With the development of quantum mechanics, the knowledge of properties of material objects has greatly changed from the common ideas found in classic physics. Since Yogācāra is considered to be one of most compatible Buddhist theories with modern science this article aims at comparing quantum mechanics and Yogācāra on properties of material objects from three aspects: the source of material objects; their substantiality; and the interference from the mind. By doing this, a conclusion is made that the two have the same opinions at a general level but different opinions, to certain extents, from each other at specifi c levels.
With the development of quantum mechanics, the knowledge of properties of material objects has greatly changed from the common ideas found in classic physics. Since Yogācāra is considered to be one of most compatible Buddhist theories with modern science this article aims at comparing quantum mechanics and Yogācāra on properties of material objects from three aspects: the source of material objects; their substantiality; and the interference from the mind. By doing this, a conclusion is made that the two have the same opinions at a general level but different opinions, to certain extents, from each other at specifi c levels.
The article highlights those discoveries of quantum physics, the philosophical understanding of which leads researchers to compare its ontology with Buddhist ontology. These are phenomena that reveal the subjectivism of physics. Thus, the discovery of the fundamental role of the observer for quantum mechanical processes and the collapse of the wave function became a «bridge» for the rapprochement of quantum mechanics and Buddhist philosophy, which asserts the relative nature of reality. The phenomenon of quantum non-locality or the plurality of parallel worlds became another basis for seeing the similarity of quantum physics and Buddhism. The idea of universal interdependence, characteristic of relational interpretations of quantum physics, also contributes to strengthening the idea of its similarity with Buddhist ontology. However, as the analysis of two representative comparative approaches shows – one developed by W. Mansfield from the side of physics, and the other developed by A. A. Terentyev from the side of Buddhism – the general tendency to compare the ontology of quantum physics and Buddhism is based on the incorrect reduction of Buddhist ontology to the doctrine of dependent origination and the wrongful identification of emptiness with dependent origination. Although the perception of Buddhist ontology as «Indra’s net» serves for comparativists from the side of physics, as well as for a wide circle of intellectuals, as the first step towards understanding the closeness of Buddhist philosophy to modern science, nevertheless, such popular interpretations are not entirely correct.
A comparative analysis of the process of measurement in classical and quantum physics is given. It necessitates the expedience of the reexamination of the role of the researcher and his consciousness in the process of the interaction of the subject with the material world around him. A survey of the philosophical aspects that pertain to the problem of measurement in quantum physics leads to the conclusion that the scholar is not an independent observer of the material world beyond him, he rather becomes a part of this world to an extent that he brings pressure to bear on the properties of the observed objects. In other words, man becomes an integral part of the universe hence the classical assumption about the existence of the objective reality that is beyond the consciousness of man ceases to be relevant. That is why the philosophical treatment of the problems of quantum theory appears to be much closer to the philosophical principles of the East than to the more common here Western philosophy. Key words : quantum world, measurement, subject, object, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism.
This paper aims to reveal the point of contact between modern science and ancient Indian philosophy, namely quantum mechanics and Advaita Vedanta and Sunyavada in particular. Modern quantum research discloses the essential characteristics of quantum mechanics that disprove classical determinism and find out the relations between energy, entropy, and observations, wave-particle duality, and entanglement. These ideas have some similarity with Advaita Vedanta’s non-dualism (Maya) and Buddhism’s relational existence (Sunyavada) yet there lacks investigation of how either paradigms interface to develop their conceptual epistemology and ontological nexus. This paper recognises the issue of the bridging of these two perspectives, suggests Energetic Relational Ontology as a solution, and presents a new concept, Quantum-Metaphysical Cohesion, through which energy, consciousness and reality can be seen as one.
Niels Bohr himself pointed out to similarity of some philosophic approaches in quantum mechanics and in Buddhism. Some modern interpretations of quantum mechanics go even closer to the Buddhist approach, such as Everett interpretation and, specifically, the recent 'Extended Everett Concept' developed by M.B. Mensky. The present paper shows that both Buddhist thinkers and modern physicists, using very different methods, arrived basically at the same description of reality we live in. This is the point where the parallel worlds of Buddhism and Physics unexpectedly touched each other, and the deeper meaning of this contact is yet to be appreciated by both parties.
NeuroQuantology | March 2013 | Volume 11 | Issue 1| Suppl 1 | Page 123-128
It is widely accepted that consciousness at the start of the 20th century was considered mainly in the context of neurology and the mind-body problem belonged to the domain of neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, later broadened by behavioural science and cognitive science. However, these disciplines cannot completely explain the correlation between mental activity and matter. \nChapter one starts by defining the difficulty of determining consciousness. A discussion of how philosophers (such as Descartes, Locke, Dennett and Nagel) attempted to describe this phenomenon leads to the conclusion that firstly, consciousness is indefinable and secondly, it continues to be a challenge for both – philosophy and science – to explain how subjective consciousness fits into the objective world. The following two parts of the chapter focus on the major philosophical theories of the mind-body problem. \nIn chapter two there is a focus on the mutual relation between philosophy and science, physics in particular. However, this project deals more with the implications of science for the philosophy of mind and mind-body problem than the science itself. The second enquiry of this chapter is to point out the difference in philosophical and scientific understanding of the word ‘substance’ (crucial to the mind-body problem). \nChapter three considers quantum theory, since the relation between mind and body started to be tackled from the completely new point of view, after the philosophers began to assimilate the implications of quantum physics. Firstly, there is a short introduction to quantum theory and the most significant points for philosophy and quantum mechanics issues are provided (such as quantum superposition, the measurement problem or the backward causation). Analysis of three prevailing theories is provided. \nThis project addresses the contribution of quantum mechanics to the studies of consciousness and matter and examines whether it helps in solving the mind-body problem.
The nature and idea of consciousness is very mysterious and has profound importance, with existential, medical and spiritual implications and productivity. Behavior and functioning of the brain or, in other words, material brain activity is in some way correlated to the consciousness or mental activity. Since it is the most fundamental theory about the matter that is currently available, in efforts to understand the consciousness we can assume that the Quantum theory can be helpful. Various steps and studies have been carried out to achieve the extent of relation of quantum theory to the different neurophysiological levels of descriptions. In past and in current scenario efforts have been made to adopt quantum theory in different ways that correlate it to consciousness. The concept that this is solely a quantum effect and does not work for a classical case is also discussed. Researchers studied this about the notorious puzzles and contradiction of quantum mechanics, the theory physicists use to describe the tiniest objects in the Universe.