Biochemically and a priori my conscious existence as thoughts, ideas and memories has always seemed to be quanta of organised energy hosted in a molecular biological self. Fifty years ago the origins of this idea came from my undergraduate reading of some philosophical essays by Erwin Schroedinger. Physicists have embraced and debated the ideas of quantum existentialism and many books and blogs exist on the matter e.g. WHY DOES THE WORLD EXIST? An Existential Detective Story By Jim Holt.
More recently we have had the extension of evolution to consider the thermodynamic drivers in the history of our universe in Cosmic Evolution as explained by Eric Chaisson.
My own particular experiences and readings lead me to hypothesise that, a priori, my conscious existence as thoughts, ideas and memories are just a quantum part of the whole of existence.
Interestingly Erwin Schrodinger had a deep connection to Hinduism (Vedanta), Buddhism, and Eastern philosophy in general, It was in his essays that I was intrigued by ideas of oneness and unity of mind as a universal quantum entanglement of our existence. Our discrete biological individuality is illusory, perhaps we are a transient ‘swirl in the mists’ component of the cosmic evolutionary cycles
Liz & Glyn Wainwright 