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Open Journal of Philosophy

Many-Worlds, Self, and Dreams

Lei Ma

Published Jan 1, 2017• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The many-worlds interpretation offers a fundamental explanation to the seemingly bizarre quantum theory; however, it lacks empirical significance. In this work I put forward the concepts of “nousor” and “counterpart”, and the notion of self structure scheme, by which I argue that the existence of other parallel worlds could be revealed by dream, and those counterparts in different worlds can exchange information through the special nousor to ensure the oneness of counterparts. Many worlds and all lives there follow the rules of correspondence, convergence, limitation, as well as love and hate. Based on the proposed theory, I analyze not only déjà vu phenomenon, but also actual dreams and sleepwalking, to assist us to understand the concept of self. A large database of humanity’s dreams should be constructed for helping predict disruptions both individually and environmentally.

DOI
10.4236/ojpp.2017.73019

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The many-worlds interpretation offers a fundamental explanation to the seemingly bizarre quantum theory; however, it lacks empirical significance. In this work I put forward the concepts of “nousor” and “counterpart”, and the notion of self structure scheme, by which I argue that the existence of other parallel worlds could be revealed by dream, and those counterparts in different worlds can exchange information through the special nousor to ensure the oneness of counterparts. Many worlds and all lives there follow the rules of correspondence, convergence, limitation, as well as love and hate. Based on the proposed theory, I analyze not only déjà vu phenomenon, but also actual dreams and sleepwalking, to assist us to understand the concept of self. A large database of humanity’s dreams should be constructed for helping predict disruptions both individually and environmentally.
This paper attempts to present a new paradigm of psychology, in which we can find a link between psychology and quantum theory. In this work, I put forward the theory of counterpart, by which I argue that the existence of other parallel worlds could be revealed by dreams, and those counterparts in different worlds can exchange information through the special nousor to ensure the oneness of counterparts. Many worlds and all lives there follow the rules of correspondence, difference, convergence, limitation, as well as love and hate. The proposed theory has a strong empirical explanatory power, it explains not only actual dreams and sleepwalking but also déjà vu and Planck’s problem, assisting us to understand the concept of self. A large database of humanity’s dreams should be constructed for helping predict disruptions both individually and environmentally.
Inspired by the many-worlds interpretation in quantum theory, I present the concepts of “nousor” and the theory of counterpart, by which I make a metaphysical argument that the existence of other parallel worlds could be brought to light by dreams, and that counterparts in different worlds can exchange information through the nousor containing information packets to ensure the oneness of counterparts. Many worlds and all lives there follow the rules which are permanent and can not be violated. Based on the counterpart theory, I propose a new view on the origin and meaning of déjà vu, Planck’s problem, and actual dreams, to offer a novel way of thinking and a problem-solving paradigm. Governments should collect citizen’s dreams and use group dreams as a critical indicator to predicate catastrophes.
The Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics - arguably our most powerfully predictive scientific theory to date - describes a branching Universe composed of an infinite number of quasi-classical macroscopic physical worlds. Though elegant in its straightforward rendering of the mechanics, the Many Worlds Interpretation presents a challenge for understanding identity over time. If we wish to preserve the notion of strict numerical identity, we are faced with the choice between: denying the transitivity of identity; very short-lived lives with near constant death; or accepting that the world is filled with many more individuals than we previously dreamed. In adopting a perdurantist account of identity over time, I argue for this last option. But questions remain about the relationship that branching individuals have to those from whom they’ve split. In this dissertation, I develop a novel account that I call Many Worlds Counterparts. This theory takes its inspiration from Lewis’s Counterpart Theory in offering a modal analysis of de re possibility, but avoids the major challenges that Lewis’s theory faces.
The modern version of the wave-function collapse in quantum mechanics is based on decoherence and leads to the multiverse interpretation of quantum mechanics. The decoherence causes the universe to develop an emergent branching structure. One can interpret the branching structure either as a tree structure or as parallel different histories. Time is not continuous since there are no measurable continuous in quantum physics. Notion of continuous range of possible values of time is just an idealization. The same goes with the direction of time that is a prior assumption based on the branching structure of the multiverse. The multiverse does not exist in external space nor time since there is nothing more beside it. The observer's mind should be not in a superposition with himself. Because of this, in the Many-minds interpretations it is argued that the distinction between worlds should be made at the level of the individual observer. The human bodies are in a superposition, but the minds have definite states that are never in superposition. All possible lives, personalities that do not violate the laws of physics are facts since they represent a valid history in the multiverse. We are one of this possible personalities. Our choices are defined by our personality explained to us by our mind, our consciousness is the unchangeable part of us. It is nonphysical and it senses the world. It does not interact with the brain in the other way beside it.
This paper examines the intersection of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven and the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, reimagining reality-changing dreams as shifts between preexisting parallel worlds. By framing Le Guin's philosophical debate between Taoism and Utilitarianism in terms of the Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations, the paper investigates profound questions about identity, human control, and the nature of reality. In addition, this perspective connects Le Guin's narrative to modern quantum theories and thought experiments like quantum suicide and offers fresh insights into the quantum measurement problem and the implications of wavefunction collapse. Ultimately, this paper shows how The Lathe of Heaven bridges science fiction, physics, and philosophy, presenting a compelling framework for understanding humanity's existence and its place in an interconnected multiverse.
Any viable interpretation of quantum theory needs to account for the Born rule, from which the theory gets its probabilistic empirical predictions. In this paper, we give an overview of possible approaches to this problem in the context of the Many Worlds interpretation. We argue that, for structural reasons, none of them can possibly succeed. More precisely, we argue that the Many Worlds interpretation must obtain the Born rule by proceeding either axiomatically, deductively, or inductively, and that all three of these approaches run into general, fundamental obstructions.