Quantum mechanics, consciousness & the self

Chris Clarke

Faculty of Mathematical Studies, University of Southampton

Chis Clarke’s paper discusses qualia and free will. Clarke defines the irreducible aspect of qualia and also free will as the essence of human consciousness. He thinks that qualia arise from an ‘entanglement’ between a person and the perceived object. Free will is suggested to arise from the use of self-reflection to change the reference frame within which decisions are taken. This change in the reference frame is likened to the change between quantum wave and particle. Clarke does not think that these characteristics can be derived by just summing up the microscopic events found in quantum theory. [Read more] ...