BothAndBlog Forum

Not that I am at all an advocate for "consciousness causes collapse," but sometimes exploring theories you don't like tells you important things about the ones you do like. In any event, in comparison to infinite parallel universes and infinite copies of ourselves, it doesn't seem that wild. If the Fine Tuning Problem is bad enough to make people embrace multiple worlds, maybe consciousness causes collapse is due for a resurgence? — Count Timothy von Icarus

I don't doubt that a scientific observation of quantum superposition results in a change of some kind. But the notion that a single mind's act of perception, can cause a physical change in a material object in the real world, not only sounds like Magic, but also faces the Solipsism paradox.

So I would propose that we look at the "collapse" as a mental change in a single mind, in the Ideal realm. By that I mean the Potential for a particle was "out there" all along. But the observer, in his own mind, by an act of recognition, can cause a particular Form (the particle's physical properties) to suddenly appear within a random background. In other words, the statistical Potential was Actualized, in a manner similar to Pattern Perception*1.

A good example of unrecognized Potential is order-within-randomness optical puzzles, such as the spotty scene below*2. What you see depends in part on what you expect to see. But once a meaningful pattern has been recognized within a random pattern, it calls to mind a concept that was already existing in your memory. So, if you are looking for a particular familiar pattern, it will be easier to see. If I tell you to look for the "?", your mind will overlay a template of instances of "?" that you already know. I gave you a hint above.

So, if the scientist is looking for a localized particle of matter, a pattern matching his mental preconception might suddenly appear from within a background of fuzzy superposition : an act of recognition (to know again). This possible explanation for the "collapse" conundrum just occurred to me. So, it bears further consideration. Is it plausible that quantum "collapse" is merely a change of mind : a shifted perspective to see what was already there?

PS___The Strong Anthropic Principle is alternative explanation for the Fine Tuning observation.


*1. Pattern recognition :
Recognizing patterns allows us to predict and expect what is coming. The process of pattern recognition involves matching the information received with the information already stored in the brain. Making the connection between memories and information perceived is a step of pattern recognition called identification.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_r ... sychology)


*2. ONCE YOU SEE IT, YOU CAN'T UNSEE IT
original.gif

Because unlike objective phenomena, consciousness is both the subject doing the investigating and the object of investigation. — Wayfarer

Taken literally, that subject = object notion sounds like a figment looking at its own concept, as illustrated in Escher's hand-drawing-hand image. However, Idealism & Panpsychism seem to assume that the subject is immersed in a non-local ideal world (e.g. God's world model), and who interprets the contents of his personal consciousness as-if they are non-self objects existing locally even when the subject is not looking. Hence, Berkeley's "quad" explanation that what we "see" is figments of God's imagination, that for all practical (scientific) purposes are real & objective.

My post above suggests a slightly different way to interpret the "collapse of wave function" in a way that does not seem quite so magical & counter-intuitive. In place of "collapse" it substitutes "pattern recognition". If you are looking for a particle of matter, you are more likely to interpret randomized or statistical data as a particular object of some kind. But it's not magic --- subject creates its own object --- merely the Potential/Actual transition that Aristotle defined 2500 years ago, as a feature of our ability to transform incoming Perception (raw data) into internal Conception (meaningful information). That subject/object dualism-within-monism is what I call the BothAnd Principle*1.

In my proposed interpretation, Ari's Potential is what we now call Statistical. And Statistical existence could be defined as Ideal (like all mathematical objects) or as not-yet-real (like all statistical possibilities). Hence, a 50% possibility would be half real & half ideal. Perhaps it also means that God's idea of a particle is 100% Ideal, and our incomplete human perception of the waveform is only partially particular (but real enough for mathematical manipulation). Does any of that actual nonsense make potential sense?

PS___Like all matter/mind discussions, our matter-based words can be interpreted literally (realistically) or metaphorically (ideally), leading to confusion of intention.

*1. BothAnd : Yin/Yang Complementary
This principle is also similar to the concept of Superposition in sub-atomic physics. In this ambiguous state a particle has no fixed identity until “observed” by an outside system. For example, in a Quantum Computer, a Qubit has a value of all possible fractions between 1 & 0. Therefore, you could say that it is both 1 and 0.
https://blog-glossary.enformationism.info/page10.html

POTENTIAL-STATISTICAL WAVE-FUNCTION before & after observation
acrefore-9780190871994-e-77-graphic-069-full.gif