I've been thinking recently about quantum mechanics and consciousness. Not as in depth as our FDP (i.e., Friendly Dark Philosopher -- time to update the IGTA, i.e., the ITLADian Glossary of Terms and Acronyms) Don't you just LOVE recursive acronyms? But I digress.
A parallel with some Jungian ideas struck me this morning. Don't know if it means anything or leads anywhere but I thought I'd throw out some vague ideas that are floating around in my head.
The main idea is Jung's "tension of the opposites" and how Edinger says that it is this tension of the opposites that actually creates consciousness. Edinger, in "The Creation of Consciousness," writes:
"[I]n the process of creating consciousness we shall at first be thrown back and forth between opposing moods and attitudes. Each time the ego identifies with one side of a pair of opposites the unconscious will confront one with its contrary. Gradually, the individual becomes able to experience opposite viewpoints simultaneously. With this capacity, alchemically speaking, the Philosophers' Stone is born, i.e., consciousness is created."
What struck me is the parallel between experiencing "opposite viewpoints simultaneously" and the superposition of quantum states. For Jung and Edinger, the goal is NOT to collapse the opposites to one or the other opposing viewpoint but to maintain a both/and reality.
As I said, I'm not sure if that means anything but it is interesting. This is all very unfleshed out but I was trying to imagine what it would mean to experience the tension of the opposites when it comes to quantum states.
Could it result in our being able to "see" several Multiple Worlds (MW) at the same time? Since each MW corresponds to one or another reality, holding a both/and view would let us experience several simultaneously.
And what is the application to our FDP's CtCw theory? What would it mean for the goal to be to NOT collapse the wave but keep it in its superposition?
Well, that's all I have for now. What do you all think?
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2 comments:
KEN: Your observation (pun unintended) with regard to existing within a superposition state perceiving two universes within the Everett Multiverse is curiously synchrondipitous. Last week I attended a meeting of the Manchester branch of the Scientific & Medical Network (SMN)and I got chatting to a fellow member of the SMN (and member of this Blog to boot)who asked me exactly that question. She explained that she had had a very strange experience a few years ago whereby her conscious awareness biforcated into two 'realities' - one that was this reality and one that was an alternative spinning off in another temporal direction. She said that she would, when time allowed, place a posting on here describing in detail what she experienced.
I look forward to both the posting and the fascinating debate that I am sure will ensue.
Ken: Welcome back my friend. You and your posts are like the traditional old London Buses; you wait ages for one and then three turn up all at once!
*smile*
"Could it result in our being able to "see" several Multiple Worlds (MW) at the same time? Since each MW corresponds to one or another reality, holding a both/and view would let us experience several simultaneously.
And what is the application to our FDP's CtCw theory? What would it mean for the goal to be to NOT collapse the wave but keep it in its superposition?"
To answer your question I would say it is VITAL to differentiate between Everettian Many Worlds Interpretation (MWI) and Zeh, Albert and Loewer's Many Minds Interpretation (MMI) as in MWI the alternate realities exist in space time dimensions outside of our capable observation, but in MMI they do not, as only the presently collapsed reality from the Probability Density Function actually exists (the alternates remain on the waveform as potential.)
Therefore in pure ITLAD theory and MWI it should(!) be feasible to have empiric observation of alternates (although currenly undiscovered) but in MMI it would not as only ONE collapse can have empiric reality through ONE subjective consciousness at one time.
In my CtCw it is thus impossible to maintain superposition without observation as that would mean total loss of sentience (which I assert happens at the end of our Ultimate Life when we return to the objective consciousness field)
Thus "Consciousness Vs Collapse" becomes a mild tautlogy as one is entirely dependent on the other.
Hope this helps!
*giggle*
Tony: Yes, it will be interesting to read the experiences of the SMN member you spoke to, as from your description it seems to have certain parallels to a few experiences related to me by several associates within my Mental Health sphere of work (about which I shall say no more for now, until time when and if the SMN member relates her experience)
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