Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience (39 page)

Photons (waves or particles) are intrinsic quantum objects and natural long-distance carriers of information both in classical communication via radio, TV, mobile phones, and wireless Internet and in quantum communication. In
Science
and
Nature
recently the results were published of research carried out under laboratory conditions that proved information transfer between matter and light through electron spin and nuclear spin resonance on the basis of nonlocal quantum entanglement. This form of information transfer between light and matter is comparable to reciprocal information transfer between nonlocal consciousness and the brain via the model of nuclear spin correlation or nuclear spin coherence.
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DNA may play an important role in this form of information transfer, and this will be discussed at length in the next chapter.

Recent studies among volunteers have found strong indications of a nonlocal therapeutic effect of certain drugs such as morphine, when the substance was placed between a pulsating magnetic source and the brain. The subjective therapeutic effect in these volunteers was identical to the effect of receiving this drug directly into the body. And the same subjective therapeutic effect was achieved when the subjects drank water that had been exposed to a pulsating magnetic source, to laser light, microwaves, or even to a flashlight, with the drug placed between the photon source and the water.
²²
The authors ascribe this empirically proven positive effect to quantum entanglement between nuclear spin and/or electron spin in the water and nuclear spin and/or electron spin in the brain. The nonlocal information transfer is made possible by, respectively, the magnetic, laser, or flashlight source or the microwaves.

The search for truth is more precious than its possession.

—A
LBERT
E
INSTEIN

In conclusion, these three possible models of an interface between nonlocal consciousness and the brain will have to be elaborated though future research because the questions continue to outnumber the answers. As mentioned, nonlocal and reciprocal information exchange between consciousness and the brain will never be fully knowable or verifiable, rendering any theories on the subject by definition difficult to prove or disprove. Perhaps a combination of data from empirical and theoretical scientific research could contribute to more definitive answers. As I said, I personally prefer the model of nuclear spin or quantum spin resonance.

On the strength of the prospective studies of near-death experience and recent data from neurophysiological research and concepts from quantum theory, I strongly believe that consciousness cannot be localized in any particular place—not even in the brain. It is nonlocal (that is, everywhere) in the form of probability waves. For this reason it cannot be demonstrated or measured in the physical world. There is, independent of the body, a continuity of consciousness that is intrinsically connected to or entangled in nonlocal space, though not identical to this space. The different aspects of consciousness are all nonlocal and accessible, although there is probably some kind of hierarchy. The essence or foundation of consciousness (protoconsciousness) probably lies in the vacuum or plenum of the universe, from where it has a nonlocal connection with consciousness in nonlocal space (panprotopsychism). In this view, the vacuum is the source both of the physical world and of consciousness. Perhaps nonlocal space could be called the absolute or true vacuum because the vacuum and nonlocal space are either identical or nonlocally connected and therefore indistinguishable. Everything is a form of space. Consciousness encompasses nonlocal space, and both my consciousness and yours encompass all space. In fact, each part of our consciousness encompasses all space because each part of infinite is infinite itself. This is exactly what the concept of nonlocality means.

Nonlocal consciousness is the source of our waking consciousness. The two are complementary aspects of consciousness. Under normal, everyday circumstances people experience waking consciousness (the “particle” aspect), which is just one small part of overall and endless nonlocal consciousness (the “wave function” aspect). During life people perceive with the senses while the brain functions as interface. Under abnormal circumstances, people can experience the endless aspect of nonlocal consciousness independent of the body, which is called the continuity of consciousness, and perceive directly via consciousness in space. This is known as a near-death experience. DMT from the pineal gland, of which the release seems to be triggered or stimulated by events in our consciousness, could play a key role in establishing and disrupting the interface between the brain and nonlocal consciousness. As mentioned, this interface may be based on quantum spin coherence (nuclear spin resonance).

Nonlocal consciousness is endless, just as each part of consciousness is endless. But our body is not endless. Every day, fifty billion cells are broken down and regenerated in our body. And yet we experience our body as continuous. Where does the continuity of the constantly changing body come from? How can we explain long-term memory if the molecular composition of the neurons’ cell membrane is completely renewed every two weeks? And how can we have a long-term memory if the millions of synapses in the brain undergo a process of constant adaptation (neuroplasticity)? The next chapter will consider these questions in more detail.

How is it possible to have constant interaction between nonlocal consciousness and the brain in an ever-changing body? How can there be continuity if the physical constitution of the interface is subject to constant change? The substance changes all the time, but the pattern remains the same. Our cells may be seen as our body’s physical building blocks, yet every day some fifty billion cells in our body are broken down and regenerated. This is the equivalent of 500,000 cells per second. Every two weeks all of the molecules and atoms in our body’s cells are replaced. How can we account for long-term memory if the molecular makeup of the cell membrane of neurons is completely renewed every two weeks and the millions of synapses in the brain undergo a process of constant adaptation? At a subnuclear level, the quarks and gluons that constitute the neutrons and protons of our body’s cells are destroyed and regenerated within the time frame of a staggeringly small 10
^-23
seconds. So in fact throughout our lives our bodies are destroyed and reconstructed once every 10
^-23
seconds. And yet we experience our body as a continuity. How can we explain this experience of continuity of the ever-changing body?

