Death: The Living Field of Consciousness

“The Self is not born, nor does it die. It did not spring from anything, and nothing sprang from It.” (KU II.18)

Dedication

On this Teacher’s Day, I bow in gratitude to the eternal Teacher — Yama, the King of Death.
In the Katha Upanishad, it was Yama who revealed the highest wisdom, exploring the realms of death and consciousness, to the young seeker Nachiketas: the knowledge of the Self that neither dies nor is born, the truth that transcends all fear.

To Yama, the Teacher of Teachers, who transforms death from terror into truth, I dedicate this essay. May it be a small offering in the timeless dialogue of humanity with the mystery of consciousness.

Death and consciousness are at the heart of humanity’s deepest questions. This essay explores how both modern science and ancient wisdom view death not as an end, but as a transition into a living field of awareness.

Death: The Living Field of Consciousness

Death has always been our greatest teacher.
In my earlier reflection, Death: The Quantum Transition, I asked whether the end of life might open into a deeper reality. Since then, my journey of study has expanded, carrying me further into the living mystery of consciousness.

I have encountered luminous works that offer windows into this frontier:

• Robert Lanza’s Biocentrism, placing life and awareness at the very foundation of existence.

• Ervin László’s Science and the Akashic Field, describing the universe as a cosmic memory field where nothing is lost.

• Lynne McTaggart’s The Zero Point Field, revealing the vacuum as a reservoir of hidden energy and connection.

• Federico Faggin’s The Irreducible Mind, affirming that consciousness cannot be reduced to mechanism.

• Jan Wicherink’s Souls of Distortion Awakening, which sings of rediscovered science and the dawning of a new world.

• The Quantum Matrix, which hints at the reconciliation of physics with the spiritual quest.

Alongside these writings, I have listened to the voices of Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, John Hagelin, Rupert Sheldrake, and Rupert Spira — each approaching the mystery of consciousness from their own discipline, yet converging on the same profound intuition.

Together they affirm: death is not an end.
It is a passage, a release of form, and a return to the deeper field that sustains all being. In this spirit, the present essay seeks to weave together science, philosophy, and ancient wisdom into a vision of death as the living field of consciousness itself.

Consciousness, Zero-Point Field, Torsion Dynamics, Akashic Continuum, and Biocentrism

Author: Arun Singhamahapatra
Affiliation: Independent Researcher
Date: 5th September 2025

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Abstract

This paper explores the hypothesis that death represents not an end but a quantum transition of consciousness. It synthesizes insights from the Orch-OR theory (Penrose & Hameroff), the Zero-Point Field, Torsion Field research, the Akashic Field (László), and Biocentrism (Lanza), integrated with philosophical perspectives from the Katha Upanishad. While some models (Zero-Point Field, Orch-OR) are rooted in established physics, others (Torsion Fields, Akashic Field, Biocentrism) remain speculative or philosophical. Taken together, they offer a multidisciplinary framework for understanding consciousness as fundamental and death as transformation. This synthesis aims to bridge neuroscience, quantum theory, and perennial wisdom.

Keywords: Quantum consciousness, Orch-OR, Zero-Point Field, Torsion Fields, Akashic Field, Biocentrism, Upanishads

 Introduction

Death has long been regarded as the final cessation of biological activity. However, both ancient traditions and frontier science suggest it may be a transition. The Katha Upanishad asserts the Self is “not born, not slain” (II.18), while quantum consciousness theories propose that information might persist in fundamental fields. This study reviews interdisciplinary perspectives to frame death as a quantum transition of consciousness.

Death and consciousness in the Orch-OR Hypothesis.

Penrose and Hameroff’s Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR) proposes that microtubules in neurons sustain quantum superpositions that collapse in orchestrated patterns, generating conscious moments (Hameroff & Penrose, 2014). Critics argue rapid decoherence prevents such effects in the brain (Tegmark, 2000), though counter-analyses (Hagan, Hameroff, & Tuszyński, 2002) argue coherence may last longer than initially calculated.

At death, Orch-OR implies that quantum information in microtubules does not vanish but may dissolve into the underlying fabric of the universe.

