dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaDoes consciousness really collapse the wave function? A possible objective biophysical resolution of the measurement problem
| Authors | Fred H. Thaheld |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0509042 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0509042 |
| Journal | BioSystems 81 (2005) 113-124 |
Abstract
An analysis has been performed of the theories and postulates advanced by von Neumann, London and Bauer, and Wigner, concerning the role that consciousness might play in the collapse of the wave function, which has become known as the measurement problem. This reveals that an error may have been made by them in the area of biology and its interface with quantum mechanics, when they called for the reduction of any superposition states in the brain through the mind or consciousness. Many years later Wigner changed his mind to reflect a simpler and more realistic objective position, expanded upon by Shimony, which appears to offer a way to resolve this issue. The argument is therefore made that the wave function of any superposed photon state or states is always objectively changed within the complex architecture of the eye in a continuous linear process initially for most of the superposed photons, followed by a discontinuous nonlinear collapse process later for any remaining superposed photons, thereby guaranteeing that only final, measured information is presented to the brain, mind or consciousness. An experiment to be conducted in the near future may enable us to simultaneously resolve the measurement problem and also determine if the linear nature of quantum mechanics is violated by the perceptual process.
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"abstract": "An analysis has been performed of the theories and postulates advanced by von\nNeumann, London and Bauer, and Wigner, concerning the role that consciousness\nmight play in the collapse of the wave function, which has become known as the\nmeasurement problem. This reveals that an error may have been made by them in\nthe area of biology and its interface with quantum mechanics, when they called\nfor the reduction of any superposition states in the brain through the mind or\nconsciousness. Many years later Wigner changed his mind to reflect a simpler\nand more realistic objective position, expanded upon by Shimony, which appears\nto offer a way to resolve this issue. The argument is therefore made that the\nwave function of any superposed photon state or states is always objectively\nchanged within the complex architecture of the eye in a continuous linear\nprocess initially for most of the superposed photons, followed by a\ndiscontinuous nonlinear collapse process later for any remaining superposed\nphotons, thereby guaranteeing that only final, measured information is\npresented to the brain, mind or consciousness. An experiment to be conducted in\nthe near future may enable us to simultaneously resolve the measurement problem\nand also determine if the linear nature of quantum mechanics is violated by the\nperceptual process.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0509042",
"authors": [
"Fred H. Thaheld"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph",
"q-bio.NC"
],
"journal_ref": "BioSystems 81 (2005) 113-124",
"title": "Does consciousness really collapse the wave function? A possible objective biophysical resolution of the measurement problem",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0509042"
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