Nature isn’t always predictable in the same ways as classical physics, as quantum phenomena demonstrate, with a particle exhibiting problems, waves, correlations, and more that are hard to explain using classical physics. The findings are not evidence of post-mortem consciousness, but they do indicate that the typical view of what is meant by lived existence is not sufficient and that there are more fundamental questions, ones yet to be answered through science.

Despite their efforts to approach the study of brain activity from a scientific perspective, consciousness remains one of the most challenging issues in contemporary science as scientists can only explain activity of the brain without knowing the rationale behind the subjective experience. A remarkable link emerges between neuroscience and conscious experience, but quantum physics has yet to substantiate the existence of an existence divorced from the functioning of the brain.

Common interpretations of quantum physics consider the human consciousness as a determinant factor of physical reality, given that the aim of observation is to have measurements yield a concrete result, something that however the established quantum physics does not require. Physical interactions between quantum systems and environments (including even processes related to “decoherence”) may account for the emergence of “classical” behavior of quantum systems without claiming the existence of consciousness outside of the brain.

One of the most striking aspects of quantum theory is the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, in which correlations exist between separated particles whose relationship cannot be described in terms of a classical law. Despite the phenomenon of entanglement, there are mythological theories that suggest a connection between the phenomenon and consciousness and a deeper layer of reality, but today, no reliable evidence exists that shows one’s consciousness to couple with the universe after one’s biological death.

In modern physics, information is gaining increasing importance as a concept related to physical systems, especially in the context of quantum theory, the study of black holes and quantum gravity. This has provoked speculation that, if information were fundamental to the physical world, there could be another side to what it means to be a person—a deeper description that persists when the person dies, however one can’t see personal memories, personal identity, or the conscious awareness arising as independent information.

Read More: Quantum physics: Death may not be the end, consciousness could exist beyond the body, time & space