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Journal of Research in Philosophy and History

Counterpart Theory and Its Applications

Lei Ma

Published Mar 16, 2018• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.22158/jrph.v1n1p13

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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 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.
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.
For the better part of a century, attempts to explain what was really going on in the quantum world seemed doomed to failure. But recent technological advances have made the question both practical and urgent. A brilliantly imaginative group of physicists at Oxford University have risen to the challenge. This is their story. At long last, there is a sensible way to think about quantum mechanics. The new view abolishes the need to believe in randomness, long-range spooky forces, or conscious observers with mysterious powers to collapse cats into a state of life or death. But the new understanding comes at a price: we must accept that we live in a multiverse wherein countless versions of reality unfold side-by-side. The philosophical and personal consequences of this are awe-inspiring. The new interpretation has allowed imaginative physicists to conceive of wonderful new technologies: measuring devices that effectively share information between worlds and computers that can borrow the power of other worlds to perform calculations. Step by step, the problems initially associated with the original many-worlds formulation have been addressed and answered so that a clear but startling new picture has emerged. Just as Copenhagen was the centre of quantum discussion a lifetime ago, so Oxford has been the epicenter of the modern debate, with such figures as Roger Penrose and Anton Zeilinger fighting for single-world views, and David Deutsch, Lev Vaidman and a host of others for many-worlds. An independent physicist living in Oxford, Bruce has had a ringside seat to the debate. In his capable hands, we understand why the initially fantastic sounding many-worlds view is not only a useful way to look at things, but logically compelling. Parallel worlds are as real as the distant galaxies detected by the Hubble Space Telescope, even though the evidence for their existence may consist only of a few photons.
Abstract What does realism about the quantum state imply? What follows when quantum theory is applied without restriction, if need be, to the whole universe? These are the questions which are debated in this book. All the chapters start from the point of realism, and based on the need, or the aspiration, for a theory that unites micro- and macroworlds, at least in principle. But the further claim argued by some is that if you allow the Schrödinger equation unrestricted application, supposing the quantum state to be something physically real, then this universe is one of countlessly many others, constantly branching in time, all of which are real. The result is the many worlds theory, also known as the Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics. The contrary claim sees this picture of many worlds as in no sense inherent in quantum mechanics, even when the latter is allowed unrestricted scope and even given that the quantum state itself is something physically real. For this picture of branching worlds fails to make physical sense, let alone common sense, even on its own terms. The status of these worlds, what they are made of, is never adequately explained. Ordinary ideas about time and identity over time become hopelessly compromised. The concept of probability itself is brought into question. This picture of many branching worlds is inchoate, it is a vision, an error. There are realist alternatives to many worlds, some even that preserve the Schrödinger equation unchanged. Twenty chapters, accompanied by commentaries and discussions, examine these claims and counterclaims in depth. They focus first on the question of ontology, the existence of worlds, second on the interpretation of probability, and third on alternatives or additions to many worlds. The introduction offers a helpful guide to the arguments for the Everett interpretation, particularly as they have been formulated in the last two decades.