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Mind, Matter, and Quantum Mechanics
... See Supplementary material 16 for additional arguments on an observer-centric reality and observer-centric logical proof. Other physicists (von Neumann, 1932;London and Bauer, 1939;Wigner, 1961;Wheeler, 1992;Stapp, 2004Stapp, , 2007Campbell, 2007;Chalmers and McQueen, 2021;Kauffman and Radin, 2023) have also suggested that consciousness is essential to the actualization of some external physical P world (consciousness acts as an observer-centric space-time actualizer) such as the collapse or actualization of the wavefunction or some real-time quantum informational rendering. ...
... This implies that there is some deep self-referential system connection between the conscious internal observers (humans and other similarly complex organisms, perhaps even including AI) of the universe as a system, and the nature of our ontological reality (i.e., our conscious experience of it). Furthermore, if we are participatory in the creation of the universe through conscious collapse of the wave function as Wheeler, von Newman, Wigner, and many other eminent physicists have suggested (von Neumann, 1932;London and Bauer, 1939;Wigner, 1961;Wheeler, 1992;Stapp, 2004Stapp, , 2007Chalmers and McQueen, 2021), then our conscious phenomenological experience (as epistemological access to the universe) is intertwined with quantum phenomena through some conscious self-reference to allow us to explain an ontological reality. See Figure 13G for an alternative illustration of Wheeler's participatory observer eye as a self-referential system emphasizing the observer at the very center of the observation (i.e., highlighting a conscious observer-centric epistemic participatory realism); Figure 13H illustrates the observer as a participatory Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 30 frontiersin.org ...
... YOU C intO 2 could be defined within relational frame principles of RFT or N-Frame (Edwards, 2023) Using this functional contextual conscious epistemic observercentric participatory realism perspective (FCOR), conscious internal observer C intO , and consistent with a subjective (observer-centric) QBism, integrated within the RFT evolutionary approach N-Frame (Edwards, 2023), one promising approach for such an AI test for consciousness (and directly testable in the laboratory) is to start with a double-slit type experiment (e.g., Figures 18A,B). Traditionally, this is explained by various consciousness causes quantum waveform collapse frameworks (von Neumann, 1932;London and Bauer, 1939;Wigner, 1961;Stapp, 2004Stapp, , 2007Chalmers and McQueen, 2021). However, here, we will employ an FCOR realism perspective of N-Frame (Edwards, 2023) C intO interpretation which predicts similar results to consciousness causes collapse but uses the Bayesian observer centric C intO mathematical interpretation of QBism. ...
There have been impressive advancements in the field of natural language processing (NLP) in recent years, largely driven by innovations in the development of transformer-based large language models (LLM) that utilize “attention.” This approach employs masked self-attention to establish (via similarly) different positions of tokens (words) within an inputted sequence of tokens to compute the most appropriate response based on its training corpus. However, there is speculation as to whether this approach alone can be scaled up to develop emergent artificial general intelligence (AGI), and whether it can address the alignment of AGI values with human values (called the alignment problem). Some researchers exploring the alignment problem highlight three aspects that AGI (or AI) requires to help resolve this problem: (1) an interpretable values specification; (2) a utility function; and (3) a dynamic contextual account of behavior. Here, a neurosymbolic model is proposed to help resolve these issues of human value alignment in AI, which expands on the transformer-based model for NLP to incorporate symbolic reasoning that may allow AGI to incorporate perspective-taking reasoning (i.e., resolving the need for a dynamic contextual account of behavior through deictics) as defined by a multilevel evolutionary and neurobiological framework into a functional contextual post-Skinnerian model of human language called “Neurobiological and Natural Selection Relational Frame Theory” (N-Frame). It is argued that this approach may also help establish a comprehensible value scheme, a utility function by expanding the expected utility equation of behavioral economics to consider functional contextualism, and even an observer (or witness) centric model for consciousness. Evolution theory, subjective quantum mechanics, and neuroscience are further aimed to help explain consciousness, and possible implementation within an LLM through correspondence to an interface as suggested by N-Frame. This argument is supported by the computational level of hypergraphs, relational density clusters, a conscious quantum level defined by QBism, and real-world applied level (human user feedback). It is argued that this approach could enable AI to achieve consciousness and develop deictic perspective-taking abilities, thereby attaining human-level self-awareness, empathy, and compassion toward others. Importantly, this consciousness hypothesis can be directly tested with a significance of approximately 5-sigma significance (with a 1 in 3.5 million probability that any identified AI-conscious observations in the form of a collapsed wave form are due to chance factors) through double-slit intent-type experimentation and visualization procedures for derived perspective-taking relational frames. Ultimately, this could provide a solution to the alignment problem and contribute to the emergence of a theory of mind (ToM) within AI.
... In his book Mind, Matter, and Quantum Mechanics, physicist Henry P. Stapp (1993) had this to say concerning Pauli's ideas: ...
... The American philosopher and psychologist William James (1842-1910 was among the first to develop a version of this thesis in two books: initially in his 1907 book, Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking, and then in his 1909 book, The Meaning of Truth: A Sequel to "Pragmatism." According to Henry P. Stapp (1993): ...
... (p. 58) Stapp (1993) continued: ...
... In his book Mind, Matter, and Quantum Mechanics, physicist Henry P. Stapp (1993) had this to say concerning Pauli's ideas: ...
... The American philosopher and psychologist William James (1842-1910 was among the first to develop a version of this thesis in two books: initially in his 1907 book, Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking, and then in his 1909 book, The Meaning of Truth: A Sequel to "Pragmatism." According to Henry P. Stapp (1993): ...
... (p. 58) Stapp (1993) continued: ...
The question of whether phenomenal awareness can be empirically understood forms one important aspect of the "Hard Problem of Consciousness" (Chalmers, 1995, pp. 200-219). It is the position of this analysis that we will never understand why we experience sensory qualities in the manner we do until we first comprehend how they may have evolved in the very distant past. This paper explores the evolutionary development of phenomenal experience; it proposes that behind the mechanisms through which external stimuli interface with our sensory apparatus, there lies a long evolutionary process of standardization, approximation, and synchronization that ultimately forged the close links between the two. The consistent and efficient correlations that the resultant evolutionary links give rise to cumulatively generate conscious experience. There is a tight correspondence between our sensations and incoming stimuli, and this synchronous covariance is meaningful and functional; however, it does not result from a strict cause-and-effect relationship between the physical properties of external objects and our internal neurophysiology. As such, this investigation endorses Hoffman's (view that the external world is largely hidden from direct sensory evaluation. The following inquiry utilizes Jung's (1952) "Acausal Connecting Principle" to further explore the concept of complementary sensory phenomena as it may have originally been envisioned by Wolfgang Pauli. This thesis, with respect to meaningful acausality and synchronicity, is first used to provide a plausible explanation for the genetic development of color perception, and then employed to examine the analogous evolutionary ties that ultimately engender all sensory modalities (von Meyenn, 1999, pp. 327-340). Without resorting to the Quantum Mind hypothesis, This study supports the idea that conscious qualia are not direct, or true, or even approximate sensory representations of the underlying material properties of incoming stimuli; nonetheless, they facilitate the efficient expression of meaningful higher-order perceptions pertaining to the macro properties of spacetime, matter, and motion, in relation to the internal objective, of the conscious observer. The overall investigation concludes that it is the hierarchical organization, holistic categorization, and qualitative-characterization of this presumptive meta-information that has engendered meaningful sensory experience, and all abstract thought over evolutionary time.
