On quantum vacuum mechanisms, the objective reality, and...
Transcript of On quantum vacuum mechanisms, the objective reality, and...
On quantum vacuum mechanisms, the objectivereality, and the essence of Mind
dr. J.F. (jim) Nystrom
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, USA
SAND 2012 EUROPE
Doom, The Kingdom of the Netherlands
2 June 2012
Overall idea∗
In an objective reality in which Mind and matter seemingly have
a quantum mechanically imposed dualist nature, we can recover
an underlying nonduality - or non-separation of all ‘things’ - if
the quantum vacuum mechanisms (in totality) is looked at as
the substance connecting all ‘things’.
∗My motivation here is from the viewpoint of a computational philosopher,whose main interest is in how Universe in-total computes.
Issues/Contents
� Introduction
� Objective reality w/ Mind and matter dualism
� essence of Mind and Nature of Self
� Nonduality under these circumstances
� Questions
An objective reality?
When contemplating the possibility of an objective reality, Isubmit it may be best if the physical Universe is imagined as aseething dance of energy events whose true dynamics should becouched in terms of Planck lengths, Planck time†, andWheeler’s quantum foam‡, and whose quantum descriptionwould include so-called virtual particles (and anti-matter)which seemingly pass in and out of physical existence and thatmay even deploy effects both forward and backward in time.†The Planck scale is the proposed bottom-level for physical events. Here,e.g., lP ' 1.16× 10−35 m, and tP ' 5.4× 10−44 s.‡In Wheelers words: “I found myself forced to invent the idea of quantumfoam, made up nor merely of particles popping into and out of existencewithout limit, but of space-time itself churned into a lather of distortedgeometry.”
The quantum vacuum§ is a term used the describe certain
peculiar aspects in modern physical theory. It is the case that
negative energy electrons (i.e., positrons) and other
antiparticles are required in the quantum theory for Lorentz
invariance (i.e., special relativity considerations) and causality¶.
The antiparticles and the virtual photons that surround physical
electrons are assumed to literally jump in and out of existence,
which in turn creates a type of enormous reality flux that is in
fact required in order for process in Universe to exist.
§P.W. Milonni, The Quantum Vacuum: An Introduction to Quantum Elec-trodynamics, Academic Press (1993).¶P.W. Milonni, ibid.
I use the term Negative universe‖ to describe that aspect∗∗ ofthe quantum vacuum where antiparticles flux to-and-fro whenthey (i.e., the antiparticles) are not in the physical universe.
I further submit that reality flux here acts like a power sourcefor the functioning of physical Universe.
reality flux provides the mechanisms for things analogous tocurrent and voltage difference – which are the electricalproperties that are needed for modern electronics. Here thenNegative universe acts as both a “source” and “ground” forprocess in physical Universe.‖A term borrowed from R.B. Fuller. R.B. Fuller, Synergetics: Explorations inthe Geometry of Thinking, Macmillan Publishing, New York (1975). Onlineat: http://www.rwgrayprojects.com/synergetics/synergetics.html
∗∗For lack of a better term here. Calling Negative universe a ‘place’ wouldimply a spatial essence.
Quantum consciousness and theelephant in the physicist’s room†‡§¶
†J.F. Nystrom, ”On some theoretical problems with brain emulation,” Towarda Science of Consciousness 2011, Stockholm, Sweden, May 2011‡J.F. Nystrom, “Ontological musings on how nature computes,” InternationalConference on Computational Science 2010, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,May/June 2010.§J.F. Nystrom, “Universe as Computation, Modern Aether Theory, and theFunda-Mentalistic Mind,” Toward a Science of Consciousness 2008, Tucson,Arizona USA, April 2008.¶J.F. Nystrom, “Teleological Mechanism for the Simulation Argument,” (Ab-stract accepted, but not presented at) Quantum Mind 2007, Salzburg, Aus-tria, July 2007.
