The question how intentional action is concretely realized is not only a key question in quantum consciousness theory but also in attempts to understand psychokinesis (PK). In TGD framework the mechanisms of intentional action and PK are basically the same, and the article can be seen also as a proposal for how intentional action might be realized in TGD Universe. There are experimental results - such as the experiments of Libet - suggesting that intentional action involves a signal propagating to geometric past where it initiates the desired action. PK experiments with random bit sequences suggest a model based on state function reduction, and the possibility to affect intentionally the probabilities of the outcomes of the microscopic quantum transition with two final states representing the values of bits. The standard view is that the intentional action interferes directly with the microscopic quantum transition. Too-good-to-be-true option is that intentional action is able to produce a quantum superposition of bits represented as magnetized regions. In this case a direct experimental proof of PK by comparing the data file subject to intentional action with its copy - and thus involving no statistical procedures - is possible. A detailed mechanism allowing the observer (either operator or experimenter) to affect by intentional action the number of 1s or 0s in a series of bits stored in a data file as magnetized regions is discussed.
The question how intentional action is concretely realized is not only a key question in quantum consciousness theory but also in attempts to understand psychokinesis (PK). In TGD framework the mechanisms of intentional action and PK are basically the same, and the article can be seen also as a proposal for how intentional action might be realized in TGD Universe. There are experimental results - such as the experiments of Libet - suggesting that intentional action involves a signal propagating to geometric past where it initiates the desired action. PK experiments with random bit sequences suggest a model based on state function reduction, and the possibility to affect intentionally the probabilities of the outcomes of the microscopic quantum transition with two final states representing the values of bits. The standard view is that the intentional action interferes directly with the microscopic quantum transition. Too-good-to-be-true option is that intentional action is able to produce a quantum superposition of bits represented as magnetized regions. In this case a direct experimental proof of PK by comparing the data file subject to intentional action with its copy - and thus involving no statistical procedures - is possible. A detailed mechanism allowing the observer (either operator or experimenter) to affect by intentional action the number of 1s or 0s in a series of bits stored in a data file as magnetized regions is discussed.
Intentional effects of human observerson the output of quantum-based random number generators (tRNG) have been studied for decades now. This research has been known as micro-psychokinesis (micro-PK) and many studies in the field reported evidence for mentally induced non-random deviations from chance. A most recent meta-analysis from Bösch, et al. (2006) revealed a very small and heterogeneous overall effect size that indicated a significant deviation from chance across studies. There remains doubt among the scientific community on the existence of micro-PK given: (i) the small and heterogenous effect; and (ii) the fact that several independent replication attempts of prominent studies failed to confirm the original results. The study presented here was intended to provide decisive evidence for or against the existence of micro-PK. An online experiment with 12,571 participants was conducted. The Bayesian analysis revealed strong evidence for H0 (BF01= 10.07). Thus, micro-PK did not exist in the data. A closer inspection of the temporal change of the effect seemed to suggest a non-random oscillative structure with a higher frequency than observed in simulated data. The possible role of entropy and the relation to the model of pragmatic information from von Lucadou (2015) is discussed.
PK experiments with prerecorded targets (Schmidt, 1976) are interesting because they suggest a variety of new test arrangements to study the basic PK mechanism. In addition, they permit the inclusion of independent observers who, with little time investment, can obtain first-hand evidence of any anomalous effects that may occur. Four such experiments with different independent observers, different subject populations, and minor variations have been performed previously (Schmidt & Braud, 1993; Schmidt, Morris, & Hardin, 1990; Schmidt, Morris, & Rudolph, 1986; Schmidt & Schlitz, 1988) with the first author as main experimenter and the other one or two authors acting as independent observers. The results of PK experiments with prerecorded random events appear most interesting and most puzzling because the subject's mental effort is made long after the random events to be affected have occurred. One tentative viewpoint (Schmidt, 1978; Walker, 1979) is that the subject's mental effort could act backward to the time when the random events were generated and recorded. This would imply a noncausal mechanism in the sense that the effect (the biasing of the random events) occurs before the cause (the mental effort). It might be this element of noncausality that makes psychic phenomena so intuitively implausible and at odds with the known principles of physics. Another viewpoint (Schmidt, 1982) is based on the quantum theoretical notion that there is no if there is no observer. Thus, the decisions of the random generator might become reality only when the subject observes the outcome during the test session. The subject's effort would not have to act into the past because the decision on the outcome would not yet be made until the subject received feedback during the PK test