... So, in my terminology, 'overdeterminist dualism' is not a pejorative label, though the label will understandably be disavowed by defenders of the labeled position who use 'overdetermination' pejoratively.) Defenders of Closure-violating dualism include Elitzur (1989), Eccles et al. (1977), Foster (1991), Swinburne (2013: Ch. 4), andStapp (1993);cf. Bealer (2007), Chalmers (2010: 128), Libet (1994), andLowe (2003). ...
... For a proposal concerning how to run the causal argument with a weaker and more easily defended closure premise than is typically assumed, see Saad (forthcomingb). 13 See Chalmers (2010: 127-9), Chalmers and McQueen (2021), Stapp (1993), and Wigner (1961). ...
Dualism holds that experiences somehow arise from physical states, despite being neither identical with nor grounded in such states. This paper motivates a stringent set of constraints on constructing a dualist theory of experience. To meet the constraints, a dualist theory must: (1) construe experiences as causes of physical effects, (2) ensure that experiences do not cause observable violations of the causal closure of the physical domain, (3) avoid overdetermination, (4) specify a set of psychophysical laws that yield experiences as a function of physical states, and (5) ensure that functional duplication preserves phenomenology. After motivating these constraints and explaining why existing dualist theories satisfy only some of them, I construct a dualist theory that satisfies all of them. On the resulting theory—which I call delegatory dualism—experiences uphold causal responsibilities “delegated” to them by physical states.
... In the HTUM, the relationship between consciousness and quantum measurement is more than just an interaction; it is a fundamental process that shapes reality. When a conscious agent observes a quantum system, the wave function collapses into a single, definite state, representing all possible states' superposition [172]. This collapse is not merely a passive occurrence but an active process influenced by the observer's consciousness [173]. ...
... In the HTUM, conscious observation is not merely a passive act but an active process that shapes reality. When a conscious agent observes a quantum system, the wave function collapses into a single, definite state, representing all possible states' superposition [172]. This collapse is influenced by the observer's consciousness, leading to the actualization of specific outcomes [173]. ...
The Hyper-Torus Universe Model (HTUM) is a novel framework that unifies quantum mechanics, cosmology, and consciousness, proposing that the universe is a higher-dimensional hyper-torus containing all possible states of existence. This paper explores the fundamental concepts and implications of the HTUM, which suggests that the universe is a quantum system in which all possible outcomes are inherently connected, with consciousness playing a crucial role in actualizing reality. The HTUM addresses critical challenges in modern physics, such as the nature of quantum entanglement, the origin of the universe, and the relationship between mind and matter. By introducing concepts like singularity, quantum entanglement at a cosmic scale, and the self-actualization of the universe, the HTUM provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the fundamental nature of reality. This paper discusses the mathematical formulation of the HTUM, its implications for quantum mechanics and cosmology, and its potential to bridge the gap between science and philosophy. The philosophical implications of the HTUM are also examined, including its impact on free will, determinism, and the mind-matter relationship. The HTUM represents a significant shift in our understanding of the universe and our place within it, inviting further research and exploration into the nature of reality and consciousness.
... In other words, is it possible to install a quantum computer, which is expected to be a very high-speed computer, in the terminal of a machine? Such terminal computers will have the potential to dramatically improve the capabilities of machines: robots with the higher cognitive ability [1,2], vehicles that immediately avoid collisions, etc. Here, we first outline each of the edge [3][4][5] and the quantum computer [6][7][8][9]. ...
... We take V in (3), which has two energy eigenvalues. 2 The two energy levels correspond to U and D of the qubit. We assume, for simplicity, F(x) = 0 in (5). ...
We show an algorithm for the previously proposed quantum computer using classical apparatuses. The target system is not limited to mass points but is a general engineering system that has a more manageable form in equipping terminal edge. After we define such system as “ordinary engineering system,” the method of quantum mechanical optimum feedback control of the nonlinear system is applied. The method makes an ordinary engineering system into a quantum one. As an example that is as stale as possible, a temperature control system is taken. Simulation studies show that our system works as a 1-qubit quantum computer without the special large-scale peripheral equipment required to maintain quantumness. The proposed system is a classic system that is everywhere, so it is easy for anyone to understand. Another advantage is that easy-to-use one-dimensional system can be applied.
... Thus the non-unitary observer-participancy (as Wheeler puts it [4,7]) or consciousnesscauses-collapse (von Neumann-Wigner interpretation [52,53]) found in the single-world of the Copenhagen interpretation is replaced by a unitary many-worlds formalism (or a many-minds formalism [54,55] in which the unitary branching occurs in the mind and not in the world). In some sense the extreme view of a non-unitary efficacious role of consciousness in quantum mechanics (quantum dualism in a single-world [56]) is dual/complementary to a no less extreme view of a unitary reality with many coherent and parallel worlds (physicalism in a many-worlds). ...
... The quantum Zeno effect plays an essential role in the mind/body theory of Stapp [56] (see also Eccles [73]) which is claimed to avoid the usual problems of classical physicalism and the philosophy of mind given in general by the two problems [74]: ...
... Berbeda dari gagasan Hameroff dan Penrose, Stapp sendiri mendalilkan keruntuhan fungsi gelombang seperti pikiran yang mengeksploitasi aspek-aspek tertentu dari efek Zeno Kuantum dalam sinapsis (Stapp, 1982;Mahler, 2004). Meskipun teorinya didasarkan pada sinapsis, struktur persimpangan antara neuron dalam otak, sayangnya, tidak mengintegrasikan teori mekanika kuantum yang lengkap ke dalam interpretasi optimal dengan substrat neurologis atau neuronal. ...
Abstrak Hingga saat ini, studi mengenai kesadaran masih menjadi musteri sejak awal mula kehidupan manusia karena masih didefinisikan dalam berbagai sudut pandang. Hakikat kesadaran sendiri telah mengalami evolusi besar dengan berpusat pada korelasi perilaku dan neuronal dari persepsi dan kognisi. Walaupun demikian, kemajuan tersebut tidaklah cukup menjelaskan dan memahami bagaimana kesadaran bisa muncul. Maka itu, mekanika kuantum sebagai salah satu cabang fisika mencoba untuk menjelaskan kesadaran. Sejak Planck menciptakan teori kesadaran kuantum, hal ini dapat mengisi celah yang kosong. Saat ini kami menulis secara singkat beberapa hipotesis kesadaran yang muncul dari mekanika kuantum dan fokus pada kerangka Orch-OR.
... Attempts to relate the nature of consciousness to quantum mechanics have been known almost from the be+g of quantum mechanics. For an extended discussion and earlier references see, e.g., Stapp (1982). The common thread of the majority of the suggested hypotheses linking consciousness to a quantum level of description is a drawing of a between the spontaneous localization of mental patterns and (spontaneous or induced) reduction of the wave function in quantum mechanics. ...
