--- title: "Fringe Theory Claims the Sun May Be Conscious" description: "A groundbreaking theory claims that everything in existence possesses some form of consciousness — including the Sun itself. " date: "2024-03-23" modified: "2024-03-23" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/biologist-says-sun-conscious" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "consciousness" - "philosophy" - "Sun" - "the digest" --- # Fringe Theory Claims the Sun May Be Conscious ![A groundbreaking theory claims that everything in existence possesses some form of consciousness — including the Sun itself. ]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Mind Over Matter A bong rip of a theory suggests that all matter possesses some form of mind or consciousness, not just animals — including, as one biologist suggests, the Sun itself. In a fascinating dive into the hypothesis, which adherents call "panpsychism," [*Popular Mechanics* reports]() that this out-there concept has existed for thousands of years, and in its more crystallized form has been bubbling around for the last few hundred years. Though inklings of similar thought had existed since ancient Greece, the term "[panpsychism]()" was, as the report explains, coined in the 16th century by Italian philosopher Francesco Patrizi. Though it enjoyed 19th century credibility when the psychology superstar [Williams James publicly ascribed]() to it, the theory was veritably killed in the 1920s by the Vienna Circle when its "logical positivism" — the idea that philosophical questions must have logical answers — took hold of the philosophical world. Fast forward to the year 2004, when another Italian, the neuroscientist and psychiatrist Giulio Tononi, proposed what he called the "[integrated information theory of consciousness]()," which suggests that consciousness is, essentially, almost everywhere. By and by, a sort of panpsychist renaissance began to take place, and in 2014 — nearly 100 years after the Vienna Circle killed the feel-good theory — the respected neuroscientist Christof Koch [argued in *Scientific American*]() that if lumps of matter can form into human bodies and become conscious, there's no reason that groups of elementary particles couldn't either. ## Sun Salutation While AI pioneer and [fashion-forward hat-wearer]() [Ben Goertzel]() has been an adherent since [at least '04](), perhaps one of the most compelling instances of panpsychist thought came in 2021, when biologist and author [Rupert Sheldrake published a paper]() questioning whether the Sun itself might be conscious. "Consciousness does not need to be confined to brains," Sheldrake told *Popular Mechanics* in its new story. "The link between minds and physical systems seems to be through rhythmic electromagnetic fields, which of course are present in our brains. They are also present in and around the Sun, and these could be the interface between the solar mind and the body of the Sun." To be fair, there isn't a lick of evidence to support this theory. And Sheldrake is a peculiar character; he does hold a PhD in biochemistry, and he did research at Cambridge University in the 1970s. But since then he's been drawn to a variety of extremely out-there topics [ranging from crystals to telepathy](), and been largely dismissed in the mainstream. Still, it's a fun idea in a sci-fi type of way. The Sun is a complex system; maybe it harbors mysteries we haven't yet comprehended. And say the whole thing is somehow true — if so, what would the Sun think about? "It may be able to choose in which direction to send out solar flares or coronal mass ejections," Sheldrake mused to *PopMech*, "which can have an enormous effect on life on Earth, and to which our technologies are very vulnerable." **More on minds:** [*Paralyzed Neuralink Patient Playing "Civilization VI" With His Mind*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()