LIGHT IS CONSCIOUSNESS
How Science and Spirit Are Finally Saying the Same Thing
If there’s one element of nature that speaks to both the physical and the mystical, it’s light.
Architects and designers know that natural light is the most important ingredient in creating spaces that nourish our well-being. We crave it. We organize our lives and our living spaces around it. And studies confirm: sunlight is the #1 indicator of human health and happiness in built environments.
But what if there’s more to light than vitamin D and circadian rhythms?
What if light isn’t just essential to physical life, but to consciousness itself?
Light Beyond Illumination
Across cultures and traditions, light has always been more than photons. It has symbolized life, clarity, awakening, and the divine. From the halos of saints to the radiant auras in yogic art, humans have long associated light with higher states of awareness.
In the Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation, the “Clear Light” is described as the essential nature of mind—pure, non-dual consciousness revealed at the moment of death.
The more luminous the being, the more elevated the consciousness.
This isn’t just poetic language—it may be pointing to a deeper, more literal truth.
Quantum Physics: Catching Up to Mysticism?
It’s only in the last century that science has begun to brush against what mystics have said for millennia.
Max Planck, father of quantum theory, famously stated:
“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness.”
In other words, consciousness isn’t something produced by the brain. It's more like the source—the field from which all matter arises.
Then came physicist David Bohm, who explored the idea that consciousness and the universe are both part of a vast, unfolding whole:
“Consciousness is an enfolded order. Light carries the information that unfolds reality, including the conscious observer.”
Light, in this view, is not just something we observe. It’s part of the fabric of awareness itself.
We Are Light Beings
In recent decades, studies in bio photonics have revealed that the human body emits very low levels of light—bioluminescence.
Yes, we glow.
Our DNA and cells emit photons that appear to help regulate communication in the body. Some researchers believe these light emissions may reflect our emotional, psychological, and even spiritual state.
Light is no longer just metaphor—it’s biological, energetic, and maybe even conscious.
Solar Cycles and Consciousness Shifts
Here’s where it gets even more fascinating.
We are currently in a solar maximum, the peak of an 11-year sun cycle. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are bombarding the Earth with more energy than usual. These phenomena don’t just affect satellites—they impact weather, magnetic fields, and, intriguingly, human behavior.
There is growing evidence that geomagnetic storms correlate with changes in mood, sleep, and even creativity.
Some believe these solar events are catalysts for awakening, part of a larger evolutionary shift. Could these cosmic pulses be accelerating our consciousness—nudging us toward the realization that we are, in essence, made of light?
The Great Convergence: Science Meets Spirit
For centuries, science and spirituality have been portrayed as opposites. But we are living in a time where these two ancient paths are meeting again—this time, not in opposition, but in conversation.
The mystery of consciousness, long denied by material science, is being taken seriously by leading physicists and neuroscientists. The language of mystics—light, unity, awakening—is echoing in labs and conferences around the world.
We are not just observing light. We are light.
And perhaps consciousness is the light by which the universe knows itself.
Living Lightly
So what does this mean in daily life?
Seek natural light. Let it into your home, your eyes, your skin.
Reflect on the light within—through meditation, dreamwork, or simple stillness.
Notice the metaphors of light that appear in your own sacred story.
Stay open. Stay curious.
The more we align with this luminous perspective, the more we begin to live from our highest essence.
Einstein devoted his life to pondering what light really is. Maybe, just maybe, we’re beginning to understand.
Thank you for reading.
If this piece sparked something in you, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Do you have a story where you experienced light as awareness? As awakening? As love?
Feel free to share—and if you enjoyed this, consider subscribing or forwarding to a fellow light-seeker.
Check out my podcast “The Enchanted Earth Podcast,” where you’ll hear stories of profound connection to nature. Also, you may be interested in my newest book, The Enchanted Earth: Embracing the Power of Nature to Discover the Wild in You (Mango, 2024).
With wonder,
Maureen 🌿