[ta1234567890]

> It's becoming apparent that our consciousness can extend further than we previously believed

If by "we" you mean the mainstream western world, then you are correct. However, the notion that consciousness extends, or can extend, further than our minds and bodies, has been known and practiced upon for thousands of years.

On a tangent, I've personally thought about the "infinite cycle of why" a lot and have come to the conclusion that: 1) like you point out, there is no final why, which technically means there is no "real why" for anything at all, only whatever we accept at the moment as the answer, and 2) we are addicted to using language/words - which are useful but imperfect and incomplete tools to communicate things that are impossible to fully describe with them, like feelings, experiences and consciousness, this leads to innumerable problems as inevitably pretty much every message uttered by anyone is distorted into an almost invisible game of telephone.

[meowface]

To me, this is just extending consciousness to more of the body; not beyond it. I think that's what the parent probably meant, as well. Wim Hof breathing demonstrates our autonomic nervous system can be made a little less autonomic - any claims beyond that seem unrelated (and unscientific).

[ta1234567890]

> any claims beyond that seem unrelated (and unscientific).

Maybe, but science hasn't even been able to properly define consciousness. So following your logic, how can there be anything strictly scientific relating to consciousness?