Superposition of physical states in the wave function of quantum mechanics is difficult to transpose to the macrocosm, as illustrated by “Schrodinger’s cat” thought experiment. Nevertheless, in this example consciousness does not seem to be shown in its complete reality, when evaluated from a medical view-point. Although consciousness functions with reality systems, it also utilizes potentiality systems, which essentially consist in superposition of several probable situations. Some examples of superposition in consciousness are described, to illustrate requirement of potentiality systems in order to predict situations in the future or to complement events in the past. Incomplete observations, such as lacking time or space coordinates, automatically induce potentiality systems in consciousness, in order to complete the lacking coordinates by only potential but most probable coordinates. In contrast, reality systems are only present, when complete observation with exact time and space coordinates can be obtained. Potentiality systems in human consciousness also show the characteristics of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, as well as non-locality and entanglement. Superposition in potentiality systems is an essential function of consciousness, in order to allow perception of future and past events. The basic concept of superposition without corresponding mathematical formalism seems already to show partial isomorphism in the larger sense of Douglas Hofstadter between consciousness and quantum mechanics.
Superposition of physical states in the wave function of quantum mechanics is difficult to transpose to the macrocosm, as illustrated by “Schrodinger’s cat” thought experiment. Nevertheless, in this example consciousness does not seem to be shown in its complete reality, when evaluated from a medical view-point. Although consciousness functions with reality systems, it also utilizes potentiality systems, which essentially consist in superposition of several probable situations. Some examples of superposition in consciousness are described, to illustrate requirement of potentiality systems in order to predict situations in the future or to complement events in the past. Incomplete observations, such as lacking time or space coordinates, automatically induce potentiality systems in consciousness, in order to complete the lacking coordinates by only potential but most probable coordinates. In contrast, reality systems are only present, when complete observation with exact time and space coordinates can be obtained. Potentiality systems in human consciousness also show the characteristics of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, as well as non-locality and entanglement. Superposition in potentiality systems is an essential function of consciousness, in order to allow perception of future and past events. The basic concept of superposition without corresponding mathematical formalism seems already to show partial isomorphism in the larger sense of Douglas Hofstadter between consciousness and quantum mechanics.
Quantum mechanics based on uncertainty measurements are generally thought to be associated with weird conceptions, not conceivable in the macrocosm. Nevertheless, quantum mechanics and consciousness seem to have some isomorphism. At the first person viewpoint the present and the recent past can be considered as observable reality in consciousness, which is associated to certainty, the far distant past and future can only be considered as potentiality, linked to increasing uncertainty. Similar to quantum mechanics, uncertainty represents a major component in consciousness, which has to be controlled for allowing predictions with probability. There is a general rational principle consisting of superposition with probability and applicable to physics, biology and psychology, which allows prediction, if precise information is unavailable. This principle seems to show isomorphism between quantum mechanics and consciousness.
Quantum mechanics have always shown great predictive successes, but also some weird aspects concerning the mathematics-reality correspondence, such as superposition of contradictory events, like a dead and alive cat. Although physicists claim that we have to live with these contradictions, a psycho-biological analysis could propose another explanation. Observation of extra-mental reality is based on direct physical contact between an object, its corresponding sense organ and its mental representation in the brain. In contrast, prediction of the future is no longer directly linked to extra-mental reality, but projects possible observations from the memory of the past into the future. Due to the uncertainty of the future, predictions require mental potentiality, meaning that it may or may not happen in extra-mental reality. Nevertheless, if past observations are regular as in classical physics, they allow predictions with high reliability, whereas if they are irregular as in quantum physics, they are limited to uncertainty and probability. Superposition in classical physics increases space or time units accordingly, whereas quantum superposition considers multiple space locations for the same object at the same time. Thus, the quantum mechanical formalism is in direct contradiction to the philosophical law of non-contradiction, which does not allow considering it as extra-mental reality. However, it has all characteristics of mental potentiality, which allows prediction of future outcomes with probability. The consideration of quantum mechanics as mental potentiality would solve the superposition problem, as well as the measurement and the non-locality problem. According to the regularity or irregularity of observation, classical or quantum mechanical formalism has to be applied for prediction of future dynamics. There is no collapse or continuation of superposition in the wave function, but simply the replacement of an uncertain prediction model by the more certain observation. With this interpretation some weird aspects could be completely eliminated.
