nonphysicality

Nonphysicality is the quality or state of lacking physical form, matter, or substance. It is used to describe things deemed intangible, incorporeal, or existing beyond the ordinary material world. The term can refer to beings, experiences, or objects that are thought to not be physical in nature, as well as to abstract concepts and mathematical structures viewed as nonmaterial.

In philosophy and cognitive science, nonphysicality is invoked in discussions of mind, consciousness, and subjective experience. Proponents of nonphysicalist or dualist positions argue that some aspects of mind cannot be fully reduced to physical processes, while physicalist accounts contend that mental phenomena ultimately have physical explanations.

In religion, spirituality, and folklore, nonphysicality commonly describes souls, spirits, angels, deities, or astral bodies—the idea that certain entities or states exist outside the material domain.

In science, nonphysical explanations are typically approached with caution. Science emphasizes empirical testability and physical models; concepts described as nonphysical are often evaluated for evidentiary support, clarity, and usefulness in theory, or reframed as abstract constructs.

The term is sometimes criticized for vagueness and context dependence, since what counts as physical can vary by discipline and worldview. Across fields, nonphysicality remains a broad reference to properties, beings, or ideas that are not readily characterized by conventional physical description.