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A new paradigm of physics is presented, based on the notion that a common feature of many mental and spiritual phenomena is that they involve some form of space, albeit different from physical space. It is argued that even a description of physical perception requires a 5-dimensional model, with the 5th dimension being associated with mental time.

This proposal may relate to recent developments in brane cosmology and impinges on two problems on the borders of physics and philosophy: the relationship between physical space and perceptual space and the passage of time. A description of non-physical perception, including dreams, OBEs, NDEs and some mystical states, may require further dimensions, suggesting a higher-dimensional “reality structure”, which is reminiscent of some ideas already proposed by modern physics. A description of consciousness must entail a proper understanding of the specious present, the minimum timescale of conscious experience, and this may also relate to higher dimensions.

Bernard Carr is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary University of London. His professional area of research is cosmology and relativistic astrophysics and includes such topics as the early universe, black holes, dark matter, and the anthropic principle. His recent books are Universe or Multiverse? (2007) and Quantum Black Holes (2014). He believes that physics must expand to accommodate consciousness and mental phenomena. Professor Carr is President of the Scientific and Medical Network and former president of the Society for Psychical Research.