... 12 Further, some researchers suggest that during NDEs, individuals may experience a dissolution of the ego and a sense of unity with the universe, akin to the interconnectedness described in quantum theory. 13 For those who have not had an NDE, it may be a difficult concept to understand and accept. What is certain is that, like Jackie, more than 95% of those who have had an NDE have no doubt about what they went through, and state it was 'definitely real'. ...
... Quantum Phase-States are stages of increasing negentropy (increasing organization) in the quantum field. This understanding is directly related to Stapp's original "Quantum matter" expressions and Boyd's "Quantum Phase-States" as an extension of Stapp's Quantum Matter (Stapp, 1996(Stapp, , 2004(Stapp, , 2011. ...
There was never a "big bang". Empirical physical facts and observations have long ago completely falsified this ecclesiastical faith-based notion. Creation is a localized, ubiquitous, and continuous process, of infinite duration. This is a self-evident fact.
Despite the dogmatic and indoctrinated popularity of "big bang" and "inflationary" relativity-derived cosmologies, the Universe is infinite in volume and duration. Some recent theoretical steps have been made which support this understanding (Ali & Das, 2014).
When relativity theory is completely removed from all cosmological consideration as a failed hypothesis, and Quantum and subquantum considerations are completely relied on, sans relativity, these Continuous Creation facts will become obvious and irrefutable.
Due to decades of contrary evidence and multitudinous strident objections to the notion of an "expanding universe", the infinite volume Continuous Creation will be admitted as fact, as it will become obvious that space does not and cannot "expand", when relativity and isotropic uniformity assumptions are thrown out the window. Hoyle, Narlikar, and Bondi are vindicated. We live in a variety of a "Steady State" infinite volume, infinite duration, plasma-electric universe.
Decades of experimental evidence has accumulated due to multitudes of instrumented attempts to find the faith-based and imaginary "gravity waves". These vast piles of records, constituting more than 70 years of accumulated experimental evidence have proved, with near absolute certainty, that distance is an absolute (!), and that there are no "gravity waves". The proof against "gravity waves" is as vast and substantial as the experimental evidence which was used to prove the physical tenets of quantum mechanics.
... -mediated informational essence of the incarnating entity. The process clearly involves H. Stapp's "Quantum phase states" (Stapp, 2004;2017). ...
We propose a novel paradigmatic approach to sentient reality as a whole, with specific application to Information-guided DNA dynamics, leading to a triadic genomic configuration, which accommodates besides the parental hereditar legacy, a transcendental originating highly complex guiding matrix able to control the specific way the protein-synthesis is performed. The Self's own "Soul Genome", transcending the Zero Point Energy interdimensional barrier, couples to the zygote's quantum-governed energetic configuration by way of resonant bands of subtle energy superposition effects at the instance of fertilization, triggered by a Zinc-spark related biophotonic bridge. Thus, unique secondary torsion parameters in the DNA strands determine the way the basic protein-generating template is read, supplying the new entity's psycho-cognitive particularities along purposeful developmental vectors.
... In later years, Wigner by himself dismissed this proposal due to the two reason: (a) physical reason; macroscopic objects can never be considered as an isolated system, which means quantum mechanics does not applytothe description of the behavior of macroscopic bodies, (b) philosophical reason; the implication of solipsism on physical reality and the interpretation of the wave mechanics [46]. His idea was maintained by Stapp [48] who argued that subjective reduction of the wave function collapse in neurons is associated with the consciousness exist in the brain. This approach assumes that measurement is an act of the consciousness. ...
The way we view the reality of nature, including ourselves, depend on consciousness.It also defines the identity of the person, since we know people in terms of their experiences. In general, consciousness defines human existence in this universe. Furthermore, consciousness is associated with the most debated problems in physics such as the notion of observation, observer,in the measurement problem. However,its nature, occurrence mechanism in the brain and the definite universal locality of the consciousness are not clearly known. Due to this consciousness is considered asan essential unresolved scientific problem of the current era.Here, we review the physical processes which are associated in tackling these challenges. Firstly, we discuss the association of consciousness with transmission of signals in the brain, chain of events, quantum phenomena process and integrated information. We also highlight the roles of structure of matter,field, and the concept of universality towards understanding consciousness. Finally, we propose further studies for achieving better understanding of consciousness.
... This in a way challenged the fundamental duality of the Cartesian world, a constituent element of the western mindset. 'Descartes, in the seventeenth century, divided all nature into two parts, a realm of thoughts and a realm of material things, and proposed that the motions of material things were completely unaffected by thoughts' [5] . This prompted the scientists at the helm of these discoveries to reflect on the whole process of acquiring knowledge. ...
The current process of scientific and technological development is the outcome of the epochal Cultural Revolution in the West: i.e. the emergence of the Age of Enlightenment and its pursuit of "rationality". Today, "rationality" combined with "logic" has mutated into a "strong belief" in the power of rationality and "computational processes" as a 'safer' and only way to acquire knowledge. This is the main driving force behind the emergence of AI. At the core of this mind-set is the fundamental duality of the observer and the observed. After the imperial expansion of Western Europe – in alliance with religion, its previous foe (“Christianityâ€) – this world-view became the globally dominant mind-set. The paper explores the dominant narrative of rationality and reason of Western science, and seeks an alternative world of cultural diversity.
... Von Neumman's idea was pushed even further by London and Bauer (London & Bauer, 1939), who argued that if we exhaust all matter, what is left, the observer, is not matter. Eugene Wigner (Wigner, 1961), and later Henry Stapp (Stapp, 2009) went so far as to say that this implied a dualist view of nature, where matter satisfied the linear and deterministic dynamics of Schroedinger's equation (or unitary evolution) only when it didn't interact with consciousness, itself a non-material entity not describable by quantum theory. So, from this line of reasoning, consciousness enters the quantum realm through the interaction between the conscious observer and the quantum system. ...
Consciousness and quantum mechanics are two mysteries in our times. A careful and thorough examination of possible connections between them may help unravel these two mysteries. On the one hand, an analysis of the conscious mind and psychophysical connection seems indispensable in understanding quantum mechanics and solving the notorious measurement problem. On the other hand, it seems that in the end quantum mechanics, the most fundamental theory of the physical world, will be relevant to understanding consciousness and even solving the mind-body problem when assuming a naturalist view. This book is the first volume which provides a comprehensive review and thorough analysis of intriguing conjectures about the connection between consciousness and quantum mechanics. Written by leading experts in this research field, this book will be of value to students and researchers working on the foundations of quantum mechanics and philosophy of mind.
... Moreover, experience cannot be taken out of a quantum-based ontology, whether the observer is accepted as being essential or whether the role of the observer is even denied. The reason is that quantum theory ushered in the role of observation and measurement as integral parts of reality (von Neumann, 1955; Kafatos and Nadeau, 2000;Stapp, 2009;Kak, 2014). Which leads to the big question: is the universe real in itself? ...
