Converging Views in Buddhism and Quantum Mechanics: Advancing Understanding of the Self, Reality and Mental Suffering

Abstract. Questions regarding the nature of consciousness, self and objective reality have fascinated thinkers since the dawn of human history. While scientists seek to understand reality through examination of the external world, mystics seek this understanding through examination of their inner world. In Buddhism, deeper meditative enquiry into such questions typically involves the cultivation of a nondualistic mode of being, and the direct experience of reality through śūnyatā (translated from Sanskrit as “emptiness”), wherein “absolute” reality is experienced as empty of inherent existence. In physics, examination of objective reality reveals a similar vision in which the ordinary world is underpinned by an indeterminate “quantum field” which describes the world purely in terms of probabilities, and wherein physical entities lack inherent existence. In this context, the concept of a “state-vector collapse” has gained traction as a way of explaining how this nascent realm of possibility condenses into the “real world” we see around us. This paper explores these areas of convergence to shed light on such questions and examines their potential to advance psychological and wider scientific understanding of the underlying nature of consciousness, selfhood and reality. The implications for mental health and concurrent disorders are also discussed.