Is There Life After Death? Scientist Attempts to Explain What Happens to the Human 'Soul

Over the past two years, the afterlife has been a subject of increased conversation in media. Most recently, Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon, shared his own story of an alleged elevation to heaven during a near-death experience. TheBlaze has also told Colton Burpo's story, the young boy who claims that heaven is, indeed, a real locality. Now, Dr. Stuart Hameroff, a scientist who studies quantum consciousness, is attempting to explain what happens to the "soul" after death.

In a recent episode of "Through the Wormhole," a series on the Science television channel that is narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, Hameroff shared his views on life after death. According to the scientist, who is professor emeritus at the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychology and the Director of the Center of Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, understanding consciousness is key to comprehending a variety of elements that continue to attract controversy.

Specifically, better understanding the dynamic would help to simmer debate surrounding what occurs during near-death experiences and what happens to the soul after death. Consciousness, according to Hameroff, is essentially part of the universe at large, a concept that, at the surface, is relatively complex. The Huffington Post has more about the researcher's controversial theories:

According to Dr. Hameroff, in a near-death experience, when the heart stops beating, the blood stops flowing, and the microtubules lose their quantum state, the quantum information in the microtubules isn't destroyed. It's distributed to the universe at large, and if the patient is revived, the quantum information can go back to the microtubules. In this event, the patient says they had something like a near-death experience, i.e. they saw white light or a tunnel or floated out of their body. In the event that the patient is not revived, "it's possible that the quantum information can can exist outside the body, perhaps indefinitely, as a soul," he said.

Hameroff essentially believes that the human soul may actually be constructed from the very fabric of the universe. Quantum information, which purportedly exists within each person, in the scientist's view, can potentially live beyond the body.

"I believe that consciousness, or its immediate precursor proto-consciousness, has been in the universe all along, perhaps from the Big Bang," Hammeroff explains.

Here's more about the theory, below:

This is especially fascinating, considering Alexander's story, which was also captured for an episode of "Through the Wormhole." You can read his story here or watch him explain it below:

Considering all of these elements, those who embrace religion may see these stories and theories as explanations of a system that is overseen by God. After all, if there is, indeed, a higher power who created the universe, why wouldn't the human souls he also formed be an integral part of that system?

The theories are certainly fascinating, as they add to the overarching discussion and debate about what happens after death.

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Related:

• This Is How Your Brain Reacts During Intense Prayer
• ‘Heaven Is Real’: Neurosurgeon Who Once Doubted Out-of-BodyExperiences Describes His Own