our mind, within our mathematics, is a gift... it's something that transcends biology,' Pravica told Popular Mechanics.
Scientists have been attempting to explain human consciousness and its origins for hundreds of years - and the theories run the gamut.
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One leading theory suggests that consciousness is related to how much information is integrated between the different parts of the brain. The more information is connected and integrated, the more conscious a being is thought to be.
Another posits that conscious mental states are driven by top-down signaling in the brain. Top-down signaling refers to the process by which higher-level brain regions send information, expectations or context to lower-level brain regions.
But Pravica's theory ventures outside the realm of neuroscience and into theoretical physics.
He suggested that in moments of heightened awareness, like when we enter a dream state or use our brains for deeply creative or intellectual tasks, our consciousness could transcend our physical dimension and enter a higher plane.
In these moments, our consciousness syncs with hidden dimensions and receives a flood of inspiration, Pravica said.
To better understand the controversial theory, consider the following scenario.
Imagine you're a two-dimensional being living in a two-dimensional world, like a character in a comic book. Now, imagine that a sphere passes through your plane of view.
The sphere would look like a dot that grows into a larger and larger circle as it comes closer, then gradually shrinks until it's out of view. You would have no way of knowing that it's actually a three-dimensional shape.
Pravica sees us as a version of these 2D characters. Although we exist in a four-dimensional world, we can only perceive matter and energy that is of those four dimensions, just like how beings in a 2D world cannot perceive a 3D object.
Thus, the limitations of our world prevent us from detecting higher dimensions that could, in theory, exist all around us.
This is the foundation of hyperdimensionality - the idea that the universe is made up of many dimensions, some of which are hidden because they are beyond the reach of our physical realm.
Hyperdimensionality ties into string theory, which states that reality is made up of infinitely small vibrating strings that are smaller than atoms, electrons or quarks.
As the strings vibrate, twist and fold, they produce effects in multiple unseen dimensions that give rise to all the particles and forces that we can observe, from particle physics to gravity.
'String theory is essentially a theory of hyperdimensionality,' Pravica said. 'It's looking at how the universe is put together on a sub-quantum scale.'
Pravica believes that our brains can tap into higher dimensions when in a dream state or performing deeply creating or intellectual tasks
Although we can observe the effects that these vibrating strings have on the physics of our dimension, we can't observe the hidden dimensions that they're vibrating in.
That is - we can't physically observe them.
But our consciousness may be able to tap into them, Pravica says.
Hyperdimensionality and string theory are widely accepted by physicists, but Pravica's idea of their relationship with consciousness is more controversial - especially because it blurs the lines between science and spirituality.
As an Orthodox Christian with a Ph.D. from Harvard, Pravica has found hyperdimensionality to be a way to bridge his scientific background with his religious beliefs.
For example, he believes Jesus may be a hyperdimensional being.
'According to the Bible, Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after being on Earth. How do you ascend into heaven if you're a four-dimensional creature?' Pravica asked.
But being hyperdimensional could, theoretically, have allowed Jesus to move between our world and heaven - which may be a world of higher or infinite dimensions, he said.
Pravica's theory is based on a 'God of the gaps' perspective, where gaps in scientific knowledge are explained by divine intervention, said Stephen Holler, associate professor of physics at Fordham University.
He believes that this type of thinking is insufficient, and hampers the scientific inquiry needed to truly understand and explain ineffable phenomena like human consciousness.
'It's a poor explanation mechanism that arguably stifles the inquisitive nature required for good science and teaches that it's not okay to say, 'I don't know,'' Holler told Popular Mechanics.
He points out that our ability to mathematically manipulate higher dimensions is not proof that they actually exist, or that our consciousness can interact with them.
What's more, exploring these higher dimensions is impossible due to the limitations of our current technological capabilities.
Not even the most powerful particle accelerator in the world - the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN - can provide real proof that these dimensions exist.
The LHC smashes particles together at incredibly high speeds - up to the speed of light.
This allows physicists to study the fundamental building blocks of matter and energy and access infinitesimally small dimensions - even smaller than a single proton.
But even the LHC isn't able to reveal the high-dimensional strings that quantum physics predicts. To get that granular, physicists would need a much more powerful collider.
Without that concrete evidence, Holler says that hyperdimensionality 'borders on science fiction.'
But Pravica is optimistic that such technology could exist within his children's lifetime.
Until then, he will continue to support hyperdimensionality and his theory of how it relates to our consciousness.
'I see no point otherwise,' he said. 'Why study? Why live?'