Consciousness and the double-slit interference pattern: Six experiments
Dean Radin, Leena Michel, Karla Galdamez, Paul Wendland, Robert Rickenbach, Arnaud Delorme
Physics Essays, Vol. 25, No. 2
Summary
Six controlled experiments tested whether directed mental attention from a distance can alter the interference pattern produced by a double-slit optical system. Participants focused their attention toward the apparatus from a shielded location while EEG was recorded. Results showed a cumulative reduction in double-slit interference consistent with a physical observer effect, with a combined z-score of 4.37 (p<0.0001). Control conditions showed no comparable effect. The paper proposes consciousness may function as a quantum observer, directly bridging parapsychological research with quantum mechanics.
Abstract
A double-slit optical system was used to test the hypothesis that unobserved quanta are affected by mental intention. In six experiments involving over 250 participants, individuals were asked to direct their attention toward a double-slit apparatus from a distant, shielded location. The intensity of the double-slit interference pattern was continuously monitored. Results showed that when participants focused attention on the apparatus with the intention of 'which-path' observation, the double-slit interference pattern decreased in a manner consistent with increased which-path information. Control periods without mental focus showed no such effect. Cumulative analysis across six experiments yielded z = 4.37 (p < 0.0001), with effect sizes remaining consistent across replications. Electroencephalographic measures of participants' attentional states correlated with the observed physical effects. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that consciousness plays a role analogous to measurement in quantum mechanical systems, and suggest that directed mental intention can influence quantum-level physical processes from a distance.
Citation
Dean Radin, Leena Michel, Karla Galdamez, Paul Wendland, Robert Rickenbach, Arnaud Delorme. (2012). Physics Essays. Vol. 25. No. 2. DOI: 10.4006/0836-1398-25.2.157
https://doi.org/10.4006/0836-1398-25.2.157