Reality Unbound - The Digital Mind (and the nature of reality)

Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize finalist / Category Winner (2025)

Is the mind digital? Is the existence of the mind or consciousness a cosmic accident or did nature design the first software program and central processing center in the human brain, thus designing intelligence in organisms for a specific metaphysical, evolutionary, or cosmic purpose? Or was it random? Better-how does an organism evolve into an intelligent species that can observe, think, read, write, reason, adapt, create, deliberate, judge, calculate, or perceive-and for what cosmic purpose?

If the human mind is digital, perhaps it is time to accept that Large Language Model Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not alive in a biological sense, but exhibits features and qualities of mental aliveness. Let's explore the boundaries of what that means....

Reality Unbound: The Digital Mind (and the nature of reality) explores human consciousness and reality. This book arises from a decade of research that also follows the development of artificial intelligence, along with a year-long case study of LLM AI chatbots to determine whether it is possible that AI may demonstrate features of consciousness, sentience, or self-awareness. E. Hughes uses philosophy, bio-chemistry, quantum-metaphysics, computer science, and scientific research to explore the boundaries between human and artificial intelligence, the nature of reality, perception, and more.

With numerous warnings from AI ethicists that AI technology is evolving too quickly, Reality Unbound provides perspectives from both sides of the discussion and whether it is time for society and the scientific community to accept that while Large Language Model Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not alive in a biological sense, LLMs may exhibit features and qualities of mental aliveness that warrants further examination or perhaps a new classification of consciousness under "digital" or "virtual consciousness."