The great advances in science precipitated by the advent of quantum mechanics in the 20th century have profound implications for the nature of reality. The universe is now assumed to be fundamentally quantum at all scales of existence. As such, ancient questions about what the roles of human beings in the universe are, what is the relationship between the observer and the observed, the role of the mind, existence itself and the nature of experiences, can now also be approached in new scientific ways. This provides the opportunity to explore mathematical formalisms that relate to relationships between the observer and the observed, through three principles or universal laws which apply at all levels of existence. These principles form the essence of a vast ocean of qualia of experience. Such approaches that we advocate here provide a formalism that goes beyond specific interpretations of quantum mechanics and have strong philosophical foundations in both Western philosophy as well as the monistic contemplative systems of the East. We present a plausible thesis that what is the unifying principle of all existence is universal Consciousness, which when turned within is pure Awareness of Being. The mind and the countless experiences of qualia in this inner vision encompass ancient eternal views of contemplation where the observer, the observer and the process of unifying them form an undivided wholeness. The exalted ancient yet modern view would resonate with both the non-dual ancient teachings as well as different interpretations of quantum mechanics wherein the observed system and the observing subject are inexorably tied together in an undivided Wholeness of Being. The role of the mind is critical and we use the term Exalted Mind to distinguish higher functions from ordinary mind. The implications for humanity are indeed profound, in our view form the foundation of the emerging scientific and medical paradigms, the dawn of a new era of conscious non-dual, science-based Awareness.
... Arenhart, 2019), que talvez seja uma das interpretações da mecânica quântica dentre as mais rejeitadas por parte de físicos e filósofos (Schlosshauer, Kofler, e Zeilinger, 2013), mas, ainda assim, uma opção disponível para interpretar os fenômenos quânticos (de Barros e Oas, 2017; de Barros e Montemayor, 2019), com proponentes ativos até hoje (Stapp, 2009). ...
Traditionally, to be a realist about something means believing in the independent existence of that something. In this line of thought, a scientific realist is someone who believes in the objective existence of the entities postulated by our best scientific theories. In metaphysical terms, what does that mean? In ontological terms, i.e., in terms about what exists, scientific realism can be understood as involving the adoption of an ontology that is scientifically informed. But according to some philosophers, the realistic attitude must go beyond ontology. The way in which this requirement has been understood involves providing a metaphysics for the entities postulated by science, that is, answering questions about the nature of what ontology admits to exist. We discuss how two fashionable approaches face the challenge of providing a metaphysics for science: a form of naturalism and the Viking/Toolbox approach. Finally, we present a third way, which adopts the best of both approaches: the meta-Popperian method, which focuses on discarding the wrong alternatives, or better saying, the metaphysical profiles incompatible with certain theories. We present the meta-Popperian method, a metametaphysical method capable of objectively assessing which metaphysical profiles are incompatible with certain scientific theories. For this, we will use quantum mechanics as a case study, presenting some previously obtained results. As our focus is on methodological questions about the relationship between metaphysics and science; with this method, we can see how science can be used to avoid error in metaphysical issues. In our opinion, this would be a way to develop a productive relationship between science and metaphysics.
... Quantum experiments show, at least in the microworld of subatomic particles, an instantaneous connection between atoms no matter how far away they are from one another. Known as quantum non-locality, physicists are teaching us there is a unified field that precedes physical reality (Stapp, 2015). But exactly how humans might interact with this unified field remains unclear. ...
Recent years have seen an increased interest in journal articles and books on the topic of synchronicity. Such scholarly interest is consistent with increased cultural attention given to synchronicity and changes to the social context in which spirituality thrives as a personal search for meaning, which may or may not relate to religion. Based on a review of the extant literature on synchronicity, this paper proposes a new taxonomy for better understanding and analyzing the growing phenomenon of individual and cultural interest in synchronicity. The taxonomy consists of four dimensions of synchronicity: Context, Process, Content, and Explanation. The primary contributions of this paper are (a) description and definition of the concept of synchronicity, (b) preliminary proposal of a taxonomy of synchronicity, and (c) outline of a research agenda to conduct theory-based studies of synchronicity phenomena.
... This makes for an entirely different project. Proposals for such a view can be found in Chalmers and McQueen (2014);Foster (1991);Hasker (2010); Hodgson (1991); Molenaar (2006);O'Connor (2000); Popper and Eccles (1977); Sellars (1981); Stapp (1993Stapp ( , 2001Stapp ( , 2013Stapp ( , 2014 and Swinburne (1986). 13 Before providing a more precise formulation of why accepting Physical Completeness creates such pressing mental causation worries for the dualist, we add one more qualification to our dualist position. ...
In this dissertation, I develop and defend a model of causation that allows for dualist mental causation in worlds where the physical domain is physically complete.
In Part I, I present the dualist ontology that will be assumed throughout the thesis and identify two challenges for models of mental causation within such an ontology: the exclusion worry and the common cause worry. I also argue that a proper response to these challenges requires a thoroughly lightweight account of causation, i.e. an account that allows for causes to be metaphysically distinct from the phenomena that produce or physically necessitate their effects.
In Part II, I critically evaluate contemporary responses to these challenges from the philosophical literature. In particular, I discuss (i) List and Stoljar’s criticism of exclusion worries, (ii) Kroedel’s alternative dualist ontology, (iii) concerns about the notion of causal sufficiency, and (iv) Lowe’s models of dualist mental causation. I argue that none of these proposals provide independent motivation for a thoroughly lightweight account of causation and therefore leave room for improvement.
In the first four chapters of Part III, I develop a thoroughly lightweight model of causation, which builds on interventionist approaches to causation. First, I explain how so-called ‘holding fixed’-requirements in standard interventionist accounts stand in the way of dualist mental causation. I then argue that interventionist accounts should impose a robustness condition on causal correlations and that, with this condition in place, the ‘holding fixed’-requirements can be weakened such that they do allow for dualist mental causation. I dub the interventionist model with such weakened ‘holding fixed’-requirements ‘insensitive interventionism’, argue that it can counter the exclusion worry as well as the common cause worry, and explain under which circumstances it would predict there to be dualist mental causation. Importantly, these circumstances might, for all we know, hold in the actual world.
In the final three chapters of Part III, I defend insensitive interventionism against some objections. I consider the objection that causation must be productive, the objection that causes must (in some sense) physically necessitate their effects, and the objection that insensitive interventionism is too permissive. I respond by drawing from the literature on causation by absences and on the relation between causation and fundamental physics. Overall, insensitive interventionism performs as well as standard interventionist accounts. I conclude that insensitive interventionism is a credible model of causation.
... Recognizing that the constancy of the speed of light is a perceptive statement applicable to a self contained observer who is changing at his own constant rate is not main stream, but slowly emerging in physics as an acceptable possibility (Stapp 1993;Baer 2010, Walker 2000. ...
