Deepak Chopra explores an alternative explanation for the origin of the universe, the "Consciousness Model." It contrasts the limitations of the Big Bang theory, highlighting unanswered questions about its cause and the nature of things like dark matter and dark energy.
The Consciousness Model proposes that the universe began not with a singularity, but with pure consciousness. This consciousness, possessing infinite potential, then manifested itself as various "qualia" - qualities of knowing and experience. These qualia eventually became the universe as we know it, including atoms, stars, and biological life.
Deepak draws on Eastern philosophical traditions like Buddhism and Vedanta to describe the nature of this pure consciousness using terms like "Amrita" (immortal) and "Ananda" (infinite), and suggests that scientific thinking is just another mode of knowing within a species-specific consciousness.