The workings of woo

[watchamadoodle]

The best thing I could think of in known physics that could provide an interface to some deeper controlling level of reality, if you will, would be the randomness of quantum measurements. They look uncorrelated and truly random in all experiments, but a god-like being could use them to subtly influence the way of the world without violating the physical laws themselves. I think this was the favourite hypothesis of people like ken miller, who is a catholic evolutionary biologist who played an important role fighting ID in Kitzmiller vs. Dover

I have thought this too, but unfortunately most people react negatively to the idea. (Probably I use the wrong physics terms to explain.) So it is nice to hear somebody agree for a change.

A few weeks ago I was watching "The Matrix Reloaded" and the Oracle made an interesting comment (paraphrasing) "The choice has already been made. Your job is to understand the choice." This made me wonder about an observer-only type of woo. Imagine that the great god Woo has created the universe from the beginning of time to the end of time according to the constraints of physical laws. The universe isn't alive. Humans aren't alive and making choices. However, Woo decides to understand the universe from various perspectives such as humans and animals. In the process, Woo becomes so engrossed in each perspective that Woo forgets that it is only reading a story.

This observer-only woo eliminates the need for an interface to control the natural world. Also it matches the experience some people get through meditation where they feel they are observing themselves in a detached way.

[Alex K]

That which you describe is the usual deterministic scenario, isn't it. However, I don't think whether or not the universe is fundamentally deterministic has much to do with how we experience ourselves or it,, to come back to your meditation question - I believe it'll be the same whether there is true randomness or not. Free will at that level is an illusion either way. This feeling of detached observation of self which you describe has something to do with brain function I'm sure, less with fundamental questions of determinism. If you're interested, you should read up on the different concepts of free will, as should I one day

[robvalue]

People try to prove to they have free will by dropping a pen, then they say, "See?"

Hmm.

[watchamadoodle]

That which you describe is the usual deterministic scenario, isn't it. However, I don't think whether or not the universe is fundamentally deterministic has much to do with how we experience ourselves or it,, to come back to your meditation question - I believe it'll be the same whether there is true randomness or not. Free will at that level is an illusion either way. This feeling of detached observation of self which you describe has something to do with brain function I'm sure, less with fundamental questions of determinism. If you're interested, you should read up on the different concepts of free will, as should I one day

I think it's a little different from determinism. Determinism says that if you had a perfect knowledge of the present state then you have perfect knowledge of the future state. What I'm suggesting is a story where the future is composed whimsically by an omniscient author who then changes perspective to experience the story more fully. So unlike determinism, there may be be multiple possible futures for any present state, but one future has already been written. It seems like we are making choices, but actually we are just characters in a story.

I agree that in meditation the detachment is probably simply awareness of a different level of processing in our brains through quieting the normal level.

I need to find a good book on free will. I bought one but it was a struggle to read and I gave up.