Classical dualism of Mind and Matter
Classic Cartesian Cut†‡§
Res extensia
(Matter)
Locality and Causality
IN Space-Time
Res cogitans
(Mind)
Non-locality and Non-causal
NOT IN Space-Time
†This graphic adapted from B.J. Hiley, ”Non-commutative Geometry, theBohm Interpretation and the Mind-Matter Relationship,” Proceeding ofCASYS 2000, Liege, Belgium, August 2000.‡Jaegwon Kim’s speculation that “the world is split in two with minds on oneside and stuff on the other” encompasses the same idea.§This ‘classic dualism’ puts Mind squarely in Negative universe.
∗ Many works in the area of quantum consciousness provide a
softer dualism (if you will).
∗ Penrose† makes use of a Platonic World outside of physical
Universe for the abode of things needed for mental processes.
For our purposes, Penrose’s Platonic World will fit into the
non-spatio-temporal abode‡ of Negative Universe.
†This Penrose-Hameroff Orch OR model places the quantum computationalconnection between physical universe and Negative universe is the cell cy-toskeleton microtubules of neurons, mostly operating at 40 Hz - quantumcollapses every 25 ms - involving 2 × 1010 tubulins per conscious event.See, for example, Stuart Hameroff, et. al., “Conduction Pathways in micro-tubules, biological quantum computation, and consciousness,” BioSystems64, 149-168 (2002).‡A Richard Rorty term.
essence of Mind
∗ With Mind operating out of Negative Universe, Mind
interaction with brain in physical Universe allows for many
possibilities, giving hints about the true essence of Mind.
∗ If there are separate eternal Mind/souls (inhabiting Negative
Universe), then this model accommodates reincarnation quite
naturally. We can also incorporate the ancient idea of Plato’s
Divine Mind, or Huxley’s Mind-at-Large
∗ This model allows all Minds access to this Divine Mind,
which supports many so-called para-phenomena, evidently
arising from this standard ‘connection’ to Negative Universe.
and nature of Self
∗ Mind also has access to the signals acquired by physical brain
(and thus a connection to an objective reality), and ‘signals’
from these two realms help define/create the (illusionary?)
nature of Self.
Nonduality under these circumstances
∗ I have outlined a dualism of Mind and matter built upon a
quantum vacuum system comprised of a Negative Universe and
a reality flux.
∗ As proposed in my ICCS 2010 paper, “Ontological musings
on how nature computes,” Negative Universe then acts as the
source of the ‘code’ that runs a type of computer program that
is physical Universe. (Here, the objective reality can be viewed
as the ‘data’ of a Universe as computation.)
which requires(?) various time modalities
∗ Negative Universe is thus envisioned as being connected to
all aspects of physical Universe, and can send ‘signals’ (if you
will) at any level of scale and with any time modality§¶ using
reality flux.
§‘retarded’ signals move forward in time and ‘advanced’ signals move back-ward in time; allowing for both (ordinary) causation and backward causation(or teleological effects in general).¶Or as Jan Faye puts it: “Our ordinary notion of causation does not trackany nomological feature of the world. What counts as the cause and theeffect depends on the observers projection of his or her temporal sense ontothe world.
similar to other (some ancient) ideas
∗ The quantum vacuum mechanisms in a sense can be viewed
as a mathematically described Askashic field, for example.†
∗ David Wilcox, for example, has used the term Source field to
describe similar notions to what here I have termed Negative
Universe.‡
†We cannot at present – outside of double top secret laboratories – exper-imentally probe (with instruments) the Negative Universe for content andmechanism. Thus, only with our borrowed Minds can we currently probethe Negative Universe!.‡There are other recent examples of books describing – from various view-points – this overall, evidently, nonduality-supporting type field.
same olde aether?
∗ The idea of a background aether (i.e., an immersive
substratum, or all permeating plenum) is very old in scientific
thought. James Clerk Maxwell had the belief, for example, that
an underlying aether supported the propagation of
electromagnetic fields.
∗ The olde aether idea has re-arisen in many forms (including
the quantum vacuum), including the postulated Higg’s field
which is presumed to permeate all space and is responsible for
endowing matter with mass.†
†But the physicist better not mention the word aether!
a computational model of it all
∗ I use R. Buckminster Fuller’s synergetic geometry.
∗ I put electromagnetics on this grid to create a computational
electromagnetic solver which puts EM into a new light.
