Consciousness and the Collapse of the Wave Function (2105.02314v1)

Abstract: Does consciousness collapse the quantum wave function? This idea was taken seriously by John von Neumann and Eugene Wigner but is now widely dismissed. We develop the idea by combining a mathematical theory of consciousness (integrated information theory) with an account of quantum collapse dynamics (continuous spontaneous localization). Simple versions of the theory are falsified by the quantum Zeno effect, but more complex versions remain compatible with empirical evidence. In principle, versions of the theory can be tested by experiments with quantum computers. The upshot is not that consciousness-collapse interpretations are clearly correct, but that there is a research program here worth exploring.

• The paper integrates IIT and CSL to propose a novel framework linking consciousness to quantum wave function collapse.
• It introduces a super-resistance model that navigates the quantum Zeno effect through a continuum of collapse dynamics.
• The study outlines experimental prospects using quantum systems to test Q-shape superpositions and the role of consciousness in collapse events.

Consciousness and the Collapse of the Wave Function: An Exploration of Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness

Objective

The paper examines the longstanding question of whether consciousness can influence the collapse of the quantum wave function—a notion debated since the pioneering works of von Neumann and Wigner. Rejecting oversimplified models disproven by the quantum Zeno effect, the authors, David J. Chalmers and Kelvin J. McQueen, suggest a reconceptualization that synthesizes Integrated Information Theory (IIT) of consciousness with Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) in quantum dynamics. The ambition is not to confirm consciousness-triggered collapse, but rather to propose a framework that preserves empirical compatibility and empirical testability.

Framework and Methodology

Chalmers and McQueen adopt a threefold approach:

1. Integration of Theories: Integrating IIT’s account of consciousness, where conscious states are mathematically structured via Q-shapes derived from complex neural correlates, with a modified version of CSL from quantum mechanics offers a viable pathway. IIT, while not without its controversies, quantifies consciousness and specifies its correlates through complex mathematical mappings which provide the grounds for connecting consciousness to quantum observations.
2. Super-Resistance Models: The paper argues that consciousness functions as a superposition-resistant property. Super-resistance posits that certain observables (here, consciousness) collapse to definite eigenstates when in superpositions, contrasting with traditional quantum mechanics that allows indefinite persistence of superpositions.
3. Empirical Plausibility and Testing: While acknowledging technological constraints, the authors anticipate empirical tests using quantum computers to detect superpositions of Q-shapes—suggesting a feasible exploration of consciousness-triggered collapses. Tests involving complex systems like constructed quantum networks can probe the presence of collapse dynamics theorized here.

Discussion on Superposition and Collapse Dynamics

Superposition Challenges and Zeno Effect

Central to their proposition is avoiding absolute super-resistance, a challenge due to the quantum Zeno effect, where continuous measurement freezes a system in one state. This necessitates a shift to approximate super-resistance: a stance allowing certain superpositions but with tendencies toward spontaneous collapse over observable timescales. Employing CSL dynamics, superposition collapse progresses over a continuum rather than instantaneously, thus bypassing the Zeno problem and allowing consciousness to probabilistically steer collapse events through a gambler’s ruin-like mechanism.

Consciousness as Causal

The authors entertain both dualist and materialist interpretations. The dualist stance sees consciousness and its physical correlates (PCC) as ontologically distinct but causally interlinked via psychophysical laws, drawing from IIT’s quantitative structure to ground these links. The materialist view directly equates physical Q-shape with conscious experience. Importantly, collapse triggered by conscious observation plays out in mundane consciousness-related phenomena (decision-making, observation), lending consciousness an active causal role against the backdrop of collapse interpretations.

Philosophical and Technical Objections

1. Phenomenology of Superposed Conscious States: Controversies arise over the conceptualization of non-introspectible, non-reportable conscious states. Unlike recognized experiences like double vision, superpositions here necessitate hypothesizing non-phenomenal states, challenging traditional unitary views of consciousness.
2. Macroscopic Quantum Effects and Empirical Consistency: Critics question the real-world influence of quantum-level phenomena on large-scale neural processes given high decoherence rates. However, the framework purely involves collapse dynamics, not requiring coherent quantum processes at the scale of entire neurons.
3. Empirical Viability: Direct tests remain futuristic, with advances in isolating complex systems necessary for empirical confirmation or falsification. Yet, exploration remains grounded as theoretical constructs offer experimentally foreseeable paths.

Conclusion

While it presents a speculative thesis, Chalmers and McQueen’s contribution enriches discourse on quantum mechanics-agnostic consciousness research and offers a detailed research program not discredited in principle or practice. Although predicated on controversial premises, the paper operates within a logically coherent framework. Testing its hypotheses can potentially generate insights into both quantum mechanics and consciousness, providing foundational work for future empirical inquiry and theoretical refinement.