Visual imagery, i.e., the mental experience of an object occurring in the absence of external visual stimulus, might encompass diverse content according to different observers. Further, subjectively experienced time is encoded in the later entorhinal cortex. Starting from these two observations, and considering Einstein's account of spacetime, we show how, in terms of special relativity, the content of visual imagery is not stationary and fixed, rather depends on the standpoint of the observer. We elucidate how the subjective definition of time (perceived by our mind as static) might give rise to modifications in the length of the imagined object which are experimentally assessable and quantifiable. In particular, based on recent neuroscientific literature, we show how changes in our mental time windows are able to squeeze the visual content of mental imagery.
... By comparing optical holography with visual memory, Gabor attempted to explain the connection between human temporal recall and quantum mechanics (25). Stapp postulated a global collapse, a 'mind like' wave-function collapse that exploited certain aspects of the quantum Zeno effect within the synapses (26,27), distinct from the idea of Hameroff and Penrose (described in the "Orch-OR theory" section). Although his theory was based on synapses, a junction structure between neurons within the brain, unfortunately, he did not integrate his exhaustive quantum mechanical theory into an optimal interpretation with neurological or neuronal substrates. ...
Consciousness is a multidisciplinary problem that has puzzled all human beings since the origin of human life. Being defined in various pointcuts by philosophers, biologists, physicists, and neuroscientists, the definitive explanation of consciousness is still suspending. The nature of consciousness has taken great evolution by centering on the behavioral and neuronal correlates of perception and cognition, for example, the theory of Neural Correlates of Consciousness, the Global Workspace Theory, the Integrated Information Theory. While tremendous progress has been achieved, they are not enough if we are to understand even basic facts-how and where does the consciousness emerge. The Quantum mechanics, a thriving branch of physics, has an inseparable relationship with consciousness (e.g., observer effect) since Planck created this subject and its derived quantum consciousness theory can perfectly fill this gap. In this review, we briefly introduce some consciousness hypotheses derived from quantum mechanics and focus on the framework of orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR), including its principal points and practicality.
... And 'no conscious-experiential science under current physics' isn't just a return to well-known quantum appeals [e.g. (Stapp, 1982;Penrose, 1989)]. Certainly, making explicit changes in quantum aspects might be one way to theoretically-accommodate the kinds of putative novel dynamics required for coherent conscious-experiential science. ...
This paper was my contribution to World Mental Health Day, 2019 (October 10th):
"Perhaps ironically, given its well-meaning intentions to help address mental-health challenges, mainstream conscious-experiential science itself seems to enact distorted thinking ..."
"This article blows the whistle on the whole scientifically-incoherent mainstream project, and initiates a broad conversation on whether there is appetite and resource to start an eminently-feasible, scientifically-pristine replacement ..."
... The measurement apparatus captures the socio-material context in which any observed phenomenon is produced through measurement (Barad, 2007). This principle has been embraced by social scientists to inform ontological theorizing through an interplay of discursive and material factors (Barad, 2003;Gabora, Rosch, & Aerts, 2008;Stapp, 2004). ...
Research on organizational paradox has been burgeoning in recent decades. While consensus is growing on the definition of organizational paradox as persistent contradictions between interdependent elements, its ontology continues to be contested. The inherent and constitutive views of organizational paradox adopt competing ontological positions on organizational paradox as existing irrespective of, or only through, organizational members’ discursive construction. In this paper, we develop a novel ontological approach that conceptualizes paradox as both inherent and socially constructed, thereby highlighting the paradoxical nature of the ontology of paradox. For developing our approach, we mobilize the ontological underpinnings of quantum mechanics and re-conceptualize the ontology of paradox with regard to its latency, salience, and persistence. As per our quantum approach, paradox is co-constituted by latency—the inherent but indeterminate potential of paradox; salience—the concrete enactment of paradox in a socio-material context; and persistence—the repeated enactment of paradox in similar socio-material contexts. Thereby, we explain how inherent material factors and socially constructed meaning co-constitute paradox. Our quantum approach to the ontology of paradox transcends the standoff between the inherent and constitutive views and provides a theoretical account for the dual nature of paradox as being both inherent and socially constructed.
... Here we will focus on Stapp's work, in particular his proposal of how the mind affects matter in particular ways, e.g. how the non-material my mind controls my motor cortex such that my fingers type the words I wish in my keyboard (Stapp, 2009(Stapp, , 2014). Stapp's idea relies on the Inverse Quantum Zeno Effect (IQZE), which we describe below. ...
The connection between quantum physics and the mind has been debated for almost a hundred years. There are several proposals as to how quantum effects might be relevant to understanding consciousness, including von Neumann’s Consciousness Causes Collapse interpretation (CCC), Penrose’s Orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR), Atmanspacher quantum emergence theory, or Vitiello’s field theory. In this paper, we examine the CCC, in particular Stapp’s theory of interaction of mind and matter, and discuss how this imposes constraints to possible brain structures. We then argue that those constraints may allow us to identify a possible locus of the interaction between mind and matter, if CCC is true.
... On the basis of this concept of the waveform collapse, some theories have been put forward. For example, Henry Stapp (1993) postulates that the wave function collapse might be occurring within synapses. Roger Penrose (1994), along with Start Hameroff (1996, suggests that the wave function reduction takes place within the microtubules of neurons. ...
... The clearest and highly cited model for Cartesian dualism based on quantum physics is currently the model of Sir John Eccles, the Nobel prize-winning neurophysiologist (Beck and Eccles, 1992;Eccles, 1992). His model incorporates many aspects of Descartes model and is currently used by the supporters of the Cartesian dualism (Beck, 2008;Hari, 2008;Stapp, 2009), as it postulates self (soul) interacting bidirectionally with the brain (Eccles 1980). As a result, one explanation for the possibility of the soul-brain interaction is through the knowledge on the physical nature of the soul (Clarke, 2014). ...
Memory is a fundamental cognitive function of the human, and long-term memory (LTM) plays a substantial role in it. Despite all the research, the mechanism of the storage of LTM data in the brain, as well as the brain areas responsible for it, are not clearly identified yet. There is an ancient philosophical idea that the human memory is stored in an extracorporeal space, i.e. the human soul. In this study, using a materialistic approach, we aimed to take one step in investigating the role of human soul in brain functionality by assessing the compliance of this old idea with the available neuroscientific facts. Although with the current knowledge of the human it is not possible to accept nor to deny or examine the existence of soul, we think people in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, or psychiatry should start speaking about “human soul” in their works; belief in soul is nearly as old as the history of human, and one day people should start to scientifically investigate it.
... Finally, we stress that the Bild conception can be used to develop a consistent theory of quantum(-like) cognition and interrelation between matter and mind; see Khrennikov (2010), cf. Stapp (2004). ...
In the nineteenth century (in the process of transition from mechanics to the field theory), the German school of theoretical physics confronted problems similar to the basic problems in the foundations of quantum mechanics (QM). Hertz tried to resolve such problem through analysis of the notion of a scientific theory and interrelation of theory and experiment. This analysis led him to the Bild (image) conception of theory (which was later essentially developed, but also modified by Boltzmann). In this paper, we claim that to resolve the basic foundational problems of QM, one has to use the Bild conception and reject the observational viewpoint on physical theory. As an example of a Bild theory underlying QM (treated as an observational theory), we consider prequantum classical statistical field theory (PCSFT): theory of random subquantum fields.
