The universe as a conciousness-soup?

[vetiarvind]

I'm sure you have heard of the double slit experiment which shows that at quantum levels, particles tend to be like waves and depending on the level of observation, they tend to take more particle-like properties.
Anyway, here's a link if you're not familiar - Quantum Theory Demonstrated: Observation Affects Reality

Here's a thought I'd just like to share with you, although it's still very raw and probably a bit unedifying for you.

The quantum weirdness ties in with an insight SWIM had when he tried LSD, when reality completely folded and his surroundings felt very illusory - A sensation of being a part of a higher dimension entered my mind and everything in "this" reality felt like they were all just a realistic dream. A friend of SWIM who was with him during that time, talked with him about a lot of personal details about SWIM's life, almost as if he himself was a mirror of SWIM's mind. On hindsight, there was no seemingly rational/objective way this friend of SWIM could have known some of those details.

So, the insight was that the universe when not being observed by us, remains as a probabilistic field of happenings, and only when observed does reality "unfold"; that too depending on the level of one's awareness - akin to a bio-centric model of reality. The universe can be considered as a soup of consciousness, and when one aspect of that giant consciousness (for instance, our "ego self" ) views another part of the soup, for instance an object in the objective world, it takes on the form "expected" by the belief system of the observing consciousness. So, if you, the fraction of consciousness that your ego represents, considers duality as it's primary belief system, the consciousness that you're observing automatically sculpts itself into a dualistic world and hence you see a material world.

Do let me know if you've ever felt or read something similar to this idea (I'm quite sure there's nothing original about SWIM's experience )

 

[Enoon]

The "observer" in this experiment wasn't human. Institute scientists used for this purpose a tiny but sophisticated electronic detector that can spot passing electrons. The quantum "observer's" capacity to detect electrons could be altered by changing its electrical conductivity, or the strength of the current passing through it.

Apart from "observing," or detecting, the electrons, the detector had no effect on the current.

I can't believe that this could be, this opposes Newton's law actio=reactio. If there was a reaction in the detector there was a reaction in the detected electron, ergo there was interaction. Interaction, as far as I've grasped the mechanisms of quantum nature (and of course I haven't for the most part), is what causes matter/energy to appear as particles. Observation is just a meta-structured and higher order from of interaction, however IMO the higher order/structure is not needed to cause the collapse of the wave function.

What boggles my mind is the the process of randomness. Every time two forms of energy overlap they have a probability of interacting, but it is not clear to me by what mechanism it is *decided* whether they do or don't.

Getting back to your original point, I do see some parallels to quantum behavior and the reality-forming process of our minds, as you describe it. I don't think that quantum behavior is the reason for this, but rather the similarity is yet another example of the holographic nature of either our minds or the universe itself, or probably both. I'm not sure why the material world is necessarily dualistic though.

I tend to think of the mind as a pattern detector and mapper. We see certain complex patterns (structures of matter and energy that make up our reality) and then the mind maps them as accurately as it sees fit or can within itself. Our perception depends on this ability, and possibly our mind is not seeing or mapping the superstructures or possible other patterns that exist side by side with the reality we normally see, due to conditioning or capacity. I find that by using psychedelics we often can catch glimpses of these other patterns that exist within the same rules as the reality we know. When we do we can feel disoriented and get the impression the normal patterns are illusory because suddenly they are only one option in a sea of possible configurations.

Not sure if you can relate to this but those are my 2c

 

[Ayawasqero]

,soup´, :lol:. Yummy... slurp slurp

 

[Infundibulum]

The "observer" in this experiment wasn't human. Institute scientists used for this purpose a tiny but sophisticated electronic detector that can spot passing electrons. The quantum "observer's" capacity to detect electrons could be altered by changing its electrical conductivity, or the strength of the current passing through it.

Apart from "observing," or detecting, the electrons, the detector had no effect on the current.

I can't believe that this could be, this opposes Newton's law actio=reactio. If there was a reaction in the detector there was a reaction in the detected electron, ergo there was interaction. Interaction, as far as I've grasped the mechanisms of quantum nature (and of course I haven't for the most part), is what causes matter/energy to appear as particles. Observation is just a meta-structured and higher order from of interaction, however IMO the higher order/structure is not needed to cause the collapse of the wave function.

Ditto.

Every time you measure or detect something, there has to be an interaction with the detector. This is commonplace in science. And this always affect the system. If I want to measure in my cup of tea I stick inside it a thermometer. The thermometer has a temperature of its own and will slightly change the temperature of the tea; in the end the thermometer will register the temperature of the tea as it has been modified by the insertion of the thermometer. The impact of the detector on the measurement can be negligible (as per this example) or even dramatic (as in the double spit experiment) but often somewhere in the middle.

How all these have been turned into a new age quackery, now that's a truly fascinating riddle.

 

[vetiarvind]

I'm just pasting a post by "xebiche" who could not post directly, and had instead sent me a message. I'm not sure if i should post it, but I think it's pretty interesting, so here it is:

July 4, 1992. That was when I Awoke. I had no idea about Sacred Geometry. It covered the scene. When I closed my eyes it was there. For 45 minutes. It maddened me after about 15. The trip went so far south. All I did was pray for death to end the geometry that was on my field of vision. (in retrospect it was beautiful show, I just got spooked). I managed to make it to the shower. Water always saves me. The bathroom was white. The sound of water, the warmth of water, the feel of flow over my skin. So calming. And whiteness. The bathroom was just a white, like canvas with no visual distractions to focus on. The scene became so serene. Pure CALMNESS and OPENNESS. That is when it softly started rolling in. No visuals. Just KNOWLEDGE. So much of it and it was such a Gentle flow. For four hours I remained there Absorbing. I had connected to something deep or Universal. I was at a loss explaining this to anyone for 10 years. So I kept things to myself for all this time. Then I met A Vipasanna Meditator, dedidicated buddhist from Portland. He spoke the way he spoke because of a lifes worth of work. The way he spoke mimiced my internal dialogue (since the LSD incident). I identified his practices. And now I had a template. Before I was LOST. I got Kicked down an Immense Imprint on my Consciousness that never left. WHen ever I refer to the state as Samadhi or Enlightenment, people tend to write me off, or act competitive. The perspective never left, nor the knowledge, nor the feel. I am SSSOOO grateful that DMT offers such Easy access to the Conscious Dimension. The LSD Experience differentiated itself from DMT because there was Zero visual distraction. The experience was purely Cognitive. I was NOT thinking. I was Absent, absent, absent. It was as if the Knowlegde was bieng gently downloaded. I wanted to get this down on paper becasue I believe it can be a potent reference. If I did this then someone else can do this. It is in the Ambiance. Although I truly believe Praying for death was a powerful precursor for the experience. I cannot believe it was a requirement.

I HIGHLY recommend this experiment:
LSD
Samadhi tank - add all the above ammenities
- Heated Water
- A Gentle fountaining to shower to give your skin knowledge of FEELING while you gentle your mind with breathwork and absence
- No sound - only the sounds of water
- No visuals - only the color of white in your ambiance. People are Wrong. Meditate in the White. Eyes closed is Dark. Samadhi tanks are all done in darkness. No No. Do it in the blankness of white.
- Lastly. If Guru Knowledge can be obtained by me, Guru Knowledge can be you. July 4, 1992. I hit Samadhi (the absolute end of meditation). For four hours. Simply knowledge that it can be done is incentive to extend to a possiblilty that you now know is out there. So try it and share this knowledge. I don't even care if you do it here on Nexus. Just share this method.