What Is Consciousness? Jordan Crowder on Near-Death Experiences, Non-Physical Reality, and Why We’re Here

When a near-death experience changes your life, it can leave you with more questions than answers. For Jordan Crowder, that moment became the start of a six-year search into consciousness, reality, and what it means to be human.

In this conversation, Jordan shares how a life-threatening health crisis led to an out-of-body experience, a deeper exploration of meditation and brainwave entrainment, and a radical rethinking of what consciousness might be. If you’ve ever wondered whether the mind is more than the brain, or whether reality includes more than what we can see, this post unpacks the biggest ideas from the discussion.

Jordan Crowder’s Near-Death Experience and the Questions That Changed Everything

Jordan doesn’t describe his experience as a classic near-death experience. He makes that distinction carefully. But what happened in 2019 still shook his worldview in a profound way.

He was dealing with years of substance and alcohol abuse, severe pancreatitis, and organ failure. Then, in the hospital, something unexpected happened: his consciousness seemed to leave his body for about two days.

“It felt like my body was dying and my consciousness left it because it couldn’t help from inside anymore.”

That experience wasn’t just strange—it was destabilizing. Jordan had been materialist-minded, meaning he believed reality was primarily physical and measurable. But after leaving the hospital, he couldn’t stop wondering what had happened.

What followed was a long spiritual and philosophical investigation. Jordan describes another defining moment: while looking into his eye in the mirror, he experienced what he says was a voice in his head that gave him three questions:

• Who are we?

• Where are we?

• Why are we?

Those questions became the center of his mission.

Who Are We?

Jordan’s View of Consciousness as Physical and Non-Physical

Jordan’s answer to “Who are we?” begins with a dual view of human identity. He believes we are both a physical body and a higher, non-physical self.

In his model, the body is real and biological, but it isn’t the whole story. Jordan argues that consciousness is not created by the brain; instead, the brain receives and interprets it. He describes the brain as acting more like a transducer, or receiver, than a creator. That’s a major departure from the standard materialist view. Jordan believes the materialist explanation for consciousness is incomplete.

“We are a combination of a higher self and a human self.”

He describes the human body as having its own survival-based instincts, needs, and desires. Meanwhile, the higher self, in his view, is oriented toward wisdom, growth, and experience. Sometimes those two parts align. Sometimes they clash.

That conflict, he says, can show up as inner tension, a spiritual awakening, or the feeling that you are “finally driving your own vehicle” instead of merely riding along.

Jordan compares the body and consciousness to roommates in a house. If they cooperate, life feels more integrated. If they’re in conflict, a person may feel disconnected, restless, or not at home in themselves. This idea offers a useful lens for self-reflection. Many people recognize the feeling of knowing what they want to do while fear, habits, or the need for safety pull them in another direction. Jordan’s framework asks us to consider how our survival instincts and desire for growth might coexist.

Why this perspective matters

Whether or not you agree with Jordan’s conclusions, his framework creates space to reflect on competing needs. If one part of you seeks safety and another seeks growth, the question becomes: How can you acknowledge both without allowing fear to dictate every decision?

Where Are We? Earth as a Simulator for Consciousness

Jordan’s answer to “Where are we?” is equally expansive. He sees Earth as a kind of simulator for consciousness development—a physical environment where non-physical awareness can have experiences, learn, and evolve. He’s careful to distinguish this idea from the popular simulation hypothesis. Instead, he calls it “simulator theory.” In his view, physical reality is real, but it may be only part of a larger picture.

Jordan points to quantum physics as one reason he thinks the universe may not be as fixed as it appears. He discusses the electron not as a tiny solid object, but in terms of a probability field that, in quantum models, can exist in superposition. For Jordan, this suggests that reality may be more complex at its foundations than everyday experience leads us to believe. 

He also emphasizes that the world is full of information exchange we don’t notice. Cells communicate. Organs coordinate. Microbiomes interact. And human beings, he says, may influence one another in ways we barely understand.

“We’re swimming in a sea of just data and information processing.”

That leads to one of his core ideas: the physical and non-physical worlds are always interacting. The body is not isolated. Consciousness is not isolated. Reality may be more layered than it seems.

The role of altered states

Jordan says practices such as meditation and out-of-body exploration can help people become more aware of those layers. He describes a state called “mind awake, body asleep,” where the person remains conscious while the body rests and the senses quiet down.

Jordan believes that in such a state, people can explore different dimensions or realities while retaining awareness. He describes these as “intervening dimensions” connected to Earth, rather than distant places in outer space. He also emphasizes that these experiences are not random fantasies in his view. He considers them repeatable, structured, and trainable, particularly through the Monroe Institute’s Gateway program and Hemi-Sync sound technology.

Why Are We Here? Survival, Creation, and Reducing Entropy

If “Who are we?” concerns identity and “Where are we?” concerns the nature of reality, then “Why are we here?” is about purpose.Jordan breaks his answer into three parts.

1. We are here to survive

First, the body wants to survive. That’s its prime directive, in Jordan’s view. The physical self is fundamentally survival-based because that instinct has been shaped by generations of living organisms trying to stay alive.That doesn’t make survival bad. Jordan says it deserves gratitude. The body has kept us here long enough for growth to be possible.

