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PART I: ADVANCES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS Consciousness in Physics and Philosophy A Brief Review

Alex Hankey PhD Budapest Conference on Consciousness 20 May 2008. PART I: ADVANCES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS Consciousness in Physics and Philosophy A Brief Review. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008.

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PART I: ADVANCES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS Consciousness in Physics and Philosophy A Brief Review

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  1. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest Conference on Consciousness 20 May 2008 PART I: ADVANCES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSConsciousness in Physics and PhilosophyA Brief Review

  2. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness HUNGARY & HUNGARIAN PHYSICISTS Tribute to their Fundamental Contributions Eugene Wigner – Consciousness in Psi Collapse Jon Von Neumann – Quantum Theory of Measurment

  3. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 1 PRINCIPLE THRUSTS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS * Progress from the Perspective of Physics – Nature of Reality: Non-Objective hence Psi !!! – Mind-Body Connection, Quantum Coherence * Requirements from the Perspective of Philosophy – Physics and Philosophy: Holistic, Non-Reductive

  4. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 2 ADVANCES OF THE PAST 30 YEARS * Identifying Advantages of Quantum Theory * Establishing Necessary Conditions for Theories of Consciousness

  5. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 3 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS PHYSICISTS: D'Espagnat, Bell , Aspect Domash, Hagelin, Penrose, Hameroff Stapp, Wheeler, Zeilinger PHILOSOPHERS: Jon Shear, David Chalmers,

  6. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 4 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS D'Espagnat – Quantum Correlations mena that neither the microscopic nor macroscopic worlds are Objectively Real Bell's Theorem – we can distinguish between quantum reality and hidden variable theories Aspect et al – Quantum Reality holds: quantum correlations hold over macroscopic distances

  7. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 5 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS Larry Domash Pure Consciousness is a State of Least Excitation Consciousness & Macroscopic Quantum Coherence Sir Roger Penrose Also supports Macroscopic Quantum Coherence Consciousness involves non-computational physics

  8. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 6 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS Sir Roger Penrose / Stuart Hameroff Specific Model of MIND-BODY CONNECTION Involving subtle biology: information bearing potential of proteins in each Cell's Cytoskeleton

  9. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 7 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS John Hagelin – Unified Field & Consciousness Because: Consciousness is Holistic Qualities of Pure Consciousness Field of All Possibilites / Infinite Creativity Infinite DynamismInfinite SilenceInfinite Intelligence Approach of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

  10. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 8 MAIN THRUST OF PHYSICAL REALITY John A. Wheeler - IT from BIT Anton Zeilinger - Information is Fundamental Myself at Previous Budapest Conference – Manifest Reality, Quantum Virtual Reality Roy Frieden – 'Physics from Fisher Information' Structure of All Lagrangians show that All Physics arise from Information Production

  11. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 9 FACING UP TO THE CHALLENGE PHYSICS of the MIND BODY Connection –This must be based on Holistic Physics – Connect to my Theory of the Life Force – Show that the Quantized Fluctuations represent Systems with Self-Knowledge

  12. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHYSICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 10 POSSIBLE IDEE FIXE CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE UNIFIED FIELD Hence: PHYSICS of the MIND BODY Connection may lie in Extensions of Unified Field Physics I hope to show you why this is unlikely to be true

  13. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHILOSOPHY& CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 1 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS Jon Shear – Pure Conciousness is Basic, Fundamental David Chalmers – Awareness must be posited in Itself – Reductive Theories have failed, therefore – Any Physical Theory must be Non-Reductive – Any Information Space to indicate Self-Awareness

  14. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 CONSCIOUSNESS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARSA Brief Review of the Advances in the Physics and Philosophy of Consciousness PHILOSOPHY& CONSCIOUSNESS SUMMARY 2 MAIN CONTRIBUTORS OF THE PAST 30 YEARS Jonathan Shear – The Inner Dimension. Philosophy and the Experience of Consciousness Explaining Consciousness: The Hard Problem (w. the late Francisco Varela) The View from Within: First Person Approaches to the Study of Consciousness David Chalmers – The Conscious Mind

  15. PART II: SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? Alex Hankey PhD Budapest Conference on Consciousness 20 May 2008

  16. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS: Systems containing Self-Knowledge MEETING THE CHALLENGES FACING THEORIES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

