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Quantum mysticism

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Quantum mysticism refers to the practice of selectively borrowing ideas from quantum physics to support New Age and pseudoscientific beliefs, or to draw metaphorical similarites between principles in quantum physics and principles in Eastern mysticism.[1] The term is used pejoratively by skeptical scientists to discount the idea that quantum theory supports mystical beliefs.

Critics such as science fiction writer Greg Egan and commentator Margaret Wertheim, along with many scientists, have opined that quantum physics is being hijacked by people with little understanding of the underlying concepts, and whose claims lack the intellectual rigour intrinsic to scientific inquiry.[2][3][4][5][6]

Background

Counterintuitive aspects of quantum physics such as the uncertainty principle have invited metaphysical speculation from the time of their development. New Age "mystical physics" began in earnest in the 1970s with Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics, in which he explores the parallels between quantum physics and principles in Eastern mystical teachings. This was taken up in the 1980s by Hindutva pseudoscience, which extrapolated on the statements of Vivekananda, claiming that "the conclusions of modern science are the very conclusions the Vedanta reached ages ago"[7]. It conflated concepts from physics like gravitation, electricity, magnetism and other forces with the mystical Vedantic notion of Prana[8][9].

In 1998 Deepak Chopra was awarded the parodical Ig Nobel Prize in physics for "his unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness."[10]. He received this 'honour' for such writing as:

Quantum healing is healing the bodymind from a quantum level. That means from a level which is not manifest at a sensory level. Our bodies ultimately are fields of information, intelligence and energy. Quantum healing involves a shift in the fields of energy information, so as to bring about a correction in an idea that has gone wrong. So quantum healing involves healing one mode of consciousness, mind, to bring about changes in another mode of consciousness, body.

— Deepak Chopra

Similarly, the 2004 film What the Bleep Do We Know!? made controversial use of ideas about quantum mechanics, among other sciences, in a New Age context.

Theories of Quantum mind, viewed skeptically by many scientists, have given rise to concepts like Quantum meditation, positing a scientific basis for meditation practices not supported by mainstream science.[11]

Rejections by physicists and mystics

Several of the founding theorists of quantum physics were interested in the metaphorical similarities between the principles of quantum mechanics and the principles found in mysticism, including Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, and Sir Arthur Eddington among others.[12] They all strongly rejected the notion that mysticism and physics had anything more than a metaphorical relationship.[12] Eddington explained the temptation and why he felt it should be avoided: "We should suspect an intention to reduce God to a system of differential equations. That fiasco at any rate must be avoided. However much the ramifications of physics may be extended by further scientific discovery, they cannot from their very nature [impinge upon] the background in which they have their being."[13]

Physicist Heinz Pagels was more explicit, and argued that nothing in quantum mechanics supports the belief that physics and mysticism are connected. In The Cosmic Code, Pagels wrote:

"Some recent popularizers of Bell's work when confronted with Bell's inequality have gone on to claim that telepathy is verified or the mystical notion that all parts of the universe are instantaneously interconnected is vindicated. Others assert that this implies communication faster than the speed of light. That is rubbish; the quantum theory and Bell's inequality imply nothing of this kind. Individuals who make such claims have substituted a wish-fulfilling fantasy for understanding. If we closely examine Bell's experiment we will see a bit of sleight of hand by the God that plays dice which rules out actual nonlocal influences. Just as we think we have captured a really weird beast--like acausal influences--it slips out of our grasp. The slippery property of quantum reality is again manifested."[14]

Likewise some mystics doubt that quantum physics and mysticism describe the same realm. Tom Huston, in a review on the quantum mystical film What the Bleep Do We Know!? for What is Enlightenment? Magazine wrote:

"Quantum physics deals with the abstract, symbolic analysis of the physical world—space, time, matter, and energy—even down to the subtlest level, the quantum vacuum. Mysticism deals with the direct apprehension of the transcendent Source of all those things. The former is a mathematical system involving intensive intellectual study, and the latter is a spiritual discipline involving the transcendence of the intellectual mind altogether. It's apparently only a very loose interpretation of physics, and a looser interpretation of mysticism, that allows for their surprising convergence—and opens the door to the even wilder idea that by drinking some of this quantum mystical brew, you'll be able to create your own reality.[12]

Consciousness causes collapse

"Consciousness causes collapse" is the name given to a broadly controversial interpretation of quantum mechanics according to which observation by a conscious observer is causally associated with wave function collapse. Treatments of the topic outside of the mainstream scientific community and in popular culture have been widely criticized as pseudoscience.

The involvement of Consciousness in the collapse of the wave function has been summarized thus:

The rules of quantum mechanics are correct but there is only one system which may be treated with quantum mechanics, namely the entire material world. There exist external observers which cannot be treated within quantum mechanics, namely human (and perhaps animal) minds, which perform measurements on the brain causing wave function collapse.[15]

This interpretation attributes the process of wave function collapse (directly, indirectly, or even partially) to consciousness itself. However, it is not explained by this theory which things have sufficient consciousness to collapse the wave function ("Was the wave function waiting to jump for thousands of millions of years until a single-celled living creature appeared? Or did it have to wait a little longer for some highly qualified measurer - with a PhD?"[16]). It is also not clear whether measuring devices might also be considered conscious.