session. In this case, a preobservation of the recorded events should inhibit the subject's success, because the preobservation would make the random decisions real so that the subject's subsequent mental effort would come too late. For this reason it seemed particularly interesting to conduct an experiment in which half of the prerecorded random events had been preinspected so that one could compare the possible PK effects on the preobserved and not-observed events. One previous study (Schmidt, 1985) has indicated an inhibition of the PK effect by preobservation. In view of the central role of the question, however, further studies of the preobservation effect seem most important. In this and the four previous studies, the question of highest priority was whether a PK effect could be demonstrated under tightly controlled conditions. Because preobservation might inhibit the PK effect, we decided in advance to base the possible evidence for the existence of PK only on the results from the not-preobserved events. Although the independent observer was somewhat skeptical about the existence of PK, he was very interested in a possible preobservation effect because of its possible implications for quantum theory. Our subject pool consisted primarily of martial arts students as a matter of practical convenience. This population was relatively easily accessible and one that the experimenter had not yet explored. No attempt was made, however, to compare martial arts training and skill with PK performance systematically. METHOD The study was structured into 20 units such that a unit could be considered as a mini-experiment. Each unit was subdivided into 100 blocks of binary data. The sequence of binary data in each block determined two partial results, an even result and an odd result, arising from the even- or odd-numbered bits in the sequence. The partial results were defined so that by inverting the bits in the sequence (interchanging 1s and 0s) the signs of the partial results were inverted. In following the procedure for each unit, the experimenter used a true random generator to record the random bit-sequences for the 100 blocks on floppy disk. …
A psychokinetic (PK) effect--a mental influence on the outcome of chance processes--was first reported by Louisa and J. B. Rhine (Rhine & Rhine, 1943) from experiments with dice. Through the introduction of electronic random number generators based on quantum randomness (Schmidt, 1971), the experiments became more easily accessible and even more challenging to physicists. Today, a large number of successful PK experiments with random number generators have been reported (Radin & Nelson, 1989). It has not yet been possible, however, to stabilize and strengthen the statistically weak effects so that they can be easily demonstrated on demand. The discovery of PK effects on prerecorded random events (Schmidt, 1976) did not make the gathering of data less arduous, but it permitted the inclusion of independent observers who, with little investment of time and effort, could obtain first-hand evidence for any PK effects that might occur. All five experiments to be discussed here included such independent observers. PK Tests with Prerecorded Events and Independent Observers In a typical PK experiment, a random number generator produces a binary random sequence that the subject tries to bias in a certain manner. Let us take, for example, the case where the random generator produces in each test run a sequence of 100 binary events displayed as a sequence of 100 red (for a 0-bit) and green (for a 1-bit) light flashes, while the subject is instructed to mentally enforce the appearance of more red than green flashes. The sequence of red and green signals is stored on floppy disk, and a score that is measured by the difference between the numbers of red and green signals is displayed and recorded at the end of the run. The arrangement for an experiment with prerecorded random events is similar, but there is a time delay between the generation of the random events and their display to the subject. First, the random signals for a large number of test runs are generated and recorded on floppy disk. Days or months later, the stored signals are translated by the computer into a corresponding sequence of red and green light flashes while the subject tries to mentally enforce the appearance of more red than green signals. Experiments have shown that selected subjects can succeed in this arrangement (Schmidt, 1976, 1987), provided that the prerecorded events have not been inspected by anybody before the subject makes the PK effort. To let an independent observer participate in the experiment, we prerecord the bit sequences for all test runs planned for the experiment, and we let a computer make a printout of the scores for all the test runs. Being careful that nobody can observe the scores, we send a sealed copy of the printout to the independent observer. Leaving the printout sealed, the independent observer randomly specifies for each test run whether the subject's PK effort should be aimed at a high score (excess of red signals in the example) or a low score (excess of green signals). In the subsequent PK test sessions, the subject follows for each test run the independent observer's assignments, aiming for an excess of red or green signals, respectively. At the end of the experiment, the independent observer opens the sealed printouts. If the subject's effort was successful, the independent observer can confirm this first-hand by a tendency of the scores to point in the directions (positive or negative) that he had randomly specified. Because the independent observer had randomly assigned the directions, he or she can be certain that no such systematic tendency should occur (in the absence of the claimed anomaly). Using an appropriate statistical method, the independent observer can assess the significance of such a tendency without having to consider the reliability of the experimenter and his procedures. Test Arrangement with Distant Subjects The five experiments under discussion followed this general outline with minor variations. …
