Reference Frame, Discriminating Mind and Unborn-Unextinguished
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) August 7, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21833188 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that a filtering mapping underlying statistical mechanics, quantum decoherence, and quantum measurement corresponds to the "discriminating mind" in Eastern philosophy, and that spiritual cultivation reduces a filtering ratio parameter to reveal awareness's primordial nature. |
Abstract
Abstract Recent advances in mathematical physics reveal that statistical mechanics, quantum decoherence and quantum measurement share an identical mathematical structure: a filtering mapping acting on the system’s degrees of freedom. The filtered information becomes irrecoverable, giving rise to the arrow of time and irreversibility within the reduced description. This paper argues that such filtering operation constitutes a precise physical counterpart to the “discriminating mind (vikalpa)” discussed in Eastern philosophy. The “dim indistinctness” in Laozi, the “Primal Chaos” in Zhuangzi, and the Buddhist notion of “unborn and unextinguished” all characterize the unfiltered state ; while “that which can be named”, “borrowing apertures” and “conceptual imputation” correspond to the implementation of filtering mapping . The essence of spiritual cultivation — attaining ultimate emptiness, mind fasting, samatha-vipassana — lies in gradually reducing the filtering ratio parameter, until both the reference frame and the agent performing filtering vanish entirely, allowing awareness to recognize its primordial nature. This article establishes a unified framework with rigorous scientific foundation and philosophical profundity for the mind-body problem in quantum mechanics, the modern interpretation of Eastern philosophy, and the validity of spiritual practice.