The Journey of Science and the Quest for Completeness: A Dialogue between Science, Consciousness, and Vedanta

Description / Abstract:
This philosophical essay explores a possible dialogue between modern science and Vedanta, without claiming that one proves the other. It argues that science, by its nature, remains incomplete — each answer generates new questions — and that its next frontier lies in consciousness, experience, and the sense of self.

Drawing parallels between quantum theory and Vedantic thought, the paper examines shared questions through three lenses: the Outer World of science (matter, energy, experiment, quantum, predictive brain), the Inner World of consciousness (experience, observer, witness, self), and the Integral World of Vedanta (Brahman, Atman, Neti Neti, Purnam, Sakshi).

Key Upanishadic insights — Nasadiya Sukta's humility (Rigveda 10.129), Katha Upanishad's inward turn (2.1.1) and chariot metaphor (1.3.3-4), Mandukya's identity of Atman and Brahman (2), and Isha's fullness (Purnamadah) — are placed in conversation with contemporary science, including Predictive Processing and the quantum Observer Effect.

The conclusion proposes not opposition but complementarity: science moves from outer to inner, Vedanta from inner to outer, and their rigorous, humble dialogue may lead toward a more holistic understanding of knowledge.

Keywords:
Science and Vedanta, consciousness studies, philosophy of mind, quantum theory, predictive processing, Upanishads, Katha Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, Nasadiya Sukta, Neti Neti, Sakshi, observer effect, Indian philosophy, integral knowledge

Language: English
Date: June 2026
License: CC BY 4.0 (suggested)

Additional Note for Zenodo "Notes":
Independent philosophical inquiry. No funding. Version 1.0 includes Three Worlds diagram.