‘Mysticism’ in quantum mechanics

Juan Miguel Marin

This paper argues that a European controversy over a ‘mystical’ hypothesis,one assigning the mind a role to play at the material level of reality, shaped much of the debate over the interpretation of the quantum equations. It traces back the controversy to the past two decades, beginning in the late 1920s—birth of quantum theory—and concluding with Erwin Schr¨odinger’s lectures published as ‘Mind and Matter’. Becoming aware of the issues at stake can help us understand the historical, philosophical and cultural background from which today’s physics emerged. [Read more] ...