Mind, Matter and Quantum Mechanics

Henry P. Stapp (auth.), Henry P. Stapp (eds.)978-3-540-89653-1, 978-3-540-89654-8

“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 third edition has been significantly expanded with two new chapters covering the author’s most recent work.

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Table of contents :
Front Matter….Pages I-XVII
Front Matter….Pages 1-1
…and then a Miracle Occurs….Pages 3-37
A Quantum Theory of Consciousness….Pages 39-47
Front Matter….Pages 49-49
The Copenhagen Interpretation….Pages 51-80
Mind, Matter, and Quantum Mechanics….Pages 81-118
A Quantum Theory of the Mind–Brain Interface….Pages 119-146
Front Matter….Pages 147-147
Mind, Matter, and Pauli….Pages 149-157
Choice and Meaning in the Quantum Universe….Pages 159-170
Future Achievements to Be Gained through Science….Pages 171-179
A Quantum Conception of Man….Pages 181-191
Quantum Theory and the Place of Mind in Nature….Pages 193-200
Front Matter….Pages 201-201
Neuroscience, Atomic Physics, and the Human Person….Pages 203-236
Societal Ramifications of the New Scientific Conception of Human Beings….Pages 237-244
Physicalism Versus Quantum Mechanics….Pages 245-260
A Model of the Quantum–Classical and Mind–Brain Connections, and the Role of the Quantum Zeno Effect in the Physical Implementation of Conscious Intent….Pages 261-273
Front Matter….Pages 275-275
A Mathematical Mode….Pages 277-279
Back Matter….Pages 281-300