Quantum mechanics is based on Schrodinger’s wave function with linear superposition of vectors in a Hilbert space. Due to superposition, multiple physical states are considered simultaneously for the same time point, but when the corresponding quantum mechanical experiments are realized, there is only one outcome and not a superposition of pointer positions. This observation characterizes the quantum mechanical measurement problem, which for about a century found multiple interpretations, which can be classified as potentiality, as proposed by Heisenberg, or as real physical entities, for instance fields. Potentialities are yet inexistent in reality and unobservable in the present, since they represent a possible future. Thus, they can only be an intra-mental representation of a future process and not a physical extra-mental process ongoing in the present. There is coexistence of a physical object observable in reality and a mental prediction by an observer concerning the future behavior of this object. The characterization of quantum mechanical formalism by some physicists corresponds to a prediction and therefore to a mental representation of the future behavior of elementary particles and not to a description of an ongoing extra-mental process. Prediction in life and science has some characteristics, which resemble the measurement problem, since it undergoes a “multiple to one” reduction of mental potentialities to only one observable real outcome. Besides quantum mechanics, such reductions can also be found with many kinds of predictions, in classical physics for regular and irregular dynamical processes and in humans for programming future actions. Superposition in classical physics only concerns variable effects, but in quantum mechanics includes variable effects and non-localizable causes. Quantum mechanics, interpreted as prediction of future outcomes with multiple potentialities but only one realization, would resemble the general prediction problem in life and science and thereby loos its weird aspects.
A number of modern scientists adheres to the point of view that, despite the fact that quantum mechanics does not allow to explain the existence of mental phenomena in the physical world, with the help of its inherent ontological principles and mathematical formalism, it is possible to understand the functioning of consciousness and the unconscious. Based on the analogy between quantum and mental processes, the unconscious can be represented as a superposition of mental states, and consciousness — in the form of decoherence of unconscious experiences. From an evolutionary point of view, consciousness can be considered as a consequence of the accumulation of a sufficient amount of information during the interaction of the organism with the surrounding environment, when the transition from the quantum state of the unconscious to the classical state of consciousness is carried out at the psychic level of being, by analogy with the accumulation of a sufficient amount of information by a quantum system during interaction with the environment, when at the physical level of being the collapse of the wave function. In psychotherapy and psychodiagnostics, one can see an analogy with the measurement process in quantum mechanics and a quantum leap from one mental state to another. However, the analysis of this point of view carried out in the article shows that the parallels between quantum mechanics and psychology today look insufficiently substantiated, since the mathematical model of the psyche, which allows describing human behavior on the basis of the laws of quantum mechanics, has not yet been built, which is why, firstly, the use of quantum-physical terminology in the understanding of mental experience does not rise to the level of scientific theory, remaining a metaphor, and, secondly, quantum psychology has a predictive potential, in contrast to the psychology of the classical type.
Synchronization of quantum mechanics with relativity has been considered differently from the present quantum gravity models. It is originated from the roots of philosophy of physics and the basic concepts of relativity & quantum mechanics. It emphasizes the fact that two conscious observers are necessary to experience one conscious moment. Various concepts of consciousness have been discussed and emphasized the necessity for the introduction of a new model of quantum consciousness. A quantum coordinate system has been introduced to explain the present understanding of the phenomena “observation” and “reality”. It has been elaborated that the observation defined by physics is confined to Lorentz space time coordinate system, Minkowski coordinate system and general relativity. But phenomena of observation cannot be completed without considering one more hidden transformation explaining quantum coordinate system which transforms the quantum states into relativistic coordinate system as an interaction between two conscious observers explained by an interactive mechanism of quantum states. A flow chart has been illustrated by a mechanism giving rise to conscious moment and proposed a new model of consciousness. It emphasizes on the fact that “reality” is different from “observation” defined by physics. It affects the relativistic factor of special relativity and suggests a modification for it. If this modified relativistic factor is proved experimentally, the results establish consciousness’s mechanism and a remarkable breakthrough in physics of consciousness studies.
I start from the fundamental principles of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, without probability, and interpret them using the notion of coexistence: a quantum state can be read, not uniquely, as a coexistence of other quantum states, which are pairwise orthogonal. In this formalism, I prove that a conscious observer is necessarily a physical object that can memorize local events by setting one of its parts in an exactly specified constant quantum state (hypotheses H1, H2 and H3). Then I define the probability of a future event as the proportion of initial observers, all identical, who will actually experience that event. It then becomes possible to establish the usual results of quantum mechanics. Furthermore, I detail the link between probabilities and relative frequencies. Additionally, I study the biological feasibility of this modelling of observer's mind. The second part of this paper completes the neuronal description of the mind functions, based on current neuroscientific knowledge. It provides a model that is compatible with the assumptions of the first part and consistent with our daily conscious experience. In particular, it develops a model of self-consciousness based on an explicit use of the random component of neuron behaviour; according to the first part, that random is in fact the coexistence of a multiplicity of possibilities. So, when the mind measures the random part of certain neurons in the brain, he goes himself within each of these possibilities. The mind has a decision-making component that is active in this situation, appearing then as the cause of the choice of this possibility among all the others. This models the self-consciousness which then ensures the unity of our conscious experience by equating this experience with ``what the ego is conscious about''. The conclusion details the points that remain to be developed.