Carr’s Higher Dimensions and Mental Space

Mathematician-astronomer Bernard Carr speculates that a higher dimension, or “mental space,” an unknown aspect of reality, may be the ultimate foundation of consciousness. “Even if you believe that consciousness collapses the wave function,” he says, “that doesn't really accommodate consciousness within physics. It's saying that quantum theory is weird and therefore maybe it can explain consciousness, which is also weird—but that is illogical because it's just explaining one mystery in terms of another. We need to get consciousness into physics in a more fundamental way” (Carr, 2016a).

Consciousness Beyond Classical Physics

Carr notes that most physicists take the view that “consciousness is just an epiphenomenon produced by the brain, independent of physics, and that as physicists they don't have to confront the problem of consciousness because, after all, physics has a third-person perspective, objects in the outside world, whereas consciousness has a first-person perspective. In other words, clearly brains exist and brains are physical systems, but consciousness is simply beyond the domain of physics. The real issue is how can physics ever accommodate that first-person perspective?” (Carr, 2016b).

Carr considers the radical view that “consciousness actually is more fundamental, that the brain's role is to limit your experience. So, when you see the world through your eyes and hear it through your ears, the brain is limiting your experience—which, on the face of it, might seem a completely bizarre thing to say, but that, at least, is an alternative view, that consciousness is not actually generated by the brain, but merely encounters the world through the brain” (Carr, 2016c).

“The only way I can see this,” Carr poses, is a state of affairs “where consciousness is primary, a fundamental aspect of reality. In other words, consciousness is not just generated as a result, as the endpoint, of physical processes. In some sense, it's there from the beginning” (Carr, 2016c).

Carr proposes that physical reality consists of more than just the four-dimensional spacetime of Einstein's relativity. To fully account for consciousness—including paranormal or transpersonal experiences—he argues that a higher-dimensional space is necessary. He says, “We normally regard the physical world as embedded in a four-dimensional space-time, but there may be other dimensions that are needed to accommodate the mind” (Carr, 2015).

Higher Dimensions and Psi

Carr draws on hyperspace theories (from string theory and Kaluza-Klein theory), evidence from psi/parapsychology (e.g., telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition), and the phenomenology of altered states (e.g., near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences) as evidence for his proposal. “The extended reality must include both matter and mind, with their respective observables and subjective experiences coexisting in a higher-dimensional space” (Carr, 2015).

As to the relationship between consciousness and mathematics, Carr sees them “on a par because I feel that the final picture of the world must marry matter and mind. They come together. Which is primary? I'm not sure the question even makes sense, because I prefer a picture in which matter and mind co-exist right from the beginning.” Carr is careful to clarify what he means by “mind.” He says, “When I use the word ‘mind’ in this context, I'm using ‘Mind’ with an upper-case ‘M’, rather than mind with a lower-case ‘m’, which is generated by the brain. ‘Mind’ with a big ‘M’ is like consciousness with a big ‘C’” (Carr, 2016c).

In forming his theory, as noted, Carr sees support from psi, or the paranormal. While he recognizes that psi “encompasses a multitude of sins,” there are some aspects, such as telepathy and clairvoyance, which he takes seriously, whereas other aspects, such as precognition and psychokinesis, less so. Still, he regards even these psi phenomena as possible because of potential deep interactions between consciousness and physics. Thus, psi is another reason why, he says, “We need a theory of physics that accommodates consciousness.” (Carr stresses that he gives no credence to many aspects of psi or the paranormal, Carr, 2016d).

Mental Space and Quantum Theory

Carr's “favorite view,” he says, is that “the way to explain this link between minds, and indeed between minds and the physical world, is to say that there is in some sense a ‘bigger space’ and this bigger space in some sense links your mind and my mind.” He labels this bigger space “mental space.” He says, “Just as there's a physical world that reconciles innumerable observations of the physical world, there is this ‘mental space’ that allows connections between different minds and between minds and the physical world—because, remember, the physical world is also part of this bigger space.”

Carr offers another category of explanations for psi that involves quantum theory, where entanglement can connect spatially separated objects and events. “Maybe we're all entangled in some weird quantum mechanical way. Now, that's probably the view which is currently the most popular among parapsychologists.” However, that's not Carr's own view. “As noted, my own favorite view is that there is this bigger space, this mental space, that in some sense links minds and perhaps matter as well.”

Carr discerns the relationship between quantum theory and this higher dimension of mental space. “If you want consciousness to come into physics, quantum theory is going to play a role. All I'm saying is I don't think that quantum theory alone can explain all the phenomena. You need some form of mental space to accommodate these psi or paranormal phenomena (if you believe in these phenomena, of course, which most of my colleagues do not).”

Carr stresses, rightly I [RLK] think, that psi or paranormal phenomena are worth taking seriously, because even with a minimalist view that “the probability of these phenomena being real is small, their significance for a final theory of physics would be huge” (Carr, 2016d).