The critique of quantum mind: measurement,consciousness, delayed choice, and lost coherence
Physics Uspekhi June 1, 2017 DOI: 10.3367/ufne.2017.06.038155 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe formal logic of many celebrated paradoxes of quantum measurements does not rule out the effect of the observer's mind on the outcome of a measurement or even on the prehistory of a quantum system. The modern methodology of quantum mechanics offers a consistent explanation of the role of an observer's consciousness in physical measurements in universal terms of the interaction between a quantum system and the environment, loss of quantum coherence, and the unitary evolution of the state vector. In this picture, the observer's consciousness is no longer an agent that changes the prehistory of a quantum system, but is rather a subject of physical study. Instruments and methods based on quantum physics open a new phase in such studies.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Physics Philosophy |
| Key finding | Argues that the observer's consciousness can be understood as a physical subject within quantum mechanics, not as an agent that changes a quantum system's prehistory. |
Abstract
Abstract. The formal logic of many celebrated paradoxes of quantum measurements does not rule out the effect of the observer’s mind on the outcome of a measurement or even on the prehistory of a quantum system. The modern methodology of quantum mechanics offers a consistent explanation of the role of an observer’s consciousness in physical measurements in universal terms of the interaction between a quantum system and the environment, loss of quantum coherence, and the unitary evolution of the state vector. In this picture, the observer’s consciousness is no longer an agent that changes the prehistory of a quantum system, but is rather a subject of physical study. Instruments and methods based on quantum physics open a new phase in such studies.