A vivid discussion revolves around the role of the human mind in the quantum measurement process. While some authors argue that conscious observation is a necessary element to achieve the transition from quantum to classical states during measurement (Wigner, 1963), some go even further and propose a more active influence of the human mind on the probabilities of quantum measurement outcomes (e.g. Atmanspacher, Römer, & Walach, 2002; Penrose & Hameroff, 2011). This proposition was tested in micro-psychokinesis (micro-Pk) research were intentional observer effects on quantum random number generators (RNGs) were investigated. In the studies presented here we extended this line of research and tested the impact unconscious goals on micro-Pk. Our focus was cigarette addiction as an unconscious drive and hypothesized that regular cigarette smokers would influence the outcome of a quantum RNG that determined whether the participant was going to see a smoking-related or a neutral picture. Study 1 revealed strong evidence for micro-Pk (BF = 66.06) supporting the H1. As expected, no deviation from chance was found with non-smokers. In Study 2, a pre-registered highly powered replication attempt, failed to reproduce this result and showed strong evidence for H0 (BF = 11.07). When the data from both studies are combined a remarkable change in effect across time (resembling a combination of appearance followed by decline) can be seen only in the smoker’s subsample. Appearance-and-decline effects were absent in the non-smokers sample and in a simulation. Based on von Lucadou’s Model of Pragmatic Information we suggest that (micro-)Pk effects follow a systematic pattern comparable to a dampened harmonic oscillation. This concept may shed new light on past and future Pk research.
Objective. Testing specific mind-related effects on reality formation by investigating deviations from quantum randomness during the process of intentional observation, also known as micro-psychokinesis (micro-PK), is one empirical approach to address the mind-matter problem. While meta-analytical evidence over decades of research suggests that observers’ conscious or unconscious motivational states could produce significant micro-PK effects on quantum number generator (QRNG) outcomes, direct replication attempts often failed or the initially strong and apparently stable effects declined over time. Therefore, in addition to a direct replication strategy, alternative confirmatory approaches have been proposed that apply Higher-Level Analytical Strategies (HLASs) to test these effects existence. The present study reports a preregistered replication attempt of a micro-PK effect on QRNG outcomes documented by a specific HLAS variant, the Change of Evidence (CoE) measures, which were performed on a post-hoc basis in an original study.Method. To assess the observers’ unconscious intentional states, in a re-analysis of an existing data set we determined participants’ personality traits (PTs) on Cluster C and analyzed the relation between Cluster C outcome and trait-related sentences selected via QRNG outputs mirroring the respective typical concerns associated with the PTs vs. neutral stimuli. We predicted the presentation of more PT-related stimuli than chance expectation among participants exhibiting high PT assessment scores (PT-high) but not among individuals who exhibited low levels of these characteristics (PT-low). Although in line with this prediction initially strong Bayesian evidence for H1 was found within the PT-high group, this effect unexpectedly declined upon further data collection to indecisive evidence. Three post-hoc CoE tests were then performed comparing the empirical data to a randomly generated set of 10,000 simulations to distinguish a false positive finding i.e., an unsystematic, random Bayesian evidence variation, from a true positive effect that later declined i.e., from a systematic one. These exploratory post-hoc re-analyses of an existing data set rejected the null hypotheses in all CoE tests performed. These findings were then tested for replicability in a preregistered replication study which will be reported here.Results. The replication attempt failed. No Bayesian evidence for micro-PK was found and none of the CoE analyses could reject the null hypothesis in the PT-high group. As expected, no effects were found in the PT-low group either.Conclusion. The findings of the herein presented analyses go along with the results of earlier studies reporting similar experimental approaches which initially revealed strong and supposedly robust evidence for the postulated effects in non-preregistered original experiments but failed in a direct replication. Most central, the present findings indicate, that even CoE measures following the idea of HLASs to circumvent the non-replicability problem cannot provide replicable higher order micro-PK effects. The results obtained are discussed with regard to the Model of Pragmatic Information (MPI).
The term action of consciousness is used to refer to an influence, such as psychokinesis or free will, that produces an effect on matter that is correlated to mental intention, but not completely determined by physical conditions. Such an action could not conserve energy. But in that case, one wonders why, when highly accurate measurements are done, occasions of non-conserved energy (generated perhaps by unconscious PK) are not detected. A possible explanation is that actions of consciousness take place within the limits of the uncertainty principle. Two models are reviewed that, using the latter assumption, propose that consciousness can originate an action potential in the brain. One (that of Eccles) uses the latter assumption only, and the other (that of Burns) additionally assumes that consciousness acts, within those limits, by ordering quantum fluctuations.