Veiled Nonlocality and Cosmic Censorship
M. Kafatos, S. Kak
January 7, 2014
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that if consciousness has a quantum mechanical basis or correlate, it should have a nonlocal component, and that searches for a physical trace of consciousness should look for nonlocality. Proposes that nonlocality may be veiled as a form of cosmic censorship, and that veiled nonlocality and cosmic censorship are indispensable to observers' interactions with physical systems. Suggests indirect traces of nonlocality might be detectable in experiments involving sentient subjects. |
Abstract
The premise that consciousness has a quantum mechanical basis or correlate implies that its workings have a nonlocal component. To check whether consciousness as an entity leaves a physical trace, we propose that laboratory searches for such a trace should be for nonlocality, where probabilities do not conform to local expectations. Starting with the idea that nonlocality may be veiled as one of the ways cosmic censorship operates, we further argue that in order to preserve the ordinary objective reality described by local realism and general relativity, veiled nonlocality and cosmic censorship are indispensable operational aspects of the interactions of observers with physical systems. Nevertheless, it may be possible to indirectly detect traces of nonlocality in experiments where humans and other sentient subjects are involved