Quantum Psychology

1. Your Nervous System Programs Your Perceived Reality

Wilson sets the stage by making it clear that all fields of science should be properly prefaced with the term “neuro”; i.e. “neuro-physics,” “neuro-chemistry,” “neuro-astronomy,” etc.

Neuro-prefixed reality. Every perception, measurement, and understanding of the universe is filtered through the human nervous system. We don't experience "deep reality" directly, only "existential reality" as processed by our senses and instruments. This means our understanding of physics, chemistry, or astronomy is always neuro-physics, neuro-chemistry, neuro-astronomy, etc.

No pure observation. Even studying the nervous system itself is filtered through the nervous system, leading to "neuro-neuroscience." This highlights that the observer is inextricably linked to the observation, a core principle shared by quantum physics and neuroscience. Our biological hardware and software (language, culture) impose a bias on everything we perceive.

Brain science parallels quantum physics. Understanding how the brain processes information, with its inherent filters and interpretations, provides a better foundation for grasping the weirdness of quantum theory than classical physics does. Both fields reveal that our traditional notions of an objective, external reality are incomplete or misleading.

2. Perception Is Active Interpretation, Not Passive Reception

Wilson makes the point, multiple times in multiple ways, that perception isn’t a passive process, but rather, is “an active interpretation of signals.”

Creative sensory processing. What we see, hear, taste, touch, and feel isn't just raw data entering the brain; it's a creative act where the brain actively interprets incoming signals. Every person is an artist, constantly constructing their view of the world based on these interpretations.

Observer-created universe. This active interpretation parallels the quantum physics principle that "the observer cannot be left out of the description of the observation." Some physicists, like Dr. John A. Wheeler, even suggest the observer "creates" the universe of observation. Our instruments, like our senses, also shape what is perceived.

Gambles, not certainties. Perception is based on unconscious assessments of probabilities, essentially making every perception a gamble. We organize signals into guesses so fast we don't notice the guessing, leading to premature certainty about what we "see," even when others perceive the same event differently.

3. Language, Especially "Isness," Creates Mental Traps

For instance, much of this book will attempt to show that every sentence containing the innocent-looking word "is" also contains a hidden fallacy.

Confusing map and territory. Humans are prone to confusing words (the map) with the non-verbal world (the territory). We react to labels as if they were the things themselves, leading to semantic delusions and conflicts over abstract concepts defined by language.

The fallacy of identity. The word "is" of identity (e.g., "X is a Y") implies a fixed, inherent "essence" or "thingness" that doesn't exist in the dynamic, probabilistic universe described by modern science and existentialism. This Aristotelian habit leads to dogmatic thinking and prevents understanding flux and multiple perspectives.

Examples of "isness" traps:

• Debating whether a fetus "is" a person.
• Classifying someone as "a homosexual" or "a thief" based on past actions, ignoring potential for change.
• Believing a town "is really" Derry or Londonderry, leading to violence.
• Assuming something "is" indecent or sacred based on linguistic taboo.

4. E-Prime: A Tool for Non-Aristotelian Thinking

In 1933, in Science and Sanity, Alfred Korzybski proposed that we should abolish the "is of identity" from the English language.

English without "isness." E-Prime (English-Prime) is a version of English that eliminates all forms of the verb "to be" ("is," "am," "are," "was," "were," etc.). This forces speakers and writers to use more operational and existential language, describing experiences and relationships rather than asserting fixed identities or essences.

Escaping medieval metaphysics. Removing "isness" shifts thinking from an Aristotelian framework of fixed "things" with indwelling "spooks" (essences) to a modern scientific/existential framework of processes, relationships, and experiences in space-time. This helps avoid meaningless debates about what things "are."

Clarifying perception and conflict. Rewriting statements in E-Prime often dissolves apparent contradictions and reduces conflict. For example, instead of "John is unhappy," one might say "John appears unhappy in the office," acknowledging the observer's perception and the context, rather than asserting a fixed state of being.