DNA

It is possible that DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) plays a key role in the exchange of constantly changing information between the body and nonlocal consciousness. Because DNA plays a central role in the formation and function of all cells, including the neurons, it also forms the basis of the constantly changing electromagnetic fields of these cells. DNA is person specific: each human being—in fact, each living being here on this earth—has his or her individual DNA, and DNA is the only permanent aspect of each bodily cell from cradle to grave. All approximately one hundred quintillion cells in our body, with their virtually infinite differentiation and specialization of functions, stem from the one unique DNA molecule created at conception. The first cell division follows about thirty-six hours after conception while all of the eight embryonic cells created after two more cell divisions could serve as a stem cell for an entire organism. The fourth division, however, creates sixteen cells with the differentiation potential for future functions, for instance, for a cardiac cell, neuron, skin cell, or liver cell. From here on, the cells’ future is fixed.

But what is responsible for the change in DNA function after the fourth cell division? How and why does this differentiation occur after the fourth cell division? Because the molecular structure of DNA remains identical in all cells, its function has to change from that moment on. If you cut down a tree, each single cell from its bark has the potential to produce a new tree with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit. In other words, the DNA of each cell contains the potential for a whole tree. The DNA structure is contained in this one cell, but the act of cutting down the tree completely changes its function. How do we account for this change in function? And how can we explain the transformation of a larval caterpillar into a pupa and eventually a butterfly when its DNA structure stays the same?

Nontechnical Synopsis

What follows is a brief synopsis for those readers who would rather not explore the likely role of DNA in the exchange of nonlocal information with the ever-changing body. This synopsis does not contain any references to scientific literature

It is clear that as the only person-specific and permanent component of each cell in our body, DNA must play an essential role as interface for the creation and continuity of all bodily functions as well as for the interaction between nonlocal consciousness and the body. Human DNA is a molecule with a double-helix structure, which consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes and contains approximately 30,000 genes made up of more than 3 billion base pairs. Approximately 5 percent of DNA encodes protein while the remaining 95 percent has an as-yet-unidentified function and is therefore called “junk” DNA. This portion of the DNA sequence is sometimes described as the biggest surprise of the human genome. The more complex an organism is and the more advanced its development, the higher its percentage of junk DNA.

The precise function of DNA is still far from clear. Some scientists believe that junk DNA could be used for identification purposes, comparable to a kind of bar code. In this view DNA receives instructions via nonlocal information exchange. This idea ties in with the theory of epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of reversible changes in gene function brought about by factors outside of the DNA without changing its underlying structure.

Living cells emit coherent light in the form of biophotons, a pulsating stream of tens of thousands of photons per sec/cm
²
, which is about a hundred million times weaker than daylight. This coherent, very low intensity light (“biological laser”), the source of which is DNA, is involved in intracellular communication that is responsible for directing biological functions such as cell growth, cell differentiation, and cell division. This is known as bioinformation. DNA appears to be the direct and indirect personal coordinator of all information needed for the optimum function of our body. Our individual DNA receives the necessary information for this from nonlocal space. According to this theory, a life’s worth of immunological information is stored in nonlocal space too and directly accessible via the DNA in each cell.

The differentiation of cell functions during the embryonic phase cannot be explained by the genetic code recorded in DNA structure alone but also rests on nonlocal information. According to this hypothesis, DNA does not contain the hereditary material itself, but it has a nonlocal capacity for receiving hereditary and morphogenetic information. (
Morphogenetic
relates to the biological development and shape of the organism). All information about the genesis and morphogenesis of the body with its different cell systems and specialized functions is stored nonlocally, and this information is necessary for the continuity of all bodily functions because of the constant breakdown and regeneration of molecules and cells. Each cell must therefore be in contact with “morphogenetic consciousness” via the DNA in the cell nucleus.

Nonlocal consciousness contains all past experience (memories). In all probability individual DNA provides the different forms of our consciousness, such as waking consciousness and our individual subconscious, with different places of resonance, both in our brain and in other cell systems in the body. In fact, there is evidence that remote cells are capable of communicating and responding to the thoughts and feelings (consciousness) of the cells’ “owner.” We have proof of instantaneous and nonlocal communication between the consciousness of a subject and his isolated white blood cells in a growth medium at a considerable distance away. This shows that even at a distance each cell is capable of responding, via the individual DNA, to the cell owner’s state of mind. This remote communication between discrete cells supports the possibility of nonlocal information exchange via DNA and also explains another phenomenon. The donor organ in a heart transplant contains the donor’s person-specific DNA. The organ recipient can sometimes sense snippets of feelings and ideas that are later found to match the deceased donor’s personality and consciousness. This is known as “transplanted memory.” This phenomenon of “cellular memory” can also be explained by the view that DNA continues to be the place of resonance for the deceased donor’s individual nonlocal consciousness, which the transplant patient can receive through the donor organ’s DNA.

