Cover Page
The Theory of a Natural Eternal Consciousness
The Psychological Basis for a Natural Afterlife
by
Bryon K. Ehlmann
Published in the
The Journal of Mind and Behavior (JMB), 41(1), 2020, 53-79
https://jmb-online.com/pdf/03/JMB-41-1-2020-004.pdf
The natural eternal consciousness (NEC) (in a nutshell):
You believe you are having an
experience, and for all eternity
you never know otherwise.—p. 63
Postprint version, dated 12/31/2022: A few very minor revisions have been made to the originally published article.
Note: This is the second of my three journal articles that are the basis for my book A Natural Afterlife
Discovered: The Newfound, Psychological Reality That Awaits Us a Death. An addendum to this article
entitled “The Theory of a Natural Eternal Consciousness: Addendum,” published in the Journal of Mind and
Behavior, provides some updates and enhancements: (1) an easier to grasp description of the notation used
to formally define the NEC and natural afterlife; (2) an extension to this notation to formally define the
eventually timeless natural afterlife (etna)—a time-perceiving, activity-filled afterlife that concludes with
the timeless natural afterlife and can provide optimal eternal happiness; (3) greater focus on the validity
of the NEC theory: the role of self-awareness, the theory of paused consciousness in timelessness (PCT)
and its everyday verification, and the improbable falsification of the NEC theory as a hypothesis to the
PCT theory; and (4) a new diagram that summarizes the meanings of NEC-related terms and the
relationships among them. A copy of the article is available on ResearchGate.net by clicking on its title. The
first pages of my book (including the Prologue) are also available on ResearchGate by clicking on its title. The
book is an easier read than the articles and includes discussions about the NEC theory’s evolution and its
potential impact on philosophy and religion.
Copyright © 2020-2022 by Bryon K. Ehlmann
All rights reserved.