English

Causal Set Quantum Gravity and the Hard Problem of Consciousness

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2023-05-23 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory History and Philosophy of Physics

Abstract

I develop Rafael D. Sorkin's proposal that a partially ordered process of the birth of spacetime atoms in causal set quantum gravity provides an objective physical correlate of our perception of time passing. I argue that one cannot have a fully objective, external picture of the birth process because the order in which the spacetime atoms are born is a partial order. I propose that live experience in causal set theory is an internal view of the objective birth process in which events that are neural correlates of consciousness occur. In causal set theory, what ``breathes fire'' into a neural correlate of consciousness is that which breathes fire into the whole universe: the unceasing, partially ordered process of the birth of spacetime atoms.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2209.07653,
  title  = {Causal Set Quantum Gravity and the Hard Problem of Consciousness},
  author = {Fay Dowker},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2209.07653},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

22 pages, 1 figure. Version 2 is a result of discussion and feedback from colleagues and will be submitted for publication in the Proceedings of the WE-Heraeus-Seminar "Time and Clocks'', Bad Honnef, Germany, 27 Feb - 03 Mar 2023

R2 v1 2026-06-28T01:24:39.395Z