The Atma Paradigm
A consciousness-based framework
The Atma Paradigm is a science-consistent philosophical framework that seeks to explain our place in the cosmos in a way that is both rational and meaningful. It begins with the recognition that consciousness is not a by-product of physical processes, but a fundamental property of reality itself. From this starting point, it develops a detailed model of how consciousness interacts with the brain and the physical world, offering both explanatory power and alignment with empirical evidence.
The limits of Physicalism
Science remains humanity’s greatest tool for understanding, but it has natural limits. When faced with questions about origins, meaning, or the nature of mind, conventional explanations often fall back on untestable ideas like chance, randomness, or “emergent properties.” These notions are not scientific solutions, but philosophical placeholders that too often shut down further exploration. By insisting on physicalism as the only valid worldview, we restrict science to a narrow dogma that leaves many anomalies unresolved.
A new lens for science
The Atma Paradigm takes a different approach. It respects the reliability of scientific data while questioning the assumptions that guide its interpretation. By treating consciousness as a primary element of reality, it offers a framework that is consistent, testable in its applications, and capable of opening new avenues for research in physics, biology, neuroscience, and psychology. It sheds light on phenomena that physicalism cannot explain, while providing a coherent model that encourages curiosity.
Knowledge and inner meaning
Perhaps just as important, this vision restores depth to the human experience. It affirms the reality of self, free will, and purpose, and it honors the values we intuitively hold most dear—compassion, love, and meaning. The Atma Paradigm is offered not as dogma but as an invitation: to expand our understanding of reality, to enrich science rather than limit it, and to embrace a view of existence that unites knowledge with wisdom.
The Creator of the Atma Paradigm
Akhandadhi Das is the founder of the Ātma Paradigm, an initiative that integrates consciousness studies, philosophy of mind, and the Bhāgavata tradition to explore a worldview where the Self (ātma) is primary to reality—not an epiphenomenon of brain activity. His work bridges science and spirituality through public discourse, publishing, teaching, and media.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1954, Akhandadhi studied architecture at Bristol University before turning to spiritual study at Bhaktivedanta Manor, where he served as principal of its theological college from 1982 to 1995, and remains a trustee of its governing charity. From 1996 to 2020, he was CEO of Buckland Hall, a retreat and study centre in Wales. He has delivered over 500 BBC radio broadcasts and served on its Religious Advisory Board, contributing Vedantic perspectives to public discourse.
He is a director of the Bhaktivedanta Institute and a founding member of the Science and Philosophy Initiative (UK), both dedicated to fostering deeper dialogue between scientific and spiritual worldviews. In 2020, he launched a 35-part lecture series titled The Ātma Paradigm, examining the role of consciousness in neuroscience, biology, and physics.
Akhandadhi is associated with IKSHMA (Indian Knowledge Systems and Mental Health Applications) at IIT Mandi, India, and has presented at major international events like The Science of Consciousness conferences in Tucson and Barcelona. He currently serves as Content Director for the Science Museum of a major cultural and pilgrimage centre in Navadvīpa, West Bengal. He lives in Switzerland with his wife and has two adult children.