The Emergence of Space-time and the Emergence of Consciousness: Could They Be One and the Same? A Comment on Schneider and Bailey's 'Superpsychism'
Karen Crowther, Hedda Hassel Mørch
Journal of Consciousness Studies February 1, 2026 DOI: 10.53765/20512201.33.1.127 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the 'Superpsychism' proposal fails to provide clear explanatory advantages as an account of space-time, quantum mechanics, or consciousness. |
Abstract
In 'Superpsychism', Susan Schneider and Mark Bailey (this issue) propose that space-time and ordinary (human-level) consciousness both emerge from a fundamental, non-spatio-temporal level of reality consisting of a network of maximally coherent, zero entropy quantum entanglement relations, termed prototime, which also instantiates a fundamental form of consciousness, termed superconsciousness. We raise some objections to this view, considered as an explanation or reduction of space-time, as an interpretation of quantum mechanics, and as a theory of consciousness, questioning the extent of its explanatory advantages in each of these areas.