Causal Connection and Global Consciousness Is individuality an evolutionary accident?

We propose a novel interpretation of consciousness and an enlarged definition of locality, which provide a solution to the problem of the consistency of measurements in quantum mechanics: consciousness is a characteristics of the Universe as a whole. Besides its physical consequences, this interpretation has also moral implications: individuality comes out naturally to be just an accident functional to evolution which shaped past and present history through competition, and realizing this fact should enforce cooperation.

is a linear operator. As long as the system remains isolated, ψ changes in a causal manner, obeying the appropriate equation.
-Process 2: The discontinuous change brought by the measurement by an observer of a quantity with value φj: the state ψ will be changed to the (collapsed) state ψj with probability |(ψ, ψj)| 2 , ψj being the eigenstate corresponding to the eigenvalue φj of the operator describing the measurement.
For example, related to Process 1, in nonrelativistic physics the unitary operator can be the Hamiltonian Ĥ = p 2 /2m + V and the Hilbert space can be defined over the complex field C: in this case the deterministic evolution is driven by the Schrödinger equation, and we speak about nonrelativistic quantum mechanics.
The question of the consistency of this scheme arises when one contemplates the observer and his object-system as a single (composite) physical system. Indeed, the situation becomes quite paradoxical if we allow for the existence of different observations, as Process 2 might induce discrepant versions of reality. And indeed several paradoxes have been conceived based on this, see for example [3,4,5] for reviews and proposed ways out.
A notable solution recovering the consistency of quantum physics has been proposed by Everett [2,6]. It is known as "many-world interpretation of quantum mechanics", and it can be formalized as the non-existence of Process 2 thus, a causal evolution of the Universe. Decoherence can branch and split the Universe by generating mutually unobservable alternate histories: distinct worlds within a greater Multiverse.
Being the Multiverse interpretation unpleasant/unsatisfactory for many, we propose here a different way out to the problem of consistency.

Proposal
We start from the interpretation of von Neumann [1] according to which the problem of the collapse of the wavefunction can be related to consciousness. In this interpretation, the conscious mind is the entity who has the power to induce Process 2, and is thus at the origin of the collapse of the wavefunction. We posit this as the formal definition of consciousness.
A trivial way out to the problem of the consistency in the interpretation of reality could then be, clearly, solipsism: to postulate the existence of only one observer in the Universe. The Universe obeys at all times Process 1 except when under his/her observation. This view is trivially consistent, but largely unsatisfactory.
We put forward here a different hypothesis that incorporates solipsism in a more general view: the Universe is a unique consciousness. Our perception of individuality is just an evolutionary accident (hovever not a spandrel, since it has been functional to the way we evolved).
How is locality affected by this view? Namely, are changes of the internal structure of the "global" observer (i.e., the Universe) consistent with causality? (using a term from Bohm [15]) from this field, which has a holographic imprint.
physically described is saved, with its historical evolution. All phenomena are "in-formed" cosmos, and calls it "Akashic field": a causal field in which all information on what can be by Carl Gustav Jung [14], posits a "field of information" as a fundamental substance of the the Universe. Ervin László in [11,12], based on ideas by Rudolf Steiner [13], and more loosely and its adjective, akashic, referring to an etheric compendium of all knowledge and history of antroposophy and other non-quantitative disciplines have later popularized the word akasha ambient similar to the fifth essence of Aristotle [10], in which events take place. Theosophy, [8,9]. In the old Jainistic religion of India, akasha one of the eternal categories of being; an 1 The term is based on the Sanskrit word ākāśa, derived from a root kāś, meaning "to be" sense our interpretation is thus holographic.
code the wavefunction of the Universe field with their wavefunction: in this Another consequence is that local systems, irrespective of how small, en-can thus be thought as a unique consciousness, and is coherent.
following our conjecture, can be causally connected; the Universe as a whole hypothesis, all the (knowable) Universe is akashically connected, and thus, We point also the attention of the reader to the fact that, in the big bang space-like separation is established.
doxes in which a causal connection between points in 4-dimensional space with causally connected, but were in their past historyand a larger class of para-Rosen paradox, which applies to pairs of particles which are not in general Notice that this solves nonlocality paradoxes like the Einstein-Podolsky-nected.
Conjecture. All pairs of points akashically connected can be causally con-nected.
causally connectable) in the sense of SR at t0 = t are also akashically con-

time-like separation in SR: all pairs of events within the light cone (and thus
The definition of akashical connection trivially extends the definition of Definition. We define two points P1 and P2 at the same time t1 = t2 ≡ t in 4-conjecture.
vacuo [7]). We can find a way out by formulating a definition, and a nected according to the definition of SR if C = c, c being the speed of light in (i.e., the 4-vector joining them is space-like and they cannot be causally con- one might have correlated changes between pairs of points 1 and 2 (events in 4- maximum speed of propagation of a signal at time t, and defining the metrics (SR). Calling P = (t, x, y, z) a generic event in 4-dimensional space, C the can not be causally connected according to the definition of Special Relativity Apparently, a global Universe can induce coherent changes in events which

Conclusion
We have presented a novel interpretation of consciousness which formalizes a panpsychic concept and provides a solution to the problem of the consistency of measurements in quantum mechanics, enlarging the definition of locality. In this interpretation consciousness belongs to the Universe as a whole. This interpretation respects Occam's razor: it provides a justification for inconsistencies without introducing new entities.
We want in conclusion to stress the moral consequences of the interpretation proposed in this paper. Being the expression of a unique entity, all individuals should realize (at the best level at which they can perceive) that individuality is just an accident functional to evolution which shaped past and present history through competition, and they should enforce cooperation by all means. As the most intelligent species locally known, the bulk of the responsibility for such a new shaping of evolution stays on human beings.