5. We Have Multiple Selves and Reality-Tunnels

The Russian mystic Gurdjieff claimed that we all contain multiple personalities. Many researchers in psychology and neuroscience now share that startling view.

State-specific information systems. Modern psychology and neuroscience suggest that humans don't have one single, fixed "self" or "ego," but rather multiple potential "selves" or "information systems." These systems are linked to different brain states and access different memories and perspectives.

Four main systems:

• Oral Bio-Survival: Infancy imprints (neophobia/neophilia), linked to security and basic trust.
• Anal Territorial: Toddler imprints (dominance/submission), linked to power and control.
• Semantic Time-Binding: Language acquisition, linked to logic, symbolism, and cultural reality-tunnels.
• Socio-Sexual: Puberty imprints, linked to mating, social roles, and ethics.

Shifting realities. When one of these internal systems becomes predominant, the individual's perception of the world (their "reality-tunnel") shifts accordingly. This explains why a person might seem like a different person in different contexts or moods, and why their memories and beliefs might appear inconsistent.

6. Beliefs and Expectations Shape Physical Reality

Medical researchers know that every innovative therapy produces its best results when new, and some therapies only produce results when new.

Self-fulfilling prophecies. Our beliefs and expectations, whether conscious or unconscious, can significantly influence outcomes in the physical world, particularly concerning health and behavior. Treating someone as guilty can make them act uncomfortable; expecting a therapy to work can trigger healing processes.

Psychosomatic synergy. The traditional "mind-body problem" dissolves when viewed through the lens of psychosomatic unity and information transduction. Beliefs (information processed semantically in the cortex) can be transduced into biochemical and hormonal signals (information processed somatically via the hypothalamus and neuropeptides), affecting the immune system and physical health.

Placebo and nocebo effects. The power of belief is evident in the placebo effect (positive expectation leading to healing) and the nocebo effect (negative expectation leading to harm or death, like the "death bone" curse). Studies show placebos can be over 50% as effective as real drugs for pain relief, and optimism correlates with longevity.

7. Uncertainty and Probability Are Fundamental to Experience

The physicist states that in many cases we cannot meaningfully call Schrödinger's cat "a dead cat" but only "probably dead" and the Transactional Psychologist says that in many cases we cannot call the Thing in the Corner a chair but "probably a chair."

Beyond true/false. Modern science and logic move beyond the Aristotelian two-valued system of "true" or "false." Quantum mechanics and transactional psychology operate in a realm of probabilities and "maybes." Things exist in indeterminate states until observed or measured.

Daily life uncertainty. This uncertainty isn't confined to the subatomic world; it's present in daily life. Perceptions begin as "maybes" (e.g., is that figure Joe or someone else?) and often remain indeterminate if not fully resolved. Our brains, however, tend to leap to premature certainty due to Aristotelian habit.

Statistical reality. Accepting probability doesn't mean descending into chaos or solipsism. It means graduating from rigid "yes/no" thinking to assessing odds (5%, 50%, 95%). Business, like physics, operates on calculated risks and probabilities, not absolute certainty.

8. Non-Locality and Strange Loops Challenge Our Understanding

Bell's Theorem indicates that nonlocal correlations in time must also appear in a quantum universe.

Correlation without connection. Bell's Theorem suggests that if quantum mechanics accurately describes the universe, non-local correlations must exist. These are correlations between events that happen instantaneously across distances, without any known causal connection or signal traveling between them, defying classical physics.

Backward causality? Some interpretations of quantum experiments, particularly those involving non-local correlations in time, suggest that events in the present might influence the properties of particles in the past. This challenges our linear understanding of cause and effect.

Strange loops and infinite regress. Analyzing perception or consciousness rigorously leads to "strange loops" and infinite regresses (e.g., perceiving that you perceive that you perceive...). This mirrors Von Neumann's Catastrophe in quantum mechanics, where adding more observers or instruments doesn't eliminate uncertainty, suggesting a fundamental limit to objective knowledge.

Last updated: May 10, 2025