  17. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 1 a. An Infinitesimal Feedback Loop attached to a Point in a Field makes that Point Self-Observing b. At a Feedback Instability, Feedback Loops of certain Field Systems become Infinitesimal

  18. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 2 c. At its Feedback Instability, a System of Quantum Fields can become Self Observing

  19. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 2 c. At its Feedback Instability, a Quantum System becomes a SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEM

  20. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 3 d. A SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEM inherently possesses SELF-KNOWLEDGE

  21. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 4 e. SELF-KNOWLEDGE Constitutes a Defining Attribute of CONSCIOUSNESS

  22. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 5 e. CONSCIOUSNESS can Couple to Matter using SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS as its Material Substrate

  23. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 6 CONCLUSION I: Feedback Instabilities in Quantum Systems offer Appropriate Conditions where “Consciousness Couples to Matter” i.e. 'Mind-Matter' Coupling Occurs

  24. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 7 CONCLUSION II: Quantized Fluctuations at Feedback Instabilities offer a possible model for 'MIND' i.e. That Aspect of Consciousness Coupling to Matter

  25. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSThe Physics underlying Self Observing Quantum Systems SOQS's as Substrates for CONSCIOUSNES SELF KNOWLEDGE Quantum Fluctuations Quantum Fields as Knowledge of the Observed Quanta SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS Critical Fluctuations Critical Phenomena Quantum Theory of Observation Infinitesimal Feedback Loops Feedback Instabilities Feedback Quantum Theory Fundamental Physics & Physics Concepts

  26. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: Main Topics * Self-Awareness: the Characteristic of Experience * Are there Physical Systems with Self-Knowledge? * Classical Physics versus Quantum Physics * Knowledge in Quantum Systems * Feedback as the Essence of Intelligent Function * Instability in Physical Systems * Quantum Systems at Feedback Instabilities

  27. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: Main Concepts * Experience – Awareness – States of Mind * Self-Knowledge – Conscious Experience * Physics: Classical / Quantum & Stable / Unstable * Atomic / Subatomic Systems : Quantum Systems * Systems with Feedback * Instability in Physical Systems * Instability in Systems with Feedback

  28. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: MIND Main Concepts * We will discuss 'Mind' as the means for experience * We are not concerned with how the Mind may work * It is common sense that we all have experience * We can all talk about 'our experiences' * We all identify experiences as 'our own' * This depends of memory, on remembering them

  29. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: MIND Main Concepts Self-Awareness: the Characteristic of Experience * Awareness – Consciousness – Intelligence * We need not define them if we know how they relate Awareness underlies all Conscious experience: Sense etc Consciousness: Continuity of Awareness, Knowingness Intelligence is Interactive: Based on Feeling & Thought

  30. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: MIND Main Concepts Awareness – Consciousness – Intelligence Awareness underlies all Conscious experience: Sensory, Thought, Feeling, Ego, Being Conscious Experience has Major Characteristics: Self-Awareness: Continuity of Awareness Self-Knowledge: Identity Memory

  31. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: MIND Main Concepts Awareness – Consciousness – Intelligence Because (1) Continuity of Awareness and (2) Identity Memory underly all our Conscious experience: We can identify all our experiences as 'our own' These two constitute fundamental mechanisms by which Self-Knowledge underlies All Experience Sensory, Thought, Feeling, Ego, Being

  32. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: MIND Main Concepts Intelligence We are Conscious of Being Ourselves: Our Intelligence Knows What it FEELS like to Be Ourselves It may Try to Identify what it Thinks We May Be Intelligence mediates our Feeling for Who We Are (Ego) with the Worlds of Thought and Sense

  33. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: BODY Detailed Topics * Feedback and Feedback Loops * Information Flow in Feedback Loops * Information in Quantum Systems * Quantum Excitations of Feedback Instabilities * Fluctuations at Feedback Instabilities * Quantum Feedback Instability Fluctuations * Self-Observing Quantum Systems: Self-Knowledge

  34. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? OVERVIEW: BODY Detailed Topics Self-Observing Quantum Systems These enable the Physiology to support Information Systems with Self-Knowledge * Self-Knowledge: the Definition of Consciousness * They can mediate between Body and Mind

