Is the Sun conscious?!
A new hypothesis proposes the Sun might be aware, and it has sparked renewed dialogue in scientific circles.
Biologist Rupert Sheldrake is among a small group of researchers exploring whether the Sun - with its vast complexity and rhythmic electromagnetic activity - might exhibit a basic form of awareness.
The idea draws from panpsychism, a philosophical framework that suggests consciousness could be a fundamental aspect of matter, present to varying degrees throughout the universe.
It doesn't mean the Sun thinks or feels like we do - only that it may operate with some primitive level of self-organization or internal responsiveness.
While there's no experimental evidence to support this idea, it intersects with modern theories like Integrated Information Theory, which propose that consciousness might emerge from systems with high levels of information integration - not just brains, but potentially other complex structures.
Sheldrake suggests the Sun's electromagnetic fields could serve as an interface for awareness, much like the brain's own electrical rhythms. It's a hypothesis far from mainstream acceptance, but one that invites a broader look at what consciousness is - and where it might arise.
Whether or not the Sun is conscious, questions like these challenge us to rethink the boundaries between matter and mind.
Read the study: https://www.sheldrake.org/.../ls_the_Sun_Conscious.pdf