In short: DNA has an interface function in each cell via the process of nuclear spin resonance, as mentioned earlier. This makes it possible to explain the continuity of our ever-changing body because this process enables the exchange with all hereditary information from nonlocal space and with nonlocal consciousness. DNA also has a coordinating function in the reciprocal information exchange between cells, cell systems, and organs.

The double-helix structure of DNA.

The double-helix structure of DNA. Reprinted by permission of SPL / Photo Researchers, Inc.

What Exactly Is DNA?

DNA is a molecule with a double-helix structure and is made up of nucleotides. (Nucleotides are molecules that make up the structural units of DNA and RNA and also play central roles in the metabolism and function of the cell: they serve as sources of energy, participate in cellular signaling, and are cofactors of enzymatic reactions.) Human DNA consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes and contains approximately 30,000 genes made up of over 3 billion base pairs.
¹
So each gene has about 100,000 base pairs, which consist of combinations of adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine (A, G, T, and C). The DNA in each human cell is about three meters in length (imagine that!) and is coiled up within a cell nucleus of one-thousandth of a millimeter. DNA is found not only in each cell nucleus but also in the “power stations” of each cell, the mitochondria. Most research into DNA is done in vitro and looks at the structure of severed strands of DNA; very few laboratories carry out in-vivo research into the function of living DNA.

DNA function is different for each cell type because certain genes are active while others have been deactivated. The question why certain genes are switched on or off cannot be answered by research into DNA structure alone. The function of DNA, with its different combinations of A, G, T, and C, is sometimes compared to a piano keyboard, which has several octaves consisting of seven white and five black keys, tones and semitones, with each octave a replication of the previous one. Yet each composer and musician is capable of creating unique music from a limited palette of tones and rhythms. All well-known melodies and compositions are based on these few octaves. Just as a musical instrument (structure) does not equal the music being played (function), DNA structure is not the same as DNA function. It takes a musician to play the musical instrument, but how does DNA function? Everything that happens in the human body originates from the virtually unlimited possibilities arising from this one unique DNA molecule. How can a single human cell with a diameter of less than one-thousandth of a centimeter contain so many instructions in its DNA that it would take a thousand six-hundred-page books to record them all? The more we learn about our body, the more we realize what an immensely intelligent system it is and how little we actually know.

Approximately 5 percent of DNA encodes protein and is called exon. All proteins in our body are small DNA copies. To produce cell protein, the exon part of DNA constantly interacts with messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Interference RNA (RNAi), which is thought to block and possibly also release individual genes and groups of genes, has received a great deal of attention recently. However, this chapter will not dwell on new insights into the possible functions of the various kinds of RNA.

The remaining 95 percent of our DNA has an as-yet-unknown function and is therefore called junk DNA, noncoding DNA, or intron.
²
This section of DNA is sometimes described as the greatest surprise of the human genome. The more complex an organism is and the more advanced its development, the higher its percentage of introns. The difference between the human genome (human DNA) and the DNA of a mouse is only 300 genes (1 percent), but the real difference is that mice have 10 percent fewer base pairs and far less junk DNA. Because the difference between human and chimpanzee DNA is 2 percent, one might argue that humans bear a closer resemblance to mice than to apes, but this is nonsense of course. Some single-cell animals (amoebas) have about thirty times as much DNA as humans but virtually no junk DNA whereas most plants have far more DNA (50,000 genes) than mammals (25,000 genes).
³
It is not the number of genes that determines the complexity of an organism but the number of collaborative patterns among the genes that determines an organism’s DNA function. Of course the question remains which mechanism determines these collaborative patterns among the genes.

Epigenetics

At this point I should mention the recent development of epigenetics, which seeks to explain the functional differences between genes and especially why some genes are active where others are not. According to Nobel laureate and molecule biologist Joshua Lederberg, the functional differences are certainly not always a consequence of the hereditary structure of DNA but result from the environmental factors around the DNA. Epigenetics is the study of reversible changes in gene function that are brought about without altering the DNA sequence in the cell nucleus. This means that the function of the DNA changes but its structure does not. Research has shown that while identical twins have the same DNA, their epigenetic material can vary. This supports the view that DNA function is determined by information outside of the DNA itself and that nonlocal information exchange via resonance might play an essential role. Recent research supports the possibility of remote information exchange: pieces of intact DNA can recognize matching DNA strands at a distance without direct physical contact and without the presence of proteins. Somehow these pieces of DNA are able to identify one another at a distance, and the tiny bits of genetic material tend to congregate with similar DNA without help from any other molecules or chemical signals. From a current theoretical standpoint this feat should not be chemically possible because classical science has no explanation for this process of remote recognition. Recognition of matching DNA sequences forms the basis of recombination, a process that plays an important role in the evolution of an organism and in the repair of damaged DNA.
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