The Conservation Hypothesis.
Tiny Buffalo Dillon Reese Gause
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) September 16, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22801515 (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 hypothesis that consciousness may be tied to an energy form persisting beyond biological death is plausible but not proven, drawing on the conservation of energy, panpsychism, and near-death experience research. The paper contends that some parts of the survival claim rest on solid ground while others remain speculative or lack any supporting mechanism, and it does not claim to prove survival of personal identity after death. |
Abstract
This paper examines the plausibility, though not the proof, of a hypothesis that consciousness may be tied to a form of energy that persists beyond biological death. The argument proceeds from an established physical premise, the conservation of energy, through a contested but serious philosophical position, panpsychism, and into the empirical territory of near-death experience research, before arriving at an honest accounting of where the hypothesis is well supported, where it is speculative, and where it currently has no supporting mechanism at all. The paper does not claim to prove survival of personal identity after death. It instead attempts to isolate which parts of that claim rest on solid ground and which parts remain, at present, unanswered questions rather than established facts.