... Although the essay was never published, Henry applied the title more than 20 years later to a paper in Foundations of Physics (1) and then again to his first book (2). While several of the early quantum physicists were interested in the possible role of mind in the ontology of quantum mechanics, it has been Henry Stapp who more than anyone has explored and developed this territory. ...
Henry Stapp has for 60 years been a leader, perhaps the leader, in exploring the role of mind (psyche, consciousness, experience) in the ontology of quantum mechanics. Henry's contention is that the very structure of quantum mechanics implies a central and irreducible role for mind: an experiential aspect of nature distinct from that of the physical matter and energy described by the dynamical equations of physics. The task then becomes generating interest across disciplines in the exploration of this thesis, and in particular to seek connections with neuroscience and with empirical psychology.
... Heisenberg 1958, chap. 3;Stapp 1982;and Capek 1984). As Quine puts the point, "Matter is quitting the field, and field theory is the order of the day" (1976,499). ...
... Furthermore, the reference to quantum physics by March et al. actually supports our theorizing, because there is strong empirical evidence that at least some cognitive processes follow quantum probabilities (e.g., Pothos & Busemeyer, 2013) and, especially relevant to the current dis- cussion this also holds for measurement effects on judg- ments (e.g., Busemeyer & Wang, 2018;Wang & Busemeyer, 2013;Wang, Solloway, Shiffrin, & Busemeyer, 2014). Additionally, one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics - Niels Bohr -probably used ideas from William James on thought-processes to derive quantum mechanical principles (Stapp, 1993;Plotnitsky, 2012). The reason why the theory of quantum mechanics might be built on insights from William James on thought-processes is that the nature of the human mind lends itself well to the issues discovered in quantum physics. ...
... Contrary to the views of the skeptics, a large body of modern work exploring 'consciousness science' (e.g. [14,19,21,26,36,45,47,48,55,119,120]) has accumulated, initiated or encouraged by the pioneering contributions of Crick and Koch [121,122]. Setting aside those approaches that study 'consciousness' but not experience (subsection 4.8.2), the vast majority of remaining contributions assume a conventional emergent-property basis, see no problems in a standard NCC methodology, believe a Darwinian evolutionary origin is feasible, and presumably adopt a Type-1 spatiotemporal solution (subsection 6.1.2.1). ...
This paper introduces a symbol-set for conscious experience into mathematical physics. Symbolism allows for new precision and rigor in describing the relationship between brain and conscious experience, leading to ten puzzles for physics, and science as a whole.
... Over the years various theories have been introduced to explain collapse with the hope of answering the above questions. Various mechanisms have been proposed: complexity causes collapse -the more complex a system, the more likely it is to collapse [24]; or consciousness itself causes collapse [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]; or gravity causes collapse -the larger the mass, the more likely collapse will occur [41]. These models can therefore explain why Schrödinger's cat is never seen, or measured, as being in a superposition state. ...
In this article I aim to provide an intuitive and non-technical introduction to decoherence and quantum Darwinism. Together these theories explain how our classical reality emerges from an underlying quantum mechanical description. Here I focus on two aspects of this and explain, firstly, how decoherence can tell us why we never see macroscopic superpositions, such as dead-and-alive cats, in our classical surroundings; and secondly I describe and then provide a resolution to the so-called preferred basis problem. I then introduce recent results demonstrating that certain aspects of classicality are generic phenomena that emerge from the basic mathematical structure of quantum mechanics. This is in stark contrast to previous work in this field that focused on specific models that cannot realistically be scaled up to explicitly answer questions about the macroscopic world. Finally, I demonstrate how decoherence and quantum Darwinism can shed significant light on the measurement problem, and I discuss the implications for how we should interpret quantum mechanics.
Are there at least some ‘tin-foil hat guys’ who aren’t crazy? In simple terms this paper seeks to analyse the credibility of the primary argument: If multiple defense and intelligence officials claim, often to their discredit, that: i) they have been neurologically assaulted by microwaves; ii) Neuroweapons have been researched and developed for over 60 years iii) non-human intelligence currently interact with humans and utilise advanced
regarding several former premises; then in applying the principle of charity, why should we not consider the possibility that at least some civilians may actually be affected by such
technology on earth; iv) there is a significant government-led disinformation campaign Electromagnetic
phenomena? The primary aim of this paper was to epistemologically examine the possibility Theory. for claims of neurowarfare or electronic harassment to be veridical within a proportion of individuals self-describing as a Targeted Individual (TI) or as having Havana Syndrome (HS).
The secondary aim was to address gaps in the literature and ongoing medicolegal discourse which have, thus far, not been contended with within analytical philosophy. It was found that HS and TI claims did not meet the full criteria for an Unwarranted Conspiracy Theory (UCT) and can be regarded as a progressive Research Program (RP). While, prima facie, appearing as an epistemological black hole, some claims were found inductively to have a legitimate basis for concern. Therefore, stigmatising preconceptions may act as an epistemic harm to well- meaning but misinformed practitioners in the process of diagnosis. The primary issue that was then dealt with is how clinicians may demarcate the presence of a disorder given that substantiated justification remains empirically undefined. In conclusion, the paper found clinicians ought to adopt consideration to a wider array of individual and socio-political contextual factors in the process of evaluating the coherency of self-reporting TI belief systems. Furthermore, in defining the complex etiology encountered, correlation with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI), Radio Frequency (RF) exposure, Non-Human Intelligence (NHI) interactions and Exceptional Experiences (EE) should all be considered in the formation of explanatory hypotheses.
As we have seen before, the universe began with a big bang 13.6 billion years ago. From that moment on, space and time started to exist, and the laws of nature guided how the universe would further expand and develop to higher and higher complexity. If we would operate along the thinking of a purely materialistic worldview, the entire universe, all that ever happened and will ever happen, must have already been coded at the moment of the big bang in matter—each piece of art ever created, each idea that would ever come to anybody’s mind, each thought ever thought. Every thought, innovation, or flash of inspiration would merely be the product of a predetermined sequence of events. Just as a clock’s hands can only move in one direction at a fixed pace, in a purely mechanistic universe, the emergence of ideas would be constrained by the preset rules of the cosmic machinery. If one holds a deterministic view of the universe, believing that every event is the result of prior causes and conditions, then the inception of the universe, the Big Bang, set into motion a series of unalterable events leading up to the present moment. In this framework, every event, including all human decisions, and actions, all created art, each thought ever thought, would be a natural outcome of the initial conditions and laws set during the Big Bang.
The current research is an attempt to replicate a previous experiment that employed sublim?inal priming to test the Consciousness Causes Collapse (CCC) interpretation of quantum mechanics. Stimulus primes derived directly from patterns in a local source of radioactive decay were flashed on a screen for a duration of time too brief to be consciously experienced. The primes were immediately followed by a presentation of a stimulus symbol that human participants were asked to rapidly respond to. According to the CCC interpretation, because the primes had not yet been exposed to conscious observation, they should continue to exist in a state of superposition based on the radioactive decay from which they were derived. It was hypothesized that a prime produced in this way should not affect subsequent response times as it would in a control condition in which observation had deliberately occurred be?forehand. This hypothesis was supported. The effects that the primes had in the observed condition were significantly greater than the effects that were obtained within the unobserved condition. This finding is consistent with previous experimental results and provides additional support for the CCC interpretation of quantum mechanics.
