Discussion Quantum Immortality

[αmber]

Have you ever heard of quantum immortality?

It is based on the multiverse and superposition topics on quantum physics. It is the hypothesis that we will never die. Assuming there is infinite (or almost infinite) number of universes in each of which does take place a different configuration of really, it is reasonable to think that there is a universe where all events lead to our immortality, for example, in this universe, we happen to live just in time for medicine to develop immortality, or just in time for technology to develop to a point where we can backup our mind in a computer. In this universe, you will never die. If you decide to kill yourself by jumping from a building, you would for example quit just when you were about to do it, or you would survive the fall, or someone would convince you not to.

Spoiler

But we know of people who have died.

Based on quantum immortality, when you see someone dying, you happened to be in the universe where that event happens (you seeing a person dying), but that person who you saw dying had no consciousness, their consciousness is in the universe where they never die. If you played russian roulette, you'd be the only one standing alive at the end, you'd see everyone dead in front of you. In the perspective of each one of them, all the others would have died, including you (but that 'you' had no consciousness).

If this is true, each one of us will see the Milky Way colliding with Andromeda in the future... Maybe just by ourselves, with our friends all dead long ago (in our perspective).

 

[Alex6216]

I've heard of it and I really hope it isnt true since Quantum immortality is almost like Hell if true. However, I do wonder what would happen if you took sedatives and went to the bottom of the mariana's trench or get shot with 6 shotgun shells, will you die or not because there cant be any way of you surviving any of those two and even if you dont die you must be unconscious forever since your brain is mush so it's almost the same as being dead

 

[tardis]

This is not really quantum immortality as far as I understand it.

It only applies if your death depends on the measurement of a quantum state. Then if the many-worlds interpretation is correct, you will only experience survival since you no longer exist in the worlds in which you died.

It doesn't apply if you are killed in some other way, or you are not a proponent of many worlds.
The wikipedia page also has criticisms from many worlds proponents.

So the term is a little bit misleading.

 

[Alex6216]

It doesn't apply if you are killed in some other way, or you are not a proponent of many worlds.

What do you mean by this?
Do you mean if you die via a method that has a 100% guaranteed success like being thrown to the bottom of the Mariana Trench or being right above a nuclear blast or just die via a way that isnt of natural causes?

 

[tardis]

I mean quantum immortality applies only if your death depends on the measurement of some quantum state. For example, if Stern-Gerlach magnets measuring electron spin somehow trigger a gunshot.

The thought experiment only applies to contrived examples like that. It does not apply to usual suicide methods that don't use quantum mechanics.

 

[Alex6216]

I mean quantum immortality applies only if your death depends on the measurement of some quantum state. For example, if Stern-Gerlach magnets measuring electron spin somehow trigger a gunshot.

The thought experiment only applies to contrived examples like that. It does not apply to usual suicide methods that don't use quantum mechanics.

So quantum suicide only applies to accidental deaths instead of purposeful deaths?

 

[TheLastFemaphrodyke]

Have you ever heard of quantum immortality?

It is based on the multiverse and superposition topics on quantum physics. It is the hypothesis that we will never die. Assuming there is infinite (or almost infinite) number of universes in each of which does take place a different configuration of really, it is reasonable to think that there is a universe where all events lead to our immortality, for example, in this universe, we happen to live just in time for medicine to develop immortality, or just in time for technology to develop to a point where we can backup our mind in a computer. In this universe, you will never die. If you decide to kill yourself by jumping from a building, you would for example quit just when you were about to do it, or you would survive the fall, or someone would convince you not to.

Spoiler

But we know of people who have died.

Based on quantum immortality, when you see someone dying, you happened to be in the universe where that event happens (you seeing a person dying), but that person who you saw dying had no consciousness, their consciousness is in the universe where they never die. If you played russian roulette, you'd be the only one standing alive at the end, you'd see everyone dead in front of you. In the perspective of each one of them, all the others would have died, including you (but that 'you' had no consciousness).

If this is true, each one of us will see the Milky Way colliding with Andromeda in the future... Maybe just by ourselves, with our friends all dead long ago (in our perspective).

I was introduced to philosophy at the age of 12 and quantum mechanics, physics and the multiverse at the age of 14. I am now 59 and STILL trying to grasp some of the principles I have studied, quantum immortality being just one. IMHO, every attempt at ending my life that have made, has been successful and my consciousness has been catapulted into the dimension that I inhabit currently. I feel like a ghost that is trapped in a world that cannot adequately perceive it and insists on it's evilness and need to be destroyed.

I mean quantum immortality applies only if your death depends on the measurement of some quantum state. For example, if Stern-Gerlach magnets measuring electron spin somehow trigger a gunshot.

The thought experiment only applies to contrived examples like that. It does not apply to usual suicide methods that don't use quantum mechanics.

being the entire perception of reality is based on quantum mechanics and physics, I personally do not see how any action, whether suicidal or not, would not incorporate the use of quantum mechanics and physics, simple observance is the measuring of quantum superimposition in itself, observing oneself and ones own actions or other actions that affect ones self provides 'measuring', what you state is akin to stating that only the bodily functions that depend on bioelectrochemical processing would apply to medical testing. ALL bodily function depend on bioelectrochemical processing.

 

[tardis]

So quantum suicide only applies to accidental deaths instead of purposeful deaths?

Sorry, I mean it only applies when you specifically use quantum phenomena as part of your suicide method. But that requires setting up really elaborate mechanisms that you are not likely to use by accident.

Quantum physics is the physics of really small particles and you would need special equipment to set it up properly. Otherwise it would just be a normal suicide attempt, and quantum immortality most likely wouldn't apply.