  35. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? PHYSICS: Areas of Physics * There are many kinds of System treated by Physics * Macroscopic Systems treated by 'Classical Physics' * Microscopic Systems treated by 'Quantum Physics' * Normally, Physical Systems are Stable * Physical Systems may become Unstable * This only happens under special physical conditions

  36. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? PHYSICS: Particular Area of Physics * Physics: Divide into Four Areas According to Classical or Quantum Stable or Unstable * Only 3 out of the 4 Areas have been treated * Classical: both kinds – Stable and Unstable * Stable – Classical and Quantum

  37. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? The FORGOTTEN QUADRANT of Physics Areas of Physics Classical Quantum Stable Normal All Quantum Classical Physics Physics Unstable Physics of Empty Critical Points Quarter

  38. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? The FORGOTTEN QUADRANT of Physics * Microscopic Quantum Systems can become unstable * Unstable Quantum Systems are still Untreated Here, in this Neglected Area of Physics Lies * The possibility of Body-Mind connection

  39. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? PHYSICS: Physics of Feedback * Physics of Feedback discovered by Norbert Wiener * Feedback Loops produce Cycles of Information * Feedback can make a System Unstable * Systems become unstable at Feedback Instabilities * Feedback exists in Microscopic Quantum Systems

  40. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? PHYSICS: The Meaning of Feedback * Information flows round a Feedback Loop * Feedback occurs Far-From-Equilibrium * Information flows from Transmitter to Receiver * An Observer is a Receiver of Observation * Several Transmitter-Receivers may be in a Loop * e.g. Loudspeaker – Microphone – Amplifier * The Interpretation of a single T-R Loop

  41. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? PHYSICS: Single Stage Feedback Loops * In a Feedback Loop with only One Stage * The Receiver of Information is the Transmitter * Transmitter and Receiver are Identical * The Receiver is still an Observer * A Single Stage Loop results in Self-Observation * Such a System is a Self-ObservingSystem

  42. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? PHYSICS: Feedback Loops at an Instability * Feedback Loops become Infinitesimally Small * An Infinitesimal Feedback Loop has One Stage * The Receiver of Information is the Transmitter * The Infinitesimal Loop results in Self-Observation * Can this apply to Quantum Systems ?

  43. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? Effect of Feedback at the Feedback Instability of a Quantum System The Infinitesimally Small Feedback Loops * Have only One Stage * Are attached to every point in the Field * Mean that Self-Observation is Occuring * At Every Point in the Quantum System !

  44. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? Effect of Observation on a Quantum System * Normally Observation 'Collapses a Quantum Field' * In Self-Observation something Similar must occur At a Feedback Instability: * The Normal Mode Quantum Field is Destabilized * The Entire Quantum Field Disappears ('Collapses') * That is Consistent with 'Self-Observation' Occuring

  45. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? Effect of Self-Observation on a Quantum Field At a Feedback Instability: * Normal Mode Quantum Fields Destabilize * They are Replaced by Quantum Fluctuation Fields CONCLUSIONS * Ordinary Quantum Fields cannot be Self-Observing * Quantum Fluctuation Fields Uniquely Constitute SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS

  46. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS The Connection to Consciousness * Quantum Fields do NOT Refer to the Quantum * They Refer to the Observer's Knowledge of it HENCE, there is a valid sense in which: * A Self-Observing Quantum System Represents a System with Self Knowledge

  47. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS AND CONSCIOUSNESS BUT 'Self-Knowledge' is a definition of Consciousness CONCLUSION * Self-Observing Quantum Systems are more validly concerned with Consciousness than the ordinary Quantum Fields usually proposed for the purpose.

  48. SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF CAMPART 3: ConsciousnessSelf-Observing Quantum Systems Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS AND CONSCIOUSNESS Quantum Fluctuations at Feedback Instabilities and CONSCIOUSNESS QUESTION * Can Quantum Fluctuations represent Information? i.e. Information Content of Conscious Awareness Because Inherent Self-Knowledge is Attached?

  49. Alex Hankey PhD Budapest 20 May 2008 SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMSSolution to the Mind Matter & Mind Body Problems? SELF OBSERVING QUANTUM SYSTEMS AND CONSCIOUSNESS Quantum Fluctuations at Feedback Instabilities and CONSCIOUSNESS REQUIREMENT * To represent Information a Set of 'Letters' forming An 'Information Space' is Required * Otherwise 'Information' can not be represented

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