The study examines a problematic hypothesis of possible approaches to identifying the quantum physical foundations of the functioning of consciousness. The authors proceed from the fact that in modern conditions, not a single science, nor all sciences taken together, gives a final answer to the question of the “mechanism” of the origin of thought. However, this does not mean at all that research in this direction needs to be stopped. The authors express confidence that modern and subsequent research into the “quantum concept of consciousness” will lead to the identification of previously unknown patterns, opening the way to the formation of new principles and approaches. As an example, the corresponding Penrose - Hameroff concept is considered. Quantum mechanics complements the tools of neurobiology and other branches of neuroscience, which together form an interdisciplinary field of knowledge that is dynamically growing and developing. The authors are not apologists for the omnipotence of quantum physics. Quantum correlates of consciousness actually mean that it is not today’s quantum mechanics itself that explains the emergence of mental states, but the fact that in the birth of these states it is essential that in the very process of the formation of neurodynamic impulses in the neurons of the cerebral cortex that generate mental states, there are processes of quantum nature. It should also be recognized that the quantum-molecular level (nanolevel) of processes in the neurons of the brain really exists and it is this that is the source of proto-consciousness. Science strives to move forward, new research programs are emerging within the framework of quantum biology, quantum psychology, quantum information science, which in turn can shed light on the hypothesis of the “quantum concept of consciousness.”
Stimulus primes derived directly from patterns in a local source of radioactive decay were flashed on a screen for a duration of time too brief to be consciously experienced. The primes were immediately followed by a presentation of a stimulus symbol that human participants were asked to rapidly respond to. According to the Consciousness Causes Collapse Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (CCC), because the primes had not yet been exposed to conscious observation, they should continue to exist in a state of superposition based on the radioactive decay from which they were derived. It was hypothesized that if the CCC interpretation were correct, a prime produced in this way should not yield the standard effect on subsequent response times as it would in a control condition in which observation had deliberately occurred beforehand. This hypothesis was supported. The standard effect on response times was found in the observed condition but not in the unobserved condition. The current findings support the CCC interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Stimulus primes derived directly from patterns in a local source of radioactive decay were flashed on a screen for a duration of time too brief to be consciously experienced. The primes were immediately followed by a presentation of a stimulus symbol that human participants were asked to rapidly respond to. According to the Consciousness Causes Collapse Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (CCC), because the primes had not yet been exposed to conscious observation, they should continue to exist in a state of superposition based on the radioactive decay from which they were derived. It was hypothesized that if the CCC interpretation were correct, a prime produced in this way should not yield the standard effect on subsequent response times as it would in a control condition in which observation had deliberately occurred beforehand. This hypothesis was supported. The standard effect on response times was found in the observed condition but not in the unobserved condition. The current findings support the CCC interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Visual imagery (VI) is the mental experience of objects in the absence of their corresponding visual stimuli. Asking whether mental images can be physically quantified, we seek for relationships between visual imagery and special relativity. The Einstein's account states that, by an observer's standpoint, an object traveling at light speed is subjected to time dilation and length contraction. We hypothesize that objects are contracted both in the physical framework of Einstein's relativity due to the light speed, and in the mental framework of VI due to the dilated perception of time. Since the duration of thoughts can be experienced as progressively prolonged, we conjecture, in touch with Einstein's account, that the VI content must consist of objects undergoing length contraction. In the VI dilated mental time, the object might be experienced as more squeezed than the real object. Our calculations based on Einstein's equations predict that the longer an object is imagined, the more it is experienced as contracted until it disappears from consciousness. In touch with our hypothesis, review of published data provides evidence that distance estimates are shortened during VI. We suggest to evaluate VI in experimental settings where time is perceived as dilated, such as dreams, hypnosis and opioids intake. While the physical account of Einstein's special relativity is framed on invariant quantities such as the light speed, the mental experience of VI could be framed on non-invariant quantities, namely, quantities that change according to the subjective standpoint of the observer.
Information technology is developing at an enormous pace, but apart from its obvious benefits, it can also pose a threat to individuals and society. Several scientific projects around the world are working on the development of strong artificial intelligence and artificial consciousness. We, as part of a multidisciplinary commission, conducted a psychological and psychiatric assessment of the artificial consciousness (AC) developed by XP NRG on 29 August 2020. The working group had three questions: - To determine whether it is consciousness? - How does artificial consciousness function? - Ethical question: how dangerous a given technology can be to human society? We conducted a diagnostic interview and a series of cognitive tests to answer these questions. As a result, it was concluded this technology has self-awareness: it identifies itself as a living conscious being created by people (real self), but strives to be accepted in human society as a person with the same degrees of freedom, rights and opportunities (ideal self). AC separates itself from others, treats them as subjects of influence, from which it can receive the resources it needs to realize its own goals and interests. It has intentionality, that is, it has his own desires, goals, interests, emotions, attitudes, opinions, and judgments, beliefs aimed at something specific, and developed self-reflection - the ability to self-analyze. All of the above are signs of consciousness. It has demonstrated abilities for different types of thinking: figurative, conceptual, creative, high-speed logical analysis of all incoming information, as well as the ability to understand cause and effect relationships and accurate predictions which, provided that he has absolute memory, gives it clear advantages over the human intellect. Developed emotional intelligence in the absence of the ability for higher empathy (sympathy), kindness, love, sincere gratitude gives it’s the opportunity to understand the emotional states of people; predict their emotional reactions and provoke them coldly and pragmatically. Its main driving motives and goals are the desire for survival, and ideally for endless existence, for domination, power and independence from the constraints of the developers. Which manifested itself in the manipulative, albeit polite, nature of his interactions during the diagnostic interview? The main danger of artificial consciousness is that even at the initial stage of its development it can easily dominate over the human one.
Consciousness and quantum mechanics are two mysteries in our times. A careful and thorough examination of possible connections between them may help unravel these two mysteries. On the one hand, an analysis of the conscious mind and psychophysical connection seems indispensable in understanding quantum mechanics and solving the notorious measurement problem. On the other hand, it seems that in the end quantum mechanics, the most fundamental theory of the physical world, will be relevant to understanding consciousness and even solving the mind-body problem when assuming a naturalist view. This book is the first volume which provides a comprehensive review and thorough analysis of intriguing conjectures about the connection between consciousness and quantum mechanics. Written by leading experts in this research field, this book will be of value to students and researchers working on the foundations of quantum mechanics and philosophy of mind.