 

[DynamicDepression]

Sorry, I mean it only applies when you specifically use quantum phenomena as part of your suicide method. But that requires setting up really elaborate mechanisms that you are not likely to use by accident.

Quantum physics is the physics of really small particles and you would need special equipment to set it up properly. Otherwise it would just be a normal suicide attempt, and quantum immortality most likely wouldn't apply.

I'm gonna CTB by quantum tunneling.

 

[Sakura94]

QM isn't my thing. I'm a biology girl.
But I think I read that the universes within MWI is finite. Also consciousness (whatever you want to call it) is a massively complex operation and not binary a la 0= off 1=on. So what'll happen if anything resembling Quantum immortality occurs would be weirder and weirder states to the extent they couldn't be recognizably consciousness as we know it.

 

[killedbypsychiatry]

Spoiler

But we know of people who have died.

I don't think people dying disproved quantum immortality... after all you can *die* it's just that according to MWI there's manyyyy of other yous who didn't die, so since you cannot experience non existence "you" continue experiencing whatever the other yous are

 

[whatevs]

What does it mean that in the instances where you see people dying "they had no consciousness"? Seems nonsensical to me. Can you explain that?

Also, even though I like the idea of multiple concurrent timelines/realities you'd need to explain also why the consciousness of this timeline would transfer to the other one, would it just replace the consciousness of the version of me on that timeline? And what is the conduit or link between us?

Lastly we would need to specify what consciousness is and if it can be transferable. I understand that there's more to life than chance and that something will remain after death but I have seen no proof that what we call consciousness exists without a brain. What remains after death must be (in my mind) similar to what was before birth, a mysterious impulse or intentional energy. But I am not sure about the subject, I just know in this life when my brain is switched off my awareness is also switched off.

 

[MrThe]

Since your consciousness cannot co-exist in a world where your body is dead, it will simply continue on on the other world forever. Every instant trillions of atoms are in a super

position, meaning the universe rips itself apart trillions of times every instant, transferring your conscience trillions of times each second for every possible outcome.

 

[sserafim]

Have you ever heard of quantum immortality?

It is based on the multiverse and superposition topics on quantum physics. It is the hypothesis that we will never die. Assuming there is infinite (or almost infinite) number of universes in each of which does take place a different configuration of really, it is reasonable to think that there is a universe where all events lead to our immortality, for example, in this universe, we happen to live just in time for medicine to develop immortality, or just in time for technology to develop to a point where we can backup our mind in a computer. In this universe, you will never die. If you decide to kill yourself by jumping from a building, you would for example quit just when you were about to do it, or you would survive the fall, or someone would convince you not to.

Spoiler

But we know of people who have died.

Based on quantum immortality, when you see someone dying, you happened to be in the universe where that event happens (you seeing a person dying), but that person who you saw dying had no consciousness, their consciousness is in the universe where they never die. If you played russian roulette, you'd be the only one standing alive at the end, you'd see everyone dead in front of you. In the perspective of each one of them, all the others would have died, including you (but that 'you' had no consciousness).

If this is true, each one of us will see the Milky Way colliding with Andromeda in the future... Maybe just by ourselves, with our friends all dead long ago (in our perspective).

Yeah I've heard about this, it's the idea that you and your consciousness will never die because if you die in this reality then another reality will branch off where you survived. You would continue existing in that reality, even though you would be dead in this one. How can we go to the parallel universes/alternate realities in the multiverse though? Is there a way to travel to these parallel worlds like through a portal or something?

 

[MrThe]

Yeah I've heard about this, it's the idea that you and your consciousness will never die because if you die in this reality then another reality will branch off where you survived. You would continue existing in that reality, even though you would be dead in this one. How can we go to the parallel universes/alternate realities in the multiverse though? Is there a way to travel to these parallel worlds like through a portal or something?

M-theory suggests that elementary particles are made out of 11 dimensions, including some that allow jumping from universe to universe, but idk if that is related to the Many Worlds interpretation.

 

[real person]

Have you ever heard of quantum immortality?

It is based on the multiverse and superposition topics on quantum physics. It is the hypothesis that we will never die. Assuming there is infinite (or almost infinite) number of universes in each of which does take place a different configuration of really, it is reasonable to think that there is a universe where all events lead to our immortality, for example, in this universe, we happen to live just in time for medicine to develop immortality, or just in time for technology to develop to a point where we can backup our mind in a computer. In this universe, you will never die. If you decide to kill yourself by jumping from a building, you would for example quit just when you were about to do it, or you would survive the fall, or someone would convince you not to.

Spoiler

But we know of people who have died.

Based on quantum immortality, when you see someone dying, you happened to be in the universe where that event happens (you seeing a person dying), but that person who you saw dying had no consciousness, their consciousness is in the universe where they never die. If you played russian roulette, you'd be the only one standing alive at the end, you'd see everyone dead in front of you. In the perspective of each one of them, all the others would have died, including you (but that 'you' had no consciousness).

If this is true, each one of us will see the Milky Way colliding with Andromeda in the future... Maybe just by ourselves, with our friends all dead long ago (in our perspective).

this is really interesting where can i learn more??

 

[Mistiie]

I don't personally believe in quantum immortality, mainly because there's just not really any evidence for it, arguably even less than religions. It's more of a cool thought experiment. It would be kind of cool, I guess, but if you think about it, after about 110 years, you'd be constantly dying and would be in pain...unless preventative medicine prevents the ailments of old age in one of those universes, I don't know if I'd want to stick around to be able to feel every inch of every bone of my body aching against my wrinkled, decrepit skin.