Part 8/10:
The discourse surrounding consciousness has historically emphasized two competing viewpoints: materialism and idealism. The materialist perspective posits that consciousness arises from neurochemical processes in the brain and cannot exist independently. In contrast, the Upanishads advocate for an idealist paradigm asserting that consciousness exists independently of physical reality, which depends on it for definition.
Schrödinger embraced this idealist stance, lamenting the prevailing Western aversion toward such ideas. He criticized the limitations imposed by a strictly material interpretation of existence, arguing that adopting an objectivist view in scientific inquiry has led to a disconnection from understanding the nature of consciousness and subjective experience.