Does Consciousness Pre-Date Life?
In August 2024, Dr. Stuart Hameroff advanced the provocative idea that consciousness may have preceded life itself, shaping the very foundations of evolution. Writing in IAI News (“Consciousness Came Before Life”, May 8, 2024), Hameroff argued that rather than emerging late from biological complexity, consciousness may have been a fundamental feature of the universe that enabled life to arise.
The debate continued at the HowTheLightGetsIn Festival (May 24–27, 2024, Hay-on-Wye), where Hameroff joined biologist Denis Noble and philosopher Antonella Tramacere in the panel “Darwin vs. Consciousness.” He further highlighted new findings, including evidence from a NASA experiment, suggesting support for the hypothesis that consciousness is woven into the fabric of reality itself.
“Hameroff’s theories are getting support from unlikely places.” – Discover Magazine