Is there a quantum of reality?

Reality is perception, therefore, no.
There is no measurement to measure the individuals concept of reality.

No dual models.

This is what they told me before they read my book…in which the main hero is searchng and finding a quantum of reality.

I agree with @Coloma.

Heh, and I believe exactly the opposite as @Coloma although she knows this, and we’ve played ring around the rosy about this before. Reality exists utterly independent of perception. It is there whether you perceive it or not.

Oh, and I’ll add that anybody who uses the word “quantum” and is not a physicist or talking about particle physics, is just talking metaphysical nonsense.

@Rarebear Agreed. I popped in on this one thinking it was a discussion of packets of energy as they relate to reality, whatever that might have been.

It doesn’t seem like the problem is with the word ‘quantum’ (which can mean the same as ‘unit’ in this context) but that you’re trying to find a unit for the word ‘reality’ which is used so many different ways that it depends completely on your definition.

It seems like maybe what you’re really asking may be “Is the number of realities the same as the number of people” meaning essentially do we each create our own reality to live in.

I don’t think so, I think your reality is basically the same as mine. Your individual perception of it might be different but the basics that make up 99% of what you perceive would be the same.

After all, if you were starting your own reality from scratch, wouldn’t it be a lot cooler than this? At least hook yourself up with some super powers or a gig where you don’t have to get out of bed so early in the morning.

The basic unit—quantum, if you like—of reality is necessarily the Whole. Leave anything out and it’s no longer reality.

@funkdaddy

I agree, in the sense of a common, shared reality of ‘earth’, ‘dirt’, ‘tree’, etc.
But, invariably it’s the old ‘half empty/half full dichotomy.

Aside from the basic physics that denote ‘reality’, everyone might agree they are holding a glass, but, is it half empty or half full? lol

‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’

Yep, we do create our own reality based on how we perceive.

I’m confused by the question.

A “quantum” is a discrete unit, as opposed to a continuous quantity. Light energy isn’t continuous; it is emitted in discreet steps, or “photons,” which are quantum particles.

A quantum of reality? Well, that would probably just be reality, taken as a discreet unit. Though that doesn’t really make any sense.

Are you thinking of the wavefunction of the universe? In quantum mechanics, a wavefunction is a complex function (i.e. using complex numbers) that describes every possible behavior of a particle or a system, even ones it doesn’t end up doing. The whole universe can be described as a wavefunction.

The Big Bang started off with just one unit of existence which duplicated itself a multitude of times to create the universe as we know it. Reality is mostly smoke and mirrors but somewhere within it is that infinitesimal original item, which must be real.

I’m pretty sure that’s not how physicists would describe how the big bang worked.

@Qingu And I wouldn’t describe myself as a physicist.

I’ll answer the second part…yes indeed. Save yourself a few billion dollars for a multinational particle accelerator and the subsequent international agreements and investigate the possibility that consciousness itself is the a priori Field out of which all phenomena arise. [That can only be refuted from the first person subjective which requires consciousness! (Exhibit A)] Bravo! Great question.