Henry P. Stapp is a theoretical physicist at the University of California, Berkeley who has worked with some of the founders of quantum physics. He does not aim to prove the existence of the soul, however, he believes that the existence of the soul fits into the laws of physics.
It is wrong to say that belief in the soul is unscientific, says Stapp. In this case, the word "soul" means a person, independent of the brain and the rest of the body, who can survive after death. In his report "Compatibility of the theory of modern physics with the survival of the individual," he writes: "Strong doubts about the survival of the individual, based solely on the belief that posthumous survival is contrary to the laws of physics, are unfounded."
He worked on the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, which was formulated by the founders of quantum mechanics, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Bohr and Heisenberg had some differences in their views on how quantum mechanics works, and since then, different interpretations of this theory have been put forward. Stapp's report on the Copenhagen interpretation was very influential. It was developed in the 70s, and Heisenberg wrote a preface to it.
Why quantum theory doesn't deny life after death
Stapp explains that the founders of quantum theory forced scientists to split the world in two. Beyond the division line, classical mathematicians can describe physical processes that can be verified empirically. Up to the dividing line, quantum mathematicians describe reality "which does not provide for complete physical determinism."
Speaking of reality "up to the dividing line," Stapp writes: "The state of reality in the system up to the dividing line does not fit any classical description of properties visible to the observer."
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How do physicists observe the invisible? They select specific properties of a quantum system and use devices to observe how they affect physical processes "beyond the dividing line."
The choice of the observer plays a key role. When working within a quantum system, the choice of the observer has a physical effect.
Stapp cites Bohr's analogy that explains the connection between the scientist and the results of his experiment: “Imagine a blind person with a cane: when he carries a cane freely, the boundary between the person and the outside world is divided between hand and cane. But if he takes the cane firmly in his hands, it will become an orientation tool: a person feels that the cane is becoming an extension of his body."
The physical and the mental are linked in a dynamic way. By talking about the connection between the brain and the mind, the observer can record selected brain activity that would otherwise be short-lived. This choice is like the choice of a scientist who determines what properties of a quantum system he wants to study.
A quantum explanation that says that the mind and the brain are separate or different things, but nevertheless connected, “this is a welcome discovery,” Stapp writes. "It solves a problem that has plagued science and philosophy for centuries - the fictitious need of science to either equate the mind with the brain, or make the brain work independent of the mind."
Stapp believes that the statement that the personality of a dead person can "attach" to the living, as described in cases of ghost possession, does not contradict the laws of physics. To accept this does not require any changes in the conservative theory, but "it is necessary to accept the idea that physical and spiritual events only happen when they are combined together."
The theory of classical physics can only get around this problem, classical physicists can only argue that intuition is just a product of human doubt, says Stapp. Instead, he said, science should recognize "the physical effect of consciousness as a physical problem that must be resolved in a dynamic manner."
How this understanding will affect morality in society
To preserve human morality, it is necessary to perceive people as something more than just biological machines of blood and flesh.
In another article, Attention, Intent, and Will in Quantum Physics, Stapp writes: “It is now becoming clear that public acceptance of the 'scientific' idea that everyone is essentially a mechanical robot is likely to be significant and disastrous effect on the moral foundations of society."
He points to "a growing tendency for people to make excuses, explaining the guilt of some mechanical processes inside me:" it was my genes that made me this way "or" it is my high blood sugar that makes me behave this way."
Here is an example of the famous defense of Dan White, who killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscon and city supervisory board member Harvey Milk, in which the murder was justified by the fact that due to the abuse of fast food he lost control of himself. Instead of life in prison, Dan White spent only five years in prison.