For further reading: – “…conscious moments emerge from orchestrated reductions in microtubules (see the detailed Orch-OR review PubMed)…”

 Death and consciousness in the Zero-Point Field

The Zero-Point Field (ZPF) is the ground state of quantum fields, experimentally observed through the Casimir effect (Casimir, 1948). Physicists such as Puthoff (1989) and Haisch & Rueda (1994) proposed that the ZPF may underpin inertia and gravity. Some theorists extend this, suggesting it could act as an informational substrate for consciousness.

In death’s transition, collapsed brain states might couple into the ZPF, ensuring continuity of informational patterns.

Further reading:- Zero-Point Field Section
“…confirmed by macroscopic experiments such as the Casimir effect AIP Publishing…”

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Torsion Fields

Russian physicists Kozyrev (1991) and Akimov (1996) proposed torsion fields as spin-generated informational structures distinct from electromagnetism. These fields have been suggested as mediators of nonlocal biological or mental phenomena. However, torsion theory remains fringe science and is not accepted by mainstream physics.

Nonetheless, in a speculative synthesis, torsion dynamics could function as channels through which consciousness “releases” its informational spin structures at death.

For furthe reading:- 
“…torsion is formally introduced in Einstein–Cartan theory Physical Review LinkWikipedia…”

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Death and consciousness in the Akashic Field

László (2004) reintroduced the Vedic notion of ākāśa as a scientific metaphor: the Akashic Field, a cosmic memory field storing information about all events. It parallels Bohm’s implicate order (Bohm, 1980) and resonates with the Upanishadic teaching that the Self is both “smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest” (KU I.2.20).

In this model, death involves the integration of personal consciousness into this universal field.

“…László frames it as an Akashic Field of cosmic memory Simon & Schuster…”

 Biocentrism

Lanza (2009) argues in Biocentrism that consciousness is primary and space-time are constructs of the mind. Death, therefore, is not the annihilation of awareness but a transition into new frameworks of perception. This aligns with the Upanishadic teaching: “The Self is not slain when the body is slain” (KU II.18).

“…central to Lanza’s philosophy of Biocentrism Robert Lanza, MDRobert Lanza, M.D. – Biocentrism |…”

 Comparative Framework

Philosophical Resonances: Katha Upanishad

• “na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścin” (II.18) — “The Self is not born, nor does it die.”

• “aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān ātmāsyajantor nihito guhāyām” (I.2.20) — “The Self, smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest, dwells in the heart.”

• “uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata” (I.3.14) — “Arise! Awake! Seek the great ones and realize.”

These verses affirm that consciousness transcends bodily death, aligning with modern scientific speculation on continuity.

 Conclusion: Death and Consciousness as Transformation

The convergence of Orch-OR, Zero-Point Field, torsion dynamics, Akashic theory, Biocentrism, and the Katha Upanishad presents death as a quantum transition of consciousness. While empirical validation remains partial, this framework offers a holistic synthesis where consciousness is fundamental, death is transformation, and existence extends beyond the physical body.

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Note: Orch-OR and Quantum Information at Death

According to the Orch-OR model, moments of consciousness arise when quantum superpositions in neuronal microtubules undergo objective reduction (Penrose & Hameroff, 2014). These superpositions carry quantum information — not just classical electrical signals, but coherent probability states that encode aspects of conscious experience.

At death, when organized neural firing ceases, microtubule quantum states can no longer be orchestrated by biological processes. The Orch-OR framework suggests two possibilities:

1. Dissipation into the Zero-Point Field (ZPF)

   • Quantum information is not destroyed; rather, by the principle of unitarity in quantum mechanics, information disperses into the quantum vacuum.

   • Hameroff has speculated (2014, 2016 lectures) that this allows a form of “quantum soul” persisting within the structure of the universe.

2. Survival in Non-Local Quantum Correlations

   • Quantum entanglement allows information to be distributed across non-local correlations.

   • In death, collapsed brain states may release residual quantum information into these correlations, potentially coupling with fields such as the ZPF or proposed informational substrates.

3. Transition Beyond Brain-Bound Consciousness

   • If Orch-OR is correct, consciousness is not reducible to brain chemistry but is rooted in fundamental spacetime geometry (Penrose’s OR proposal).

   • The death process could then be seen as a migration of quantum informational patterns into the geometry of spacetime itself — effectively into the “fabric of the universe.”

