High School Flashing In And Out of Existence?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of reality "flashing in and out of existence," a notion linked to quantum physics and consciousness. Participants, including a biophysicist from The Resonance Project, reference Planck time, positing that reality oscillates between forms at an incredibly rapid rate. However, the consensus among forum members is that these ideas lack theoretical support within quantum theory and are often misrepresented by non-experts. The discussion concludes that claims regarding consciousness's role in quantum mechanics are unfounded and should be approached with skepticism.

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  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles, specifically Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.
  • Familiarity with Planck time and its significance in physics.
  • Knowledge of virtual particles and their implications in quantum theory.
  • Ability to differentiate between scientific theories and speculative interpretations.
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  • Research the implications of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics.
  • Study the concept of Planck time and its relevance in modern physics.
  • Examine the nature of virtual particles and their role in quantum field theory.
  • Explore credible sources that clarify misconceptions about quantum theory and consciousness.
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This discussion is beneficial for physicists, students of quantum mechanics, and anyone interested in the intersection of consciousness and theoretical physics, particularly those seeking to understand common misconceptions in these fields.

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I have read in several articles about quantum physics and consciousness the idea that reality is "flashing in and out of existence". I have copied a quote below from Brandon West about this. Does anyone have more information about any research or theoretical basis of this?

Quote: "And because reality is flashing in and out of existence (hypothetically at Planck time – 1044 times per second – as explained to me by The Resonance Project biophysicist William Brown), every time our reality oscillates between form and the pure energy state of the field our awareness, which is constant and doesn’t flash in and out of existence, informs the field what to reappear as when it makes its transition back to form at the quantum level (for more on this topic read [Link deleted by Moderator]."

Here is another quote: "This is not a metaphor. One of the implications of quantum theory is that these particles do in fact pop in and out of existence in the void."
 
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dstarwynn said:
Does anyone have more information about any research or theoretical basis of this?

There is no theoretical basis for it. It's pure nonsense, as is pretty much everything in the link you provided (which I had to remove due to forum rules). Nowhere in quantum theory do you find anything talking about consciousness, so anyone saying quantum theory says anything about it is either lying or has no idea what they're talking about.

Edit: That also applies to "reality flashing into and out of existence".
 
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Please look at the PF Insights post Misconceptions about Virtual Particles.
You can see here (including the references) how a simple physical fact about a scattering event can be turned - by a scientist who wants to paint a picture for the uninitiated - into a lively science fiction scene (masquerading as science) in which particles pop in and out of existence. This is the frequent fate of scientific statements propagated into the world of nonphysicists.
 
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dstarwynn said:
I have read in several articles about quantum physics and consciousness the idea that reality is "flashing in and out of existence". I have copied a quote below from Brandon West about this. Does anyone have more information about any research or theoretical basis of this?

Quote: "And because reality is flashing in and out of existence (hypothetically at Planck time – 1044 times per second – as explained to me by The Resonance Project biophysicist William Brown), every time our reality oscillates between form and the pure energy state of the field our awareness, which is constant and doesn’t flash in and out of existence, informs the field what to reappear as when it makes its transition back to form at the quantum level (for more on this topic read [Link deleted by Moderator]."

The Planck Time is the shortest unit of time that has meaning: http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae281.cfm

dstarwynn said:
Here is another quote: "This is not a metaphor. One of the implications of quantum theory is that these particles do in fact pop in and out of existence in the void."

As for this, Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle, the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties of a particle cannot be known simultaneously, suggests that space cannot be completely empty. The strength of a field and the rate of change of this cannot both be known precisely, so they cannot both be zero.
 
Flyx said:
The Planck Time is the shortest unit of time that has meaning

That's not true, and the fact that the answer came from an undergrad shold have tipped you off that it was at risk for being wrong.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
That's not true, and the fact that the answer came from an undergrad shold have tipped you off that it was at risk for being wrong.

So there is a shorter unit of time?
 
Flyx said:
So there is a shorter unit of time?
We do not know if there is a shortest unit of time, and if there is, we do not know how long it is.
Using our current theories to try to predict things on shorter timescales does not work, but that is just a limit of our current knowledge.
dstarwynn said:
Does anyone have more information about any research or theoretical basis of this?
Pure nonsense, as Drakkith said already.
 
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Flyx said:
So there is a shorter unit of time?
Yes. The misunderstanding here is so common that we even have an Insights article about it: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/hand-wavy-discussion-planck-length/

Yes, I know, that's about the Planck length not the Planck time - but because of the way they're defined if the Planck length isn't the shortest possible length then the Planck time cannot be the shortest possible time, and vice versa.
 
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This thread topic is nonsense, so is closed.
 

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