Re: on formally describable universes and measures

From: George Levy <GLevy.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 23:17:16 -0800

I said:

>First person observation of consciousness is the self observing the self, or
>possibly part of the self observing other parts of the self.

Let me add to this previous post the following, which is relevant in the context
of the MWI.

Any object can be viewed from the first person or from the third person
perspective. Let me explain.

If the object does not exert any contingency on the existence of the observer, then
the first and third person perspectives coincide.

If the object does have a contingency on the existence of the observer, then the
first and third person perspectives diverge. For example, let's say that the object
is a randomly detonated bomb. If the bomb is located under your seat, then it has
a contingency on your continued existence and therefore your observation will be
first person: you will not see the bomb explode. If on the other hand, the bomb is
located far away, then your observation will be third person and you might see it
explode.

It also follows that different observers in different contingency frames of
reference experience different first person observations of the same object.

Following this reasonning we could surmise that even some of the natural laws
themselves as well as the absence of white rabbits could be first person effects.
Any violation to those laws and the appearance of white rabbits would imply the
immediate disappearance of the observer. For example any change to the charge/mass
of electrons would be "global" and result in the immediate destruction of the world
as we know it. Therefore the stability of the electron could be a first person
effect.

George
Received on Sun Jan 28 2001 - 23:19:21 PST