This interpretation resonates with ancient perspectives, such as the Katha Upanishad’s declaration that the Self is not annihilated when the body perishes (KU II.18). Thus, Orch-OR at death provides a scientific metaphor for the continuity of consciousness: quantum information persists, even if its organized biological form dissolves.

Zero-Point Field (ZPF) and Continuity of Information at Death

1. Physics Basis of ZPF

Modern physics teaches that even the deepest vacuum is not truly empty. Instead, it seethes with quantum fluctuations — tiny bursts of energy appearing and disappearing. This irreducible background energy is called the Zero-Point Field (ZPF). Its existence is not speculative: it has been confirmed by experiments such as the Casimir effect (Casimir, 1948), where two metal plates in a vacuum attract each other due to shifts in the surrounding ZPF.

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2. Information and Quantum States

A central principle of quantum theory is that information is never destroyed. Even when physical systems collapse or lose order, their information disperses into larger fields or correlations.

From this perspective, when the brain’s microtubules (the structures central to Orch-OR theory) cease functioning at death, the quantum information they once carried is not erased. Instead, it is thought to dissipate into the surrounding Zero-Point Field, becoming part of the background fabric of reality.

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3. Hypotheses Supporting the Link

Several researchers have speculated about how consciousness might connect to the ZPF:

• Haisch, Rueda & Puthoff (1994): Suggested that even inertia — the resistance of objects to motion — may arise from interactions with the ZPF. By extension, consciousness could also couple to it.

• Hameroff (1998, 2014): Proposed that microtubules in the brain might resonate with vacuum fluctuations, making the ZPF a potential substrate for consciousness that persists beyond death.

• Quantum Brain Dynamics (Umezawa & Ricciardi, 1960s–90s): Developed the idea that long-range quantum correlations in the brain might remain linked to the background field, preserving memory-like patterns even after biological activity ceases.

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4. A Resonance Perspective

Some theorists suggest that living systems behave like resonant cavities — structures that can store and exchange subtle energy with the environment. During life, the body’s boundaries shape these resonances. At death, when those boundaries dissolve, the resonance patterns are thought to be released into the wider Zero-Point Field. In this way, information is not lost but redistributed into the universal background.

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5. Implication

In this interpretation, death is not the annihilation of consciousness-related information but its migration into the fabric of the cosmos. Whether this transition corresponds to continued subjective awareness remains an open question, but it provides a powerful metaphor, supported by physics, for why consciousness may be more enduring than the body itself.

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📚 Suggested Reading

• Casimir, H. B. G. (1948). On the attraction between two perfectly conducting plates.

• Haisch, B., Rueda, A., & Puthoff, H. E. (1994). Inertia as a zero-point-field Lorentz force.

• Hameroff, S., & Penrose, R. (2014). Consciousness in the universe: A review of the Orch OR theory.

• Jibu, M., & Yasue, K. (1995). Quantum Brain Dynamics and Consciousness.

• Fröhlich, H. (1968). Long-range coherence and energy storage in biological systems.

Torsion as a Channel of Information

In Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravity is described as the curvature of space-time caused by mass and energy. But later extensions of the theory proposed that space-time may not only bend — it may also twist. This twist is known as torsion.

In standard physics, torsion is mathematically connected to the property of matter known as spin — the intrinsic angular momentum of particles such as electrons. In simple terms, wherever matter has a concentrated distribution of spin, it may leave a subtle “twist” in the surrounding geometry of space-time.

Now imagine the brain’s microtubules, the tiny scaffolding structures central to the Orch-OR hypothesis. If their quantum states involve organized spin patterns, then at death, when those states collapse, this change could, in principle, leave an imprint in the torsion of space-time.

Two interpretations arise:

1. Localized imprint (conservative view)
   – In the simplest models of torsion, these imprints are local and vanish quickly, like a fingerprint in soft clay. They do not carry forward as signals.

2. Extended or propagating torsion (speculative view)
   – In some advanced theories, torsion may act more dynamically, sending ripples or waves through the fabric of the cosmos. In such a case, the collapse of organized spin patterns at death might release subtle “torsion waves,” carrying aspects of informational structure into a wider field.

