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The passage of time and top-down causation

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... as elaborated recently in [Landsman (2017)]. Real quantum measurements are complex multi-stage affairs that are crucially context-dependent ( [Drossel and Ellis (2018)]: §2), [Drossel (2023)]. ...
... In summary: "The complement of reduction is emergence. While reduction considers how the whole can be explained in terms of its parts, the concept of emergence considers the qualitatively new properties of the whole, which are not properties of the parts ... The microscopic level of a system is causally open to influences from the macroscopic environment" [Drossel (2023)]. ...
... Causal completeness based in the total details of her initial brain state is not possible. Incoming data is handled predictively [Clark (2013)] and shapes the pattern of action potential spike chains in her brain to reflect her choice of action for times t > t 1 via a process of interlevel causal closure involving such spike chains, which are shaped by rational thought that alters the positions R i (t) of nuclei in the voltage gated ion channels in her brain, as well as past experiences that have shaped neural connections ([Drossel (2023)]: §6). Circular causation takes place [Noble et al (2019)] that involves all these levels, and indeed also the level of society in which the action is situated, which leads to the existence and functionality of the ambulance. ...
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Is there a single linearly evolving Wave Function of the Universe that is able to lead to all the nonlinearities we see around us? This proposal seems a priori highly implausible. I claim that instead, in the real Universe, generically only local wave functions exist. Non-local wave functions occur for carefully engineered contexts such as Bell experiments, but there is no single wave function for a cat or macroscopic object such as a brain, let alone for the Universe as a whole. Contextual wave function collapse leads to a defensible version of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory, where classical macro levels provide the context for quantum events and biological emergence. Complexity arises via multiscale adaptive modular hierarchical structures that enable logical branching to emerge from the underlying linear physics. Each emergent level is causally effective because of the meshing of upwards and downwards causation that takes place consistently with that physics. Quantum chemistry approaches in biological contexts fit this local wavefunction picture.
... Time dilation was primarily developed to explain the behavior of physical elements. However, it has produced practical and theoretical controversies that are widely discussed in the literature (Birx, 2009;Drossel, 2023;Isenberg, 2017;Unnikrishnan, 2022). From a practical perspective, the relativity of time and speed (Maudlin, 2012) and biological speed limits (Birx, 2009) create complications. ...
... In this perspective, time has no real existence (Price, 2011). This approach on time has proved to be limited and has created inconsistencies even for the interpretation and prediction of physical phenomena (Drossel, 2023;Ellis, 2024). It denies the existence of real change, which leads to causal determinism and a lack of mental causation in physical world (Ellis & Goswami, 2014). ...
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Time dilation is an important issue in the field of physics. Introduced by the special relativity theory, it means that the time duration spent by an entity to reach a certain destination depends on the movement and speed of the entity. Time dilation has been widely addressed in other disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, and motivation. However, it has produced practical and theoretical controversies in the literature. The new version of relativity theory resolves these issues by extending time dilation to conceptual and mental factors and taking a process-based approach to the development of universe. The purpose of this paper is to discuss time dilation in different scientific arenas and explicate it in motivation from the perspective of motivational congruence theory (MCT). The theory provides a new explanation for the underlying mechanisms of time dilation as a mental phenomenon in motivation. According to MCT, a congruence between the context and extrinsic and intrinsic motivations escalates overall motivation. This, in turn, results in high levels of effort and engagement towards the task and leads to mental time dilation. That is, the individual becomes so engaged with the task that their subjective estimation of time duration becomes shorter, compared to an objective measurement of the elapsed time. The study provides hypotheses for further empirical research. MCT’s view to time dilation aligns with advances in the fields of physics and philosophy. It contributes to the literature by presenting a new explanation for mental time dilation and elaborating the motivational mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon.
... Accordingly, the measurement depends on the passage of time. [3]. The six-dimensional space-time theory is based on the passage of time. ...
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Young's two-slit test can be interpreted over time. Classical events have a quantum behaviour over time. Based on the findings of this research, Quantum Phenomena have a classical interpretation. The role of time has been neglected in the understanding of quantum mechanics phenomena. By examining classical events over time, Quantum Phenomena were simulated. Entanglement, particle-wave phenomenon, etc. are intertwined in the space-time structure. The role of the arrow of time in solving physics problems can be considered.
... Accordingly, the measurement depends on the passage of time. [3]. The six-dimensional space-time theory is based on the passage of time. ...
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Young's two-slit test has long been a cornerstone in understanding the behaviour of light and matter. However, a new perspective on this classic experiment has emerged, shedding light on the role of time in interpreting quantum phenomena. This research suggests that classical events exhibit quantum behaviour over time, leading to a reinterpretation of Quantum Phenomena based on the classical events. This study has successfully simulated Quantum Phenomena by examining classical events over time, such as entanglement and the particle-wave duality. These findings suggest that Quantum Phenomena are intertwined in the space-time structure, and the role of the arrow of time may hold the key to solving complex physics problems in the quantum realm.
... In addition to the unitary transformations generated by the Dirac equation, wave function collapse such as occurs in quantum measurements is time asymmetric and so involve a loss of information [43]. Additionally, real quantum measurements [28] are not time symmetric because any physical apparatus interacts with heat baths that affect outcomes [44][45][46], and thereby get an arrow of time from the expanding universe. This affects the way time underlies processes in physical structures such as digital computers, whose operation at the transistor level depends on these quantum processes [47]. ...
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This paper is a comment on both Bunamano and Rovelli (Bridging the neuroscience and physics of time arXiv:2110.01976. (2022)) and Gruber et al. (in Front. Psychol. Hypothesis Theory, 2022) and which discuss the relation between physical time and human time. I claim here, contrary to many views discussed there, that there is no foundational conflict between the way physics views the passage of time and the way the mind/brain perceives it. The problem rather resides in a number of misconceptions leading either to the representation of spacetime as a timeless Block Universe, or at least that physically relevant universe models cannot have preferred spatial sections. The physical expanding universe can be claimed to be an Evolving Block Universe with a time-dependent future boundary, representing the dynamic nature of the way spacetime develops as matter curves spacetime and spacetime tells matter how to move. This context establishes a global direction of time that determines the various local arrows of time. Furthermore time passes when quantum wave function collapse takes place to an eigenstate; during this process, information is lost. The mind/brain acts as an imperfect clock, which coarse-grains the physical passage of time along a world line to determine the experienced passage of time, because neural processes take time to occur. This happens in a contextual way, so experienced time is not linearly related to physical time in general. Finally I point out that the Universe is never infinitely old: its future endpoint always lies infinitely faraway in the future.
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This chapter presents the ontogeny of intelligence via a 4-phase cycle explained in part by Piaget’s theory of equilibration. The chapter discusses the expansion of equilibration theory to incorporate new physical interpretations and dynamic transitions that facilitate learning. It also suggests that the causal cycle can be observed not only in individual learning but also in teams and organizations at the meso level, as well as in culture at the macro level.
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