Mind Beyond Biology: Information as the Foundation of the Eternal Mind of the Universe

This article explores the concept of mind as a process of information processing, not bound to a biological substrate. The anthropocentric view of the mind as a product of neural activity is critically analyzed, and an expanded definition is proposed, allowing for the existence of cognitive processes beyond biochemical forms of life. Potential non-biological carriers of the mind are discussed, including self-organizing plasma structures, quantum systems, and energy-information flows in physical fields. Empirical research on the self-organization of inorganic matter in plasma is presented, demonstrating properties akin to replication and evolution. The article concludes by calling for a reevaluation of the criteria for mind in the context of astrobiology and fundamental physics, in order to gain a more complete understanding of the ubiquity of cognitive processes across the Universe.