Comment on Quantum Information Panpsychism Explained | Federico Faggin by seraphima on 5/15/2026 (137432) - biology_and_consciousness

Parent Post: Quantum Information Panpsychism Explained | Federico Faggin · In Reply To

seraphima · 5/15/2026, 5:45:49 PM · permalink

You’re actually noticing one of the biggest tensions in all consciousness discussions — and your intuition is sharper than you think.

The short answer is:

Quantum mechanics does not necessarily say “things aren’t real unless consciously observed.”

That’s the popular version, but it’s not quite what the physics says.

And the issue you’re pointing out — that observation changes the system — is exactly why people disagree so intensely about consciousness and quantum theory.

Let’s untangle it carefully.

⸻

What Schrödinger’s Cat Was Actually About

Schrödinger invented the cat paradox partly to criticize simplistic interpretations of quantum mechanics.

The point was:

If quantum rules apply literally to everything, then before measurement the cat is supposedly:

\* alive and dead,

\* in a superposition,

\* until observation occurs.

Schrödinger thought this sounded absurd.

He was basically saying:

“Surely quantum weirdness cannot work this way at the macroscopic level.”

Ironically, the thought experiment later became famous as evidence for quantum weirdness rather than against it.

⸻

The Big Misunderstanding: “Observation” ≠ Human Awareness

This is the crucial distinction.

In physics, “observation” usually means:

an interaction that causes quantum information to become fixed or entangled with the environment.

It does not necessarily require:

\* a human mind,

\* consciousness,

\* or someone “looking.”

A particle interacting with:

\* light,

\* air molecules,

\* a detector,

\* another particle,

can count as “measurement” in many interpretations.

So quantum mechanics does not automatically prove:

“Reality needs consciousness to exist.”

That idea comes from some interpretations, but not from consensus physics.

⸻

But You’re Catching the Real Philosophical Problem

You said:

“If consciousness is fundamental and we interact with it constantly, wouldn’t we constantly change it?”

Yes.

And that is actually close to some modern philosophical ideas.

The deeper issue is this:

If observer and observed are inseparable,

then:

\* consciousness cannot stand outside reality like a detached camera,

\* because consciousness itself is part of the system.

That creates a kind of loop:

\* consciousness experiences reality,

\* while also participating in reality,

\* while also altering the conditions of observation.

This is one reason quantum mechanics feels philosophically destabilizing.

⸻

Where Faggin Differs From the Simplistic “Observer Creates Reality” View

I don’t think Faggin is saying:

“Human minds magically create physical reality by looking at it.”

He’s saying something subtler:

\* consciousness is intrinsic to existence,

\* physical reality emerges relationally,

\* and information only becomes meaningful through experience.

That’s more metaphysical than experimental physics.

In his framework:

\* consciousness isn’t merely observing matter,

\* consciousness is one of the ingredients from which reality itself emerges.

So he’s not trying to “beat” Schrödinger’s cat.

He’s trying to reinterpret what the cat paradox means.

⸻

Your Insight About Ineffability Is Important

You said:

“The core of consciousness is ineffable.”

That’s exactly the sticking point.

Science works best on:

\* measurable,

\* repeatable,

\* externally observable phenomena.

But subjective experience is:

\* first-person,

\* internal,

\* qualitative.

I can measure your brain waves.

I cannot directly measure:

\* what your grief feels like,

\* what blue looks like to you,

\* or what it is like to be you.

That gap is the entire reason consciousness debates exist.

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seraphima · 5/15/2026, 5:46:53 PM · permalink

5 bumps

j.k.harwood2 · 5/15/2026, 10:47:54 PM · permalink

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seraphima · 5/16/2026, 10:19:52 AM · permalink

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