Séminaire de Physique Théorique
Psychophysical Interactions with Entangled PhotonsPeter Bancel (Institut Métapsychique International)
Thursday 25 September 2025 14:00 - Salle des séminaires - Salle 1180, bâtiment E2
Résumé :
One of the many puzzles posed by quantum theory is how it relates to consciousness. A common approach among physicists is to ignore the question altogether, considering consciousness as being outside the realm of scientific inquiry, or alternatively, a complex by-product of known physical processes. However, the question lurks deeply within the measurement problem and within the odd mix of espistemological and ontological positions one is obliged to accept when adopting the axioms that underlie standard quantum mechanics. These tensions portend a possible deep connection to consciousness. While such a notion is controversial to say the least, it has been noted by more than a few luminaries of physics: Schrödinger, Pauli, von Neuman, Bohm and Wheeler among them.
The talk will focus on recent work that addresses the problem from an experimental standpoint. I describe an approach that seeks to measure associations between mental and physical states. Specifically, an experiment has been performed that looks at correlations between entanglement in a 2-photon Bell scenario and mental states of human observers. With entanglement being a quintessential quantum property, the experiment aims to address directly the relation between the quantum and consciousness. Preliminary results suggest evidence for a correlation, however the experiments are challenging to perform and replications are not easily done. The talk will discuss these issues, as well as the prior evidence for psychophysical associations which motivates such an experimental program in the first place.
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