Monday 3 June 2019

Psi

In parapsychology, psi is the unknown factor in extrasensory perception and psychokinesis experiences that is not explained by known physical or biological mechanisms.
-copied from here.

Thus, "psi" specifically refers to consciousness, i.e., either to a kind of perception or to a kind of relationship between mind and matter. Thus, further, it seems to be inappropriate to speak of a psi function as determining the distribution of matter-energy throughout space-time. See Telekinesis. No doubt life is linked to atomic probabilities because living beings, like inanimate objects, are composed of atoms but the linkage is not necessarily such that some individual wills can consciously control external matter and energy.

Even a rationalization of telekinesis in a pulp sf story raises the philosophical mind-body question. There is a qualitative difference between consciousness and unconsciousness but there are also qualitative differences between macroscopic objects and sub-atomic particles yet the former are entirely composed of the latter so maybe all qualitative differences exist along a single spectrum? There is a quantitative difference between two electromagnetic wavelengths but a qualitative difference between the corresponding colors. The latter difference exists only because of consciousness which in turn differs qualitatively from unconscious states of matter. By "matter," I mean not mechanically interacting particles with only the quantifiable properties of mass and volume, therefore without consciousness, but being, that which is, however it is described, whether or not it is conscious.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

But there are serious scientists who investigate possibly genuine cases of persons having ESP powers, such as the Rhine Institute. Apparently, there are enough peculiar cases of that kind for investigations to continue. So I'm not sure such incidents are all merely "in the mind."

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
Yes but they are of the mind which is why I thought it was wrong to apply the word "psi" to a process in space-time.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

So you prefer to use "ESP" or "extra sensory perception" for such cases?

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
I think that the distribution of matter-energy in space-time happens before consciousness emerges and therefore is not determined by any "psi" process.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I certainly don't know enough to comment either way, but I think you are right.

SEan