The consciousness causes collapse speculatin can also be seen as an attempt to interpret the Wigner's friend by asserting that collapse occurs at the first "conscious" observer. Supporters assert this is not a revival of substance dualism, since (in a ramification of this view) consciousness and objects are "entangled" [citation needed] and cannot be considered separate. Opponents assert that it is unfalsifiable, and also does not simplify our physical understanding of the universe, and is therefore scientifically uninteresting.

Wigner believed that consciousness is necessary for the quantum mechanical process. See Consciousess and measurement. There are other possible solutions to the Wigner's friend thought experiment which do not require consciousness to be different from other physical processes. See, Consciousness and Superposition, also Wigner's friend in Many Worlds.

Objections from physicists

In general, physicists regard "consciousness causes collapse as a non-scientific or pseudoscientific concept, pointing out that it is experimentally unfalsifiable and that it introduces unnecessary elements into physics, rather than simplifying.

Wim De Muynck comments that

The human observer is as dispensable in quantum mechanics as he (short for `he or she') is in classical mechanics. He sees only the macroscopic parts of his measuring instruments. In present-day practice of the physical science of the microscopic domain human observation is largely restricted to the tables and graphs that have been printed on the basis of data obtained by the scientists computer from a measuring instrument of which the measurement results are sent to the computer without any human interference.

An influence like the reduction (collapse) of the wave packet, allegedly exerted by a human observer on a microscopic object by means of observation, would be equally miraculous as killing a fly by just looking at ones fly swatter.

[17]

Recent study of quantum decoherence casts new light onto the problem by reducing the importance of the "macroscopic observer" originally introduced in the language of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory. Modern scientific discourse has evolved to try to quantify how quantum systems decohere due to their interactions with the surroundings. In this manner a unified view of all quantum interactions can be developed that treats neighboring quantum systems, thermal baths and the measurement apparatus on the same footing.


Quantum philosophy

In addition to mystical adaptations of quantum theory, postmodern/poststructuralist thinkers have been criticised for pseudoscientific references to quantum mechanics. An example was in the Sokal Affair of 1996, where Alan Sokal published a tongue-in-cheek paper entitled Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity (which refers to quantum gravity, an extension of quantum theory) in the postmodernist journal Social Text. The editors' acceptance of the nonsensical article earned them the 1996 parodical Ig Nobel Prize. Sokal, with Jean Bricmont, went on to make a serious critique of the use of science by postmodern thinkers in their book Fashionable Nonsense.

Parodies

No-one knows the reason for this, but it's probably quantum is a phrase used in many of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, as a sarcastic reference to quantum mysticism.

Notes

  1. ^ Michael Shermer on Quantum Quackery
  2. ^ Byrne, Jeremy G. (1993-01). "An Interview with Greg Egan". Eidolon. 11: 18–30. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Wertheim, Margaret (2004-06-10). "Quantum Mysticism". LA Weekly. LA Weekly, LP. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Park, Robert L. (2000). Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-19-513515-6. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Gell-Mann, Murray (1995). The Quark and the Jaguar: Adventures in the Simple and Complex. Macmillan. p. 168. ISBN 0805072535. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Bell, J. S. (1988). Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics. Cambridge University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0521523389. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ lecture on The Vedanta delivered at Lahore on 12 November 1897; 1970, vol. 3, pp. 398f.
  8. ^ Johns Dobson-Vivekananda & Einstein
  9. ^ Hinduism & Quantum Physics
  10. ^ The 1998 Ig Nobel Prize Winners
  11. ^ S. V. Raman, "Advaita Bhagwad Gita: its relevance in quantum meditation", Dilip 28.4, 2002; Tushar K. Ray, Quantum Meditation: A Novel Scientific Method for Developing Inner Balance and Harmony
  12. ^ a b c Tom Huston, "Taking the Quantum Leap... Too Far?", What is Enlightenment? Magazine, Retrieved January 25, 2008
  13. ^ Sir Arthur Eddington, The Nature of the Physical World (p 282) ISBN 1417907185
  14. ^ Heinz Pagels, The Cosmic Code ISBN 0671248022
  15. ^ Schreiber, Z. The Nine Lives of Schrödingers's Cat
  16. ^ Bell, J.S., 1981, Quantum Mechanics for Cosmologists. In C.J. Isham, R. Penrose and D.W. Sciama (eds.), Quantum Gravity 2: A second Oxford Symposium. Oxford: Clarendon Press, p.611.
  17. ^ Quantum Mechanics as Wim de Muynck sees it

Literature

Publications relating to quantum mysticism
Criticism of quantum mysticism
  • Victor J. Stenger. (1995). The Unconscious Quantum: Metaphysics in Modern Physics and Cosmology, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-57392-022-3, an anti-mystical point-of-view
  • "Quantum Physics Quackery", Skeptical Inquirer, January 1997 (discusses book The Self-Aware Universe) online
  • V. J. Stenger, Quantum quackery, Skeptical Inquirer Vol. 21. No. 1, January/February 1997, p. 37ff, based on an invited talk at the World Skeptics Congress in Buffalo in June, 1996.
  • M. Shermer, Quantum Quackery, Scientific American, January 2005 [1]

See also

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