From this perspective, torsion becomes a possible channel for the release of consciousness-related information. Even if highly speculative, it resonates with the broader theme that death is not annihilation but transformation — with information continuing in new forms, embedded within the deeper geometry of the universe.

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📚 Suggested Reading

• Hehl, F. W., von der Heyde, P., Kerlick, G. D., & Nester, J. M. (1976). General relativity with spin and torsion: Foundations and prospects. Reviews of Modern Physics, 48(3), 393–416.

• Shapiro, I. L. (2002). Physical aspects of the space-time torsion. Physics Reports, 357(2), 113–213.

• Hammond, R. T. (2002). Torsion gravity. Reports on Progress in Physics, 65(5), 599–649.

The Quantum Brain

Biocentrism and the Continuity of Life

1. The Core Idea

Biocentrism, proposed by Robert Lanza (2009), is a radical shift in perspective: it places life and consciousness at the center of reality. Instead of treating the universe as an objective machine that produces consciousness as a side effect, Biocentrism argues that consciousness itself creates space, time, and the cosmos we observe.

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2. Space and Time as Constructs

In this framework, space and time are not fundamental, but rather tools of the mind — ways that consciousness organizes experience. Just as a computer screen projects images from hidden code, Biocentrism suggests that reality as we know it is a projection from consciousness itself.

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3. Implications for Death

If consciousness is primary, then death cannot mean annihilation. Instead, Biocentrism interprets death as a transition of awareness into new modes of existence. The “observer” never disappears — only the particular framework of experience (this body, this timeline) comes to an end. In other words, life continues, but through different perceptual lenses.

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4. Resonances with Philosophy and Spirituality

Biocentrism echoes long-standing philosophical ideas, such as Immanuel Kant’s claim that space and time are categories of the mind, and the Upanishadic view that the Self (ātman) is the ground of all experience. The Katha Upanishad expresses this in timeless words: “The Self is not slain when the body is slain” (II.18).

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5. Implication

By reframing reality as consciousness-based, Biocentrism provides a modern, scientific-sounding counterpart to ancient spiritual wisdom. Death, within this perspective, is not an end but a shift in perspective, affirming the continuity of awareness beyond the body.

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📚 Suggested Reading

• Lanza, R., & Berman, B. (2009). Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe.

• Wheeler, J. A. (1990). Participatory Universe (conceptual foundations).

• Radhakrishnan, S. (1953). The Principal Upanishads.

References

• Bohm, D. (1980). Wholeness and the Implicate Order. Routledge.

• Casimir, H. B. G. (1948). On the attraction between two perfectly conducting plates. Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 51, 793–795.

• Engel, G. S., et al. (2007). Evidence for wavelike energy transfer through quantum coherence in photosynthetic systems. Nature, 446(7137), 782–786.

• Hagan, S., Hameroff, S., & Tuszyński, J. A. (2002). Quantum computation in brain microtubules: Decoherence and biological feasibility. Physical Review E, 65(6), 061901.

• Hameroff, S., & Penrose, R. (2014). Consciousness in the universe: A review of the ‘Orch OR’ theory. Physics of Life Reviews, 11(1), 39–78.

• Haisch, B., & Rueda, A. (1994). Inertia as a zero-point-field Lorentz force. Physical Review A, 49(2), 678–694.

• Kozyrev, N. A. (1991). On the possibility of experimental investigation of the properties of time. Soviet Physics Uspekhi, 34(5), 394–400.

• Lanza, R. (2009). Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe. BenBella Books.

• László, E. (2004). Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything. Inner Traditions.

• Radhakrishnan, S. (1953). The Principal Upanishads. Allen & Unwin.

• Tegmark, M. (2000). Importance of quantum decoherence in brain processes. Physical Review E, 61(4), 4194–4206.

Death and consciousness are not final opposites but a dialogue between science and spirit. Drawing on Orch-OR, the Zero-Point Field, torsion dynamics, the Akashic Field, and Biocentrism, this essay reimagines death as a transition rather than an end. Rooted in both modern physics and the Katha Upanishad, it seeks to honor Teacher’s Day by learning from Yama, the King of Death, who revealed Brahma Vidyā to Nachiketas.

Katha Upanishad Prathama Valli