Carl Jung’s synchronicity and ‘quantum entanglement’

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of Carl Jung's synchronicity and its potential connection to quantum entanglement. Participants explore the implications of linking psychological phenomena with quantum mechanics, examining various papers and theories that propose such relationships.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a model where synchronicity is explained through quantum entanglement between the unconscious and consciousness, suggesting that mental processes can be understood in terms of quantum bits (qu-bits).
  • Another participant criticizes the original proposal, arguing that it lacks experimental data and promotes pseudo-scientific thinking, citing various logical fallacies present in the arguments.
  • A different participant shares a paper that interprets synchronistic phenomena as entanglement correlations, suggesting that these correlations cannot transmit information, which could explain observed declines in psi effects.
  • Concerns are raised about the credibility of the sources being discussed, with multiple participants labeling the Journal of Cosmology and the Samueli Institute as pseudo-scientific and not valid scientific literature.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express significant disagreement regarding the validity of the sources and the interpretations of synchronicity in relation to quantum mechanics. There is no consensus on the scientific merit of the claims being made.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the lack of experimental evidence and the reliance on questionable sources, highlighting the potential for confusion between scientific and pseudo-scientific discourse.

limarodessa
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Hello all!

I propose to discuss the Carl Jung’s synchronicity problem in context of such phenomenon as ‘quantum entanglement’

There are several interesting papers in the NET about

http://journalofcosmology.com/QuantumConsciousness103.html

In this paper we describe synchronicity phenomena. As an explanation of these phenomena we propose quantum entanglement between the psychic realm known as the "unconscious" and also the classical illusion of the collapse of the wave-function. Then, taking the theory of quantum information as a model we consider the human unconscious, pre-consciousness and consciousness as sets of quantum bits (qu-bits). We analyze how there can be communication between these various qu-bit sets. In doing this we are inspired by the theory of nuclear magnetic resonance. In this manner we build quantum processes that permit consciousness to "read" the unconscious and vice-versa. The most elementary interaction, e.g. between a pre-consciousness qu-bit and a consciousness one, allows us to predict the time evolution of the pre-consciousness + consciousness system in which pre-consciousness and consciousness are quantum entangled. This time evolution exhibits Rabi oscillations that we name mental Rabi oscillations. This time evolution shows how, for example, the unconscious can influence consciousness and vice-versa. In a process like mourning the influence of the unconscious on consciousness, as the influence of consciousness on the unconscious, are in agreement with what is observed in psychiatry.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
<sniff sniff> Uh oh. I smell woo-woo.

The problem with this type of writing is that it encourages pseudo-scientific thinking. There's nothing on that site that suggests experimental data or even experimental design. Furthermore, the conclusion promotes the classical faux pas of the false dichotomy: "it cannot be explained presently, and this is the best evidence for our new idea."

In just a few minutes, I counted:
  • argument from authority,
    The amygdala and the hippocampus are some of the main structures of the limbic system, with the amygdala playing a major role in emotional memory, and the hippocampus in storing non-emotional memories. So, in some respects, the limbic system could be compared to the unconscious (Joseph 1992).
  • proof from verbosity,
    The fundamental characteristic of the most elementary interaction between two mental qubits, e.g. between a qu-bit of pre-consciousness and a qu-bit of consciousness, is to highlight, as a function of time, oscillations between two quantum states made of two correlated qu-bits; i.e. the states /I1 > /C0 > and /C1 > /I0 > (I for "Insight" or pre-consciousness and C for "Consciousness").
  • baseless claims,
    There are many examples of such long range correlations between events which are causally unrelated, or subjects who engage in identical behaviors, often simultaneously: twins, relatives, members of a couple, friends, or scientists who make the same discoveries at around the same time.
  • the "middle man" fallacy (arguing at that mechanics of the process are an explanation of the process itself), and worst of all
  • argument from ignorance.
    In summary, some mental phenomena are not explainable in the framework of what we call "classical" mechanics. Let us cite, among others, the phenomenon of awareness, the correlations at a distance between individuals, and more generally the synchronicity phenomena.

I can say that I've read the entire page now and I wouldn't recommend it as reading for anyone else. I confuses scientific words with pseudo-scientific thinking which is a recipe for disaster for the amateur scientific reader.

-Flex*All quotes taken directly from the site linked in the original poster's post.
 
FlexGunship said:
I wouldn't recommend it as reading for anyone else.

Well. What do you think about this ? :

http://samueliinstitute.org/news/405-SIIB/version/default/part/AttachmentData/data/von%20Lucadou%20J%20Consciousness%20Stud%202007.pdf

Synchronistic or psi phenomena are interpreted as entanglement
correlations in a generalized quantum theory. From the principle
that entanglement correlations cannot be used for transmitting
information, we can deduce the decline effect, frequently observed in
psi experiments, and we propose strategies for suppressing it and
improving the visibility of psi effects. Some illustrative examples are
discussed.
 
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limarodessa said:
well. What do you think about this ? :

http://samueliinstitute.org/news/405-siib/version/default/part/attachmentdata/data/von%20lucadou%20j%20consciousness%20stud%202007.pdf

First sentence:
[...] paranormal phenomena like telepathy, psychokinesis or
precognition are of notoriously eerie and elusive nature.

This is not scientific writing!


I'm very sorry that someone has been giving you this as reading material. The hosting site is "http://samueliinstitute.org/" Have you taken any time to look into this organization? They are a pseudo-scientific research group. Here's an excellent tip-off:

[PLAIN]http://samueliinstitute.org/research/104-SIIB/version/default/part/11/data

You are reading articles about "quantum quackiology" from a site that shows a man getting an acupuncture treatment. Furthermore, there is more information on their "donations" page than there is on any of their "mission statement" pages.

These are NOT good sources of scientific literature.

EDIT:

It took some digging (about 3 minutes worth of digging) to find the "strategic plan" page which hosts a PDF describing the institution (http://samueliinstitute.org/news/150-SIIB/version/default/part/AttachmentData/data/Samueli%20Institute%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf )

In the PDF we learn about Susan and Henry Samueli, the founders of the organization hosting your selected reading. Susan has a doctorate in homeopathy.
 
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To add to what Flex has said the Journal of Cosmology is a fairly notorious pseudo-science journal trying to mascaraed as a proper scientific publisher. This is the same as how the creationist movement started their own "peer-reviewed" journals where they just publish all their rubbish in a manner that tries to disguise it as real science.
 
ryan_m_b said:
To add to what Flex has said the Journal of Cosmology is a fairly notorious pseudo-science journal trying to mascaraed as a proper scientific publisher. This is the same as how the creationist movement started their own "peer-reviewed" journals where they just publish all their rubbish in a manner that tries to disguise it as real science.
Correct, it is not a valid journal. Thread closed.
 

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