Physics Beyond Matter: Knowledge and the Mental Structures

Current physical theories excel at explaining matter and energy but fail to account for mind, knowledge, and teleonomy. This paper argues that the missing element is not exotic microphysics or metaphysical rupture, but the causal role of knowledge-bearing constraints in shaping system dynamics. Building on Burgin’s General Theory of Information, Deutsch’s epistemology, Fold Theory, and the Burgin–Mikkilineni Thesis, we propose a Physics of Knowledge: a naturalistic framework where explanatory structures act as organizing principles, stabilizing metastable coherence and enabling teleonomy. Unlike Penrose’s quantum-collapse hypothesis or Rickles’s call to transcend materialism, this approach remains empirically testable and engineerable. We outline measurable predictions—such as recovery energy, entropy per useful work, and coherence depth—and demonstrate engineering pathways through structural machines and mindful architectures. By embedding epistemic constraints into physical law, the Physics of Knowledge unifies physics, life, and mind, offering a new foundation for both science and technology.