Maria Strømme, a professor of Materials Science at Uppsala University, has spent most of her career studying the building blocks of matter at the tiniest scales. Her work typically involves the cutting-edge world of nanotechnology. But recently, she ventured into uncharted territory—far beyond the microscopic world she’s accustomed to. Strømme has proposed a radical new theory that suggests consciousness is not just a byproduct of brain activity, but the very foundation of reality itself.
This theory, published in AIP Advances, has already caused a stir in the scientific community. In fact, it was so groundbreaking that it was selected as the best paper of the issue and graced the journal’s cover. Strømme’s proposition doesn’t just redefine consciousness; it offers a whole new way of understanding the universe—a perspective that places consciousness at the center of everything, with space, time, and matter arising only afterward.
It’s a bold claim, one that challenges the very essence of how we’ve come to view the world and our place in it. And it begs the question: if consciousness is the foundation of reality, what does that mean for everything we know?
From Nanotech to the Cosmos
Strømme’s theory, although rooted in the mathematical language of physics, transcends the boundaries of her usual field of materials science. She’s not just interested in the mechanics of atoms and molecules; she’s attempting to weave a coherent picture of the universe itself. It’s a leap from the smallest particles to the largest questions of existence, and in doing so, Strømme has started a conversation about the nature of reality that spans both science and philosophy.
“Is this a completely new theory of how reality and the universe are structured?” Strømme muses. “Yes, you could say so. But above all, it is a theory in which consciousness comes first, and structures such as time, space, and matter arise afterward.”
This is a significant departure from traditional scientific thought, where consciousness has always been seen as a product of brain activity, an emergent property of complex neural processes. Strømme, however, argues that it is consciousness itself—an interconnected, fundamental field—that underpins everything we experience, including the very fabric of space and time.
To understand her point of view, Strømme draws on the work of some of the most influential physicists in history. Figures like Einstein, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and Planck all explored ideas that brushed against this very notion: that consciousness might be a deeper, more fundamental element of reality than we have allowed it to be. Strømme’s theory is a natural progression of those ideas, merging quantum physics with non-dual philosophy to describe a universe where consciousness is not separate from reality, but is reality.
A Shared Field of Consciousness
Strømme’s theory brings an intriguing idea into the conversation about human experience and its connections to the universe. According to her, consciousness is not confined to individual minds. Instead, it forms part of a larger, interconnected field that underlies all of existence. This interconnectedness explains phenomena that, for centuries, have seemed to defy logic—telepathy, near-death experiences, and other “mysterious” occurrences.
“My ambition has been to describe this using the language of physics and mathematical tools,” Strømme explains. “Are these phenomena really mystical? Or is it simply that there is a discovery we have not yet made, and when we do it will lead to a paradigm shift?”
This question is central to Strømme’s approach. She doesn’t dismiss seemingly supernatural events as mere curiosities, nor does she claim to have all the answers. Instead, she proposes that these experiences might be natural consequences of an interconnected consciousness—a field we have yet to fully understand. If true, it would represent a paradigm shift on par with humanity’s historical leaps in understanding: the realization that Earth is round, or that the Earth orbits the sun, not the other way around.
In her view, these “mystical” experiences could be signs of a deeper, as-yet-undiscovered truth—one that could drastically reshape how we think about life, death, and the universe.
A New Universe of Possibilities
Strømme’s theory doesn’t just reshape the role of consciousness in the cosmos; it offers predictions that could test and shape the future of multiple scientific disciplines. Her model provides a new framework that brings physics, neuroscience, and cosmology into a shared space, opening up exciting possibilities for future research.
One of the more provocative implications of her theory is that individual consciousness might not cease with death. Instead, Strømme suggests that when a person dies, their consciousness returns to the universal field from which it originated—a quantum-mechanical process she has formulated mathematically.
“I am a materials scientist and engineer, so I am used to seeing matter as something fundamental. But according to this model, matter is secondary—much of what we experience is representation or illusion,” Strømme says, emphasizing that our traditional understanding of matter as the “basic” reality is upended in her theory. If consciousness is indeed the foundation, then what we perceive as solid, concrete matter is more like a projection or manifestation of this deeper, underlying consciousness.
It’s a radical departure from how we have traditionally viewed the physical world and our place within it. The suggestion that matter may be secondary to consciousness could have profound implications not only for physics but for the entire way humanity understands existence.
Blending Science and Ancient Wisdom
Interestingly, Strømme’s theory is not entirely new. While it is a bold scientific proposal, it also bears striking resemblances to ideas that have existed for millennia. The idea that consciousness is an interconnected, fundamental aspect of reality can be found in many of the world’s ancient spiritual and philosophical traditions. Texts like the Bible, the Koran, and the Vedas often describe a world where consciousness is a shared, interconnected force that underlies the very fabric of existence.
“These texts… often describe an interconnected consciousness,” Strømme notes. “Those who wrote them used metaphorical language to express insights about the nature of reality. Early quantum physicists, in turn, arrived at similar ideas using scientific methods. Now, it is time for hardcore science—that is, modern natural science—to seriously begin exploring this.”
Strømme’s model does not claim to be a replacement for these traditions but rather a scientific exploration that mirrors these ancient insights in a new language: the precise, mathematical language of modern physics. This merging of old wisdom and new science could open the door to a profound rethinking of both the universe and the human experience.
Why This Matters
Strømme’s theory is more than just a provocative idea in the world of physics. It challenges the way we view ourselves and our place in the universe. If consciousness is indeed the fundamental field from which all of reality emerges, it changes everything we know about life, death, and existence itself.
This new perspective could lead to breakthroughs in fields as diverse as quantum physics, neuroscience, and even our understanding of the human mind. It could provide new answers to some of the most enduring questions in science and philosophy. And, perhaps most importantly, it invites us to rethink what it means to be alive, to be conscious, and to be part of the vast, interconnected cosmos.
In the end, Strømme’s theory may not just be about how the universe works on a technical level—it may also offer a new lens through which we can view the mysteries of existence itself, uniting science, philosophy, and spirituality in ways that could shape the future of human understanding.
More information: Maria Strømme, Universal consciousness as foundational field: A theoretical bridge between quantum physics and non-dual philosophy, AIP Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1063/5.0290984