2. We are here to create and experience

Beyond survival, Jordan believes humans are creators. We are here to have experiences—what philosophers call qualia—and to build wisdom from them.He offers a simple metaphor: your first car may be gone, but the experiences you had in it remain part of your story. In the same way, Jordan believes the body is temporary, while the meaning and wisdom gained through life persist. He sees this accumulation of experience as contributing to a higher self that grows over time.

3. We are here to reduce entropy

Jordan’s most philosophical point is that the universe appears to move from disorder toward order. He frames this as reducing entropy. In practical terms, he connects that idea with moving away from fear-based chaos and toward love, creativity, and coherence. He believes love is not simply a feeling; it is a state that can create greater order and stability.

Jordan also recalls physicist Tom Campbell’s conclusion that “love is the answer,” which fits Jordan’s view that a central challenge of being human is learning to turn chaos into growth. 

“Earth is like CrossFit for consciousness.”

That metaphor captures the idea: life is difficult because resistance can build strength. In Jordan’s interpretation, the challenge is part of the process.

What you can take from this idea

Even if you don’t accept the full metaphysical framework, there’s a grounding takeaway: your life is shaping you. Pressure, uncertainty, and friction aren’t necessarily signs that something is wrong. They may be conditions that help you develop resilience, insight, or compassion.

Meditation, Hemi-Sync, and Why Jordan Thinks Consciousness Is Trainable

One of the most practical parts of the conversation is Jordan’s discussion of meditation and the Monroe Institute’s Hemi-Sync technology.

Jordan says he discovered Hemi-Sync while trying to lower his blood pressure. He had tried exercise, diet changes, medication, and other approaches, but continued looking for support. He then found binaural beats and the Gateway program.

The basic idea behind binaural beats is that headphones play slightly different tones in each ear. The brain perceives a third beat based on the difference between those tones. Jordan says this can help guide the brain toward states associated with relaxation, meditation, and altered awareness.

He describes this practice as helping him enter deeper meditative states and, eventually, have experiences he interpreted as out-of-body experiences.

Jordan also shares an explanation from researcher Itzhak Bentov about how meditation may relate to blood pressure. Bentov described pulse waves traveling through the body and suggested that deep meditative states might reduce internal “noise,” helping create a greater sense of physiological calm. 

These are Jordan’s descriptions and interpretations—not a substitute for medical advice. Anyone with questions about blood pressure, meditation, or treatment should consult a qualified health professional.

Whether you approach the topic from a spiritual perspective or a scientific one, the practical point is that your state matters. Attention, breathing, sound, and intention can all influence how you feel and how you experience a moment.

The Biggest Takeaway: Fear Narrows Reality, but Curiosity Expands It

Jordan’s conversation repeatedly returns to one central theme: fear can become a major barrier to human potential. That includes fear of the unknown, fear of altered states, fear of spiritual ideas, and fear of being wrong. But in Jordan’s view, the world is larger than what we can directly see.

He compares our current understanding to the way people might have thought before the microscope and telescope expanded human knowledge. Those tools revealed worlds that had been invisible to unaided human senses. Jordan believes consciousness exploration can similarly invite people to question what they assume about reality.

He isn’t asking listeners to believe blindly. He’s asking them to be willing to explore. That may be the most useful posture to take from this conversation. You don’t have to adopt every conclusion Jordan shares. You can ask bigger questions, remain curious, and pay attention to the limits of your own assumptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Jordan Crowder believe consciousness comes from the brain?

No. Jordan argues that the brain receives and interprets consciousness rather than producing it. In his view, consciousness is non-physical, and the brain acts more like a receiver or transducer.

What is the Monroe Institute’s Gateway experience?

The Gateway experience is a structured program for exploring altered states of awareness through sound technology, meditation, and guided exercises. Jordan says it helped him access deeper meditative states and experiences he interpreted as out-of-body experiences.

Does Jordan think out-of-body experiences are dangerous?

Jordan says these experiences should be approached with preparation, intention, and care. He compares preparation to wearing a seatbelt: it’s a safety measure he believes is worthwhile, even if it may not always seem necessary.

What does Jordan mean when he calls Earth a “simulator”?

He means Earth is a physical environment where consciousness can have experiences and, in his view, grow and evolve. He does not describe it as a fake world; he sees it as a real setting for learning and transformation.

What is the main lesson from Jordan’s story?

Curiosity matters. Jordan’s life changed when he began questioning whether reality was only physical and started exploring consciousness, purpose, and what it means to be human.

Final Thoughts

Jordan Crowder’s story begins with a health crisis and an experience he couldn’t easily explain. It leads into larger questions about consciousness, the mind and brain, meditation, reality, and human purpose.His answers are personal hypotheses, not settled scientific facts.

But the questions themselves are familiar: Who are we? Where are we? Why are we here? In this episode, Jordan invites listeners to explore those questions with an open mind—and to consider whether life’s challenges might be opportunities for growth, creativity, and a deeper understanding of ourselves.