Mind, Matter and Quantum Mechanics

by Henry P. Stapp

"Scientists other than quantum physicists often fail to comprehend the enormity of the conceptual change wrought by quantum theory in our basic conception of the nature of matter," writes Henry Stapp. Stapp is a leading quantum physicist who has given particularly careful thought to the implications of the theory that lies at the heart of modern physics. In this book, which contains several of his key papers as well as new material, he focuses on the problem of consciousness and explains how quantum mechanics allows causally effective conscious thought to be combined in a natural way with the physical brain made of neurons and atoms. The book is divided into four sections. The first consists of an extended introduction. Key foundational and somewhat more technical papers are included in the second part, together with a clear exposition of the "orthodox" interpretation of quantum mechanics. The third part addresses, in a non-technical fashion, the implications of the theory for some of the most profound questions that mankind has contemplated: How does the world come to be just what it is and not something else? How should humans view themselves in a quantum universe? What will be the impact on society of the revised scientific image of the nature of man? The final part contains a mathematical appendix for the specialist and a glossary of important terms and ideas for the interested layman. This new edition has been updated and extended to address recent debates about consciousness.

Genres: Science, Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Philosophy, Stem, Psychology

297 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1992

Reviews

[Jay Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent suggestion to apply the collapse of the wave function to the creation of conscious awareness. Integrates William James' idea of the "stream of consciousness" with recent developments in neuroscience & neurophysiology in order to apply quantum mechanics to the mind-body problem. Perhaps the best idea in this regard that I've read. Stapp improves on Penrose's (and other physicists') attempts to apply quantum theory to consciousness, in that he provides a concrete suggestion for how the mind and brain are related, preserving both the importance of brain-mind associations (determinism) and the efficacy of awareness (free will). In the process, Stapp provides a very helpful overview of both cognitive science and quantum mechanics, summarizing neural communication, brain organization, Bell's theorem (which addresses the problem of "entanglement"),

and various approaches to quantum theory along the theoretical continuum from merely-a-collection-of-equations-that-predict-physical-measurements to accurate-depictions-of-the-importance-of-conscious-observation-in-the-creation-of-reality.

[Earnest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy book... only got through 75% of it... the parts I did understand was fascinating... most of it was pretty beyond me though.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man has some interesting ideas, but he's a mental monist! A mental monist for God's sake! He might as well end up with an ontology that includes nothing but puppies, mildew, and blue cotton candy. However, if you can overlook the ludicrous conclusion I'd recommend it for the philosophical stopping points that come along the way.

[Chris]

is the brain a quantum computer?

[Alan Johnson]

This is the paperback of the third edition.

[Anthony Tenaglier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting perspective of mind and brain from the point of view of a quantum physicist. The quantum Zeno effect is intriguing to think about and to approach the problem of our thoughts rooted in the uncertainty and indeterminate nature of quantum was quite a change from most books using classical mechanics as a framework.

[Zoey Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of using a quantum mechanical model to interpret the mind-brain connection is very interesting. I'm more a neuroscientist than a physicist, so a lot of mathematical models seem very elusive to me. I've been very excited to read about how consciousness is modeled using theories in other disciplines besides biology, and this book does a great job.