What is reality according to quantum mechanics?

[Warpspeed13]

What does quantum mechanics say about the nature of reality? I have a friend who's been babbling about how he thinks given the right circumstances (meditation, LSD, the hokey poky, take your pick) you could create "personal reality" and I don't know enough about it to say precisely why he's wrong.

 

[atyy]

Quantum mechanics does not say anything different about the nature of reality than classical mechanics. It is true that unlike classical mechanics, the most common interpretation (the Copenhagen interpretation) of quantum mechanics does require the subjective judgement of an observer. However, the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics is not inconsistent with an objective reality that is independent of one's subjective judgement.

For a discussion along these lines, take a look at Haag's "Local Quantum Physics" https://www.amazon.com/dp/3540610499/?tag=pfamazon01-20 (p297-298).

The most significant difference between classical and quantum reality is that quantum reality is "nonlocal" in some sense. However, this quantum nonlocality does not allow us to send messages faster than the speed of light.

 

[Warpspeed13]

Quantum mechanics does not say anything different about the nature of reality than classical mechanics. It is true that unlike classical mechanics, the most common interpretation (the Copenhagen interpretation) of quantum mechanics does require the subjective judgement of an observer. However, the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics is not inconsistent with an objective reality that is independent of one's subjective judgement.

The most significant difference between classical and quantum reality is that quantum reality is "nonlocal" in some sense. However, this quantum nonlocality does not allow us to send messages faster than the speed of light.

Ok how does perception affect it? His main premiss was that through what is essentially delusion you could generate quantum changes that culminated in a macro effect.

 

[atyy]

I suggest you learn some quantum mechanics instead of trying to have a discussion about someone's incoherent babbling.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1007.4184
An Introductory Course on Quantum Mechanics
Bram Gaasbeek

 

[Doug Huffman]

There are alternate interpretations of QM such as QBism the Bayesian interpretation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1003.5209
http://arxiv.org/abs/1409.2454

 

[Warpspeed13]

Cool thanks for the help. I did some more prodding and apparently he was basing his idea off an anime called A Certain Scientific Railgun. So you definitely babble

 

[phinds]

I suggest you learn some quantum mechanics instead of trying to have a discussion about someone's incoherent babbling.

+1 on that !

 

[Nugatory]

Closed, as the entire thread is based on a false premise.