On the Quantum Mechanics of Consciousness, with Application to Anomalous Phenomena
⚡ ContestedPlain English Summary
What if your mind works like an atom? That's the bold idea from Princeton's famous PEAR lab. Jahn and Dunne propose describing consciousness with quantum mechanics -- the physics of the ultra-small -- treating the mind as a wave function anchored to the body. They borrow atomic concepts (bonding, resonance, uncertainty) as metaphors for how minds might nudge machines or pick up distant impressions. The receipts are huge: nearly 700,000 random-number-generator trials, 22 million mechanical-device trials, and 400+ remote-viewing sessions, all showing small but statistically real effects. Critics note it's more poetic analogy than hard prediction, but it gave mind-matter interaction a theoretical skeleton that shaped PEAR's work for decades.
Research Notes
Foundational theory paper of the PEAR program, presenting the most detailed quantum-consciousness model from that 28-year effort. Central to the mind-matter interaction debate: supporters cite it as a serious attempt at theoretical grounding, while critics note the model is metaphorical rather than predictive. Directly informs all subsequent PEAR publications.
Proposes that consciousness be represented by a quantum mechanical wave function in a generalized space/time domain, with the Schrodinger equation defining eigenfunctions within a centered potential well associated with the physical body. Summarizes seven years of PEAR laboratory data — 683,700 REG trials (28 operators), 217,500 pseudo-REG trials, 22 million RMC trials, and 400+ precognitive remote perception trials — showing small but statistically significant anomalous effects (REG z = 2.95 for directional PK). Develops metaphoric analogues of atomic structure, covalent bonds, indistinguishability, exclusion, correspondence, uncertainty, and quantum statistics to model both psychokinesis and remote perception as resonance phenomena between consciousness and device wave functions.
Links
Related Papers
Same Research Program
- The Persistent Paradox of Psychic Phenomena: An Engineering Perspective — Jahn, Robert G (1982)
- Engineering Anomalies Research — Jahn, Robert G (1987)
- Correlations of Random Binary Sequences with Pre-Stated Operator Intention: A Review of a 12-Year Program — Jahn, Robert G (1997)
- Mind/Machine Interaction Consortium: PortREG Replication Experiments — Jahn, Robert G (2000)
- The PEAR Proposition — Jahn, Robert G (2005)
- Information and Uncertainty in Remote Perception Research — Dunne, Brenda J (2003)
Cites
- Precognitive Remote Viewing in the Chicago Area: A Replication of the Stanford Experiment — Dunne, Brenda J (1979)
- A Perceptual Channel for Information Transfer over Kilometer Distances: Historical Perspective and Recent Research — Puthoff, Harold E (1976)
- Information transmission under conditions of sensory shielding — Targ, Russell (1974)
Companion
- Evidence for Consciousness-Related Anomalies in Random Physical Systems — Radin, Dean I (1989)
- The Strange Properties of Psychokinesis — Schmidt, H (1987)
- Biological Utilisation of Quantum NonLocality — Josephson, Brian D (1991)
- Does Consciousness Collapse the Wave-Packet? — Bierman, Dick J (2003)
- Weak Quantum Theory: Complementarity and Entanglement in Physics and Beyond — Atmanspacher, Harald (2002)
- Consciousness in the Universe: Neuroscience, Quantum Space-Time Geometry and Orch OR Theory — Penrose, Roger (2011)
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📋 Cite this paper
Jahn, Robert G, Dunne, Brenda J (1986). On the Quantum Mechanics of Consciousness, with Application to Anomalous Phenomena. Foundations of Physics. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00735378
@article{jahn_1987_quantum_mechanics_consciousness,
title = {On the Quantum Mechanics of Consciousness, with Application to Anomalous Phenomena},
author = {Jahn, Robert G and Dunne, Brenda J},
year = {1986},
journal = {Foundations of Physics},
doi = {10.1007/BF00735378},
}