On the quantum mechanics of consciousness, with application to anomalous phenomena

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · Found. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00735378· OSTI ID:6936499

Jahn, R G; Dunne, B J

Theoretical explication of a growing body of empirical data on consciousness-related anomalous phenomena is unlikely to be achieved in terms of known physical processes. Rather, it will first be necessary to formulate the basic role of consciousness in the definition of reality before such anomalous experience can adequately be represented. This paper takes the position that reality is constituted only in the interaction of consciousness with its environment, and therefore that any scheme of conceptual organization developed to represent that reality must reflect the processes of consciousness as well as those of its environment. In this spirit, the concepts and formalisms of elementary quantum mechanics, as originally proposed to explain anomalous atomic-scale physical phenomena, are appropriated via metaphor to represent the general characteristics of consciousness interacting with any environment. More specifically, if consciousness is represented by a quantum mechanical wave function, and its environment by an appropriate potential profile, Schrodinger wave mechanics defines eigenfunctions and eigenvalues that can be associated with the cognitive and emotional experiences of that consciousness in that environment. To articulate this metaphor it is necessary to associate certain aspects of the formalism, such as the coordinate system, the quantum numbers, and even the metric itself, with various impressionistic descriptors of consciousness, such as its intensity, perspective, approach/avoidance attitude, balance between cognitive and emotional activity, and receptive/assertive disposition.

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ, Princeton, NJ
• OSTI ID: 6936499
• Journal Information: Found. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 16:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
PSYCHOLOGY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
BEHAVIOR
EIGENFUNCTIONS
EIGENVALUES
HUMAN FACTORS
INTERACTIONS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
WAVE FUNCTIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FUNCTIONS
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
WAVE EQUATIONS
657002* - Theoretical & Mathematical Physics- Classical & Quantum Mechanics