∗ my CC model of the quantum foam and the ‘things’ above
fits a nonduality ideal.‡
‡What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is like thatwhich is below, to accomplish the miracles of one thing - Hermes.
computational cosmography defined
The name computational cosmography ‡ is used to describe a
computational system wherein physical system behaviors (and
properties) emerge as by-products of computations based on -
for lack of a better description - the interaction of virtual
deformable polyhedra which conform to the geometry
mechanisms as described in R.B. Fuller’s Synergetics.
‡J.F. Nystrom, “Tensional computation: Further musings on the computa-tional cosmography,” Applied Mathematics and Computation 120, 211-225(2001).
VE and the isotropic vector matrix grid
Vector equilibrium (VE) cell IVM grid/FCC grid.
is a twelve-around-one arrangement
which consists of four hexagonal planes;
each plane being a six-around-one arrangement.
The four hexagonal planes of the VE
e1
e2
e3
e4
e5
e6
(Here the a-plane is shown in magenta, the b-plane is shown in red, the
c-plane is shown in green, and the d-plane is colored aqua.)
a-plane: [+1] [-2] [+6] [-1] [+2] [-6],b-plane: [+1] [+4] [+5] [-1] [-4] [-5],c-plane: [-2] [+4] [+3] [+2] [-4] [-3],d-plane: [-5] [-3] [+6] [+5] [+3] [-6].
Calculation of the omni-directional curl operator
� Given T, we want to solve the equation
S = ∇× T .
� Both S and T are written in the IVM basis:
S = S1e1 + S2e2 + S3e3 + S4e4 + S5e5 + S6e6,
T = T1e1 + T2e2 + T3e3 + T4e4 + T5e5 + T6e6.
� Start with the definition of the curl,
S = limdA→0
(1/dA)[n∮
T · dl],
which is to be evaluated on each of the four hexagonal planes
of the VE.
Visualizing the vector curl
e3
The a and b planes
interact and beget the
e3 component of a curl.
e5
The a and c planes
interact and beget the
e5 component of a curl.
Electric field as traveling tetrahedron§¶
(Example of energy as form)
§J.F. Nystrom, ”On the Omni-directional Emergence of Form in Computa-tion,” Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 3305, 632-641 (2004).
¶J.F. Nystrom, “In Search of a Geometrical Basis for the Ubiquitous Electro-magnetic Energy,” PIERS 2002 Proceedings, Boston, MA, July 2002.
The A-module, B-module, and Mite (oh my!)‖
Think of these as the atoms or big bits of these computations
‖The picture on the left is from Richard Hawkins’ Digital Archive. Thepicture on the right is part of Color Plate 17 in R.B. Fuller, Synergetics:Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking, Macmillan, 1975.
computational cosmographical interplayof space and matter†
Both the background lattice system and the big bits (or polyhedraaggregates) of a CC computation have restrictions on formresulting from identical embryonic geometrical considerations. It isfrom the omni-directional lattice system that the form for allentities of a CC computation emerge. The interplay between thebig bits and the lattice system creates the need for an active latticebackground system, . . .
In this way, we find the lattice tells polyhedra aggregateshow to transform, while the polyhedra aggregates in turntell the lattice how to tense.
†J.F. Nystrom, ”On the Omni-directional Emergence of Form in Computa-tion,” Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 3305, 632-641 (2004).
Every ‘point’ in a CC lattice can jitterbug as required, which in
turn causes the spatial background matrix to expand from
with-everywhere [sic].
reality flux to-and-fro Negative universe could very well
power the lattice jitterbug and the associated expansion
of the active background lattice system.
Recap
∗ A need for more than brain activity to explain Mind leads toa classic Mind/Matter dualism.
∗ Mind has access to ‘signals’ from both Negative Universe andphysical Universe, thus creating a particular Self; which isimposed on top of a particular external Mind that the particularSelf is tuned for.
∗ even a dualist can be a nondualist§ if we take the entirequantum vacuum mechanism (including the Negative Universe)to be that one substance within/whereupon all physical andmetaphysical experiences are realized.§the statement in this footnote is false.
Questions?