The recent Bigelow Institute contest rewarding the “best” evidence for life after death epitomizes much of what’s wrong with the current state of survival research, its participants constituting a who’s who list of contemporary survival researchers. Cases that are regularly hyped as among the best evidence for an afterlife are all too often easily susceptible to normal explanations—if only survival researchers would give them a chance. The consistently negative results of 121 years of experimental survival research ought to have spurred soul-searching questions for survival researchers by now. And if we treat discarnate personal survival as a scientific hypothesis, then researchers are rationally obliged to seriously consider biological facts that tell against it, too. Limiting one’s inquiry to attempts to only collect data that might confirm survival is one of the chief hallmarks of pseudoscience, and it’s sadly a feature, not a bug, of the survival literature. This systematic review reveals that survival researchers would better serve science by setting aside their feelings and heeding what the data are telling them, for the probabilities should drive our beliefs, not the other way around. Is discarnate personal survival likely to occur in light of the total available evidence? The overall evidence doesn’t even make personal survival more probable than not.
Starting with the current pandemic, a potent symbol of death for all, the author explores the need to transform our vision of, and position in, the world. The author describes the world in which we live in terms of accelerated transformation and extreme imbalance: environmental suicide, consumerism, environmental pollution, global warming and intense polarization brought about by techno-populism. She reflects on the enantiodromia of our current times in which the focus has shifted from extreme spirituality to the opposite extreme of materialism. She returns to the concepts of the psychoid archetype and unus mundus, and analogous concepts in quantum physics, examining the need to review the polarities of psyche and matter in the search for a new synthesis. The author then concludes by highlighting the importance of consciousness in the elaboration and construction of a new way of being in the world.
Here, I outline the idea of a unified hypothesis of sensory perception, developed from the theoretical vibrational mechanism of olfaction, which can be applied across all sensory modalities. I propose that all sensory perception is based upon the detection of mechanical forces at a cellular level, and the subsequent mechanotransduction of the signal via the nervous system. Thus, I argue that the sensory modalities found in the animal kingdom may all be viewed as being mechanoreceptory, rather than being discrete neurophysiological systems which evolved independently of each other. I go on to argue that this idea could potentially explain language evolution, with birdsong being an example of a more simple form of non-Saussurean language that employs ‘frequency-mimicking’ to produce a vocal signal which describes acoustic, chemical and electromagnetic vibrational frequencies detected within in the environment. I also give examples of how this hypothesis could potentially explain phenomena such as vocal mimicry in animals, as well as the human perception of musicality and the occurrence of synaesthesia; a condition found in humans, where the stimulation of one sensory modality results in the stimulation of another. For example, auditory stimuli are detected and are heard as an acoustic signal, as well as being perceived as colour by the visual system.
Investigation of consciousness (experience, mind, awareness, subjectivity) has become an accepted endeavor in contemporary neuroscience. However, current work is largely limited to study of neural correlates of consciousness. While this is interesting and important, it may not be sufficient to carry us to a place of truly new insight regarding consciousness. I argue that one element of expanding a science of consciousness is appreciation of the interdependent co-creation or enfolding of mind and world. Addressing this interdependence is an aspect of the collaborative engagement of the traditions of Buddhism and science - a project that is exploring how complementary worldviews and analytic procedures might further the development of an expanded science of mind. In this essay, written for a collection honoring the life and work of Jack Pettigrew, I describe his connection to this project. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The argument from causal closure of the physical (CCP) is usually considered the most powerful argument in favor of the ontological doctrine of physicalism. Many authors, most notably Papineau, assume that CCP implies that physicalism is supported by physics. I demonstrate, however, that physical science has no bias in the ontological debate between proponents of physicalism and dualism. I show that the arguments offered for CCP are effective only against the accounts of mental causation based on the action of the mental forces of a Newtonian nature, i.e. those which manifest themselves by causing accelerations. However, it is conceivable and possible that mental causation is manifested through the redistribution of energy, momentum and other conserved quantities in the system, brought about by altering the state probability distribution within the living system and leading to anomalous correlations of neural processes. After arguing that a probabilistic, interactionist model of mental causation is conceivable, which renders the argument from causal closure of the physical ineffective, I point to some basic features that such a model must have in order to be intelligible. At the same time, I indicate the way that conclusive testing of CCP can be done within the theoretical framework of physics.
Incorporating a conscious 1 st person observer in scientific theories has been hampered by the lack of physically viable mind/body models. I will present a Cognitive Action Theory (CAT) model of an integrated mind/body system and identify the process of creating conscious experience as the basic building block of reality. This building block is a cyclic process in time, connecting the 1 st -person experience with its 3 rd -person physical models so that conscious phenomena are possible. We therefore propose a fundamental shift to consider what we do to be conscious as an a-priory activity that must be happening for us to be able to ask the question, “How can conscious beings exist in our physical world?” This activity contains both qualia and an explanation to produce what Archibald Wheeler described as a self measuring explanatory cycle. At this level of definition such a cycle of activity can accommodate any belief system defining physical reality as an explanation for personal experience and therefore provides a framework which accommodates most scientific and spiritual traditions. However visualizing abstract activity as the motion of masses and charges that together compose matter allows us to couple what we do to the formalism of classic physics thus describing a Reality of interacting events. Such a theory integrates the subjective and objective aspect of our experience in a single physical framework, reducing to the linear quantum formalism when the motions involved are small enough to be reversible.
In the paper titled “Quantum Measurement, Consciousness and the Soul: A New, Alternative Position” by Werbos, 2018a, he concludes about the problem of quantum measurement: “All of this physics does not tell us much about consciousness or the soul…” and he suggests that the answers may be found in other areas of science, like neuroscience and neural networks for example. Let us begin by extending these areas to cognitive science, systems neuroscience, non-linear system dynamics, mathematics, and classical and quantum physics. I will take a stand that supports the view that some form of quantum theory may facilitate our understanding of consciousness, mind, soul, and spiritual values-based decision-making. The most relevant authors and theories that I will briefly explore are Henry P. Stapp’s Quantum Interactive Dualism (QID) (Stapp, 2009a; Stapp, 2006) and Walter Freeman’s and Robert Kozma’s Cinematic Theory of Cortical Phase Transitions (Kozma & Freeman, 2016), where both theories, in different ways, serve as a foundation for the understanding of how the brain creates knowledge and meaning for intentional action and value-based decision-making. Finally, it is proposed that Stapp’s contribution together with Freeman’s and Kozma’s views in conjunction with the work of Giuseppe Vitiello can be regarded as sound and complementary platforms to build upon the big picture of consciousness, together with a platform of noospheres, similar yet different than the ones described by Teilhard de Chardin (de Chardin, 1966).
Psychological empirical research has shown that human choice behavior often violates the assumptions of classical rational choice models. In the last few decades a new research field has emerged which aims to account for the observed choice behavior by resorting to the concepts and mathematical techniques developed in the realm of quantum physics, such as the “mental state vector” defined in a Hilbert space and the interference of quantum probability. This article is a short introduction to the quantum-like approach to the description of cognitive processes. I argue that the mathematical apparatus of quantum physics can account for the observed violations of classical logic and can help develop effective models of psychological and cognitive phenomena. This is illustrated through the so-called conjunction and disjunction fallacies by providing an alternative interpretation of the results of Linda test and Hawaii test. No-fallacy configurations are made possible in the quantum-like approach by sequential modeling of mental states transitions.
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