Collapse and Measures of Consciousness
arXiv Preprint Archive September 28, 2020 Adrian Kent
Conscious observation may cause quantum wavefunction collapse, and recent proposals tie collapse to a single numerical measure of consciousness. Chalmers and McQueen argue that a single measure fails because it would allow superpositions of distinct conscious states with the same measure. This paper argues that their objection requires precise symmetry between brain states underlying different experiences—a condition unlikely for human observers. While artificial networks might exhibit such symmetry, any theory mapping network states to mind states, like integrated information theory, assigns identical mental states to isomorphic networks. Thus, familiar experiences like color perception or pain are not related by the needed symmetries, weakening the objection for biological cases.