Quantum mechanics, objective reality, and the problem of consciousness

Summary

Understanding consciousness may require us to rethink the very nature of physical reality. A new perspective proposes that consciousness is an integral component of a deeper, hidden reality. Through philosophical analysis of quantum mechanics, this framework successfully bridges the gap between quantum and classical reality. It offers a robust foundation for a theory of consciousness while resolving long-standing interpretation problems in physics without altering its mathematical structure. This provides significant positive implications for a scientific understanding of consciousness.

Abstract

The hard problem in consciousness is the problem of understanding how physical processes in the brain could give rise to subjective conscious experience. In this paper, I suggest that in order to understand the relationship between consciousness and the physical world, we need to probe deeply into the nature of physical reality. This leads us to quantum physics and to a second explanatory gap: that between quantum and classical reality. I will seek a philosophical framework that can address these two gaps simultaneously. Our analysis of quantum mechanics will naturally lead us to the notion of a hidden reality and to the postulate that consciousness is an integral component of this reality. The framework proposed in the paper provides the philosophical underpinnings for a theory of consciousness while satisfactorily resolving the interpretation problem in quantum mechanics without the need to alter its mathematical structure. I also discuss some implications for a scientific theory of consciousness.

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