Psychomechanics and the Trio of Space, Time and Consciousness: The Principle of Minimum Effort

Abstract

In the realm of classical physics, there are several phenomena whose precise understanding requires the role of consciousness of the observer/instrument.  In such cases all the three in the trio of space, time and consciousness need to be considered in the theory on the same footing rather than neglecting the role of consciousness under some simplifying assumptions.  An easy way to incorporate consciousness in the theory is by way of introducing a meditation variable, µ, and treating the same at par with the time variable.  It may be mentioned that it is the consciousness that creates the event-based space, time and geometry in the outer world out of the experience-based space, time and geometry of the mental world.  In fact, at gross level the role of ‘mind’ (an attribute of consciousness) is now translated into the variable µ which, in some sense, also accounts for the attention and/or concentration of an individual.  Some possible factors are explored on which the intensity of meditation can depend.  An energy-like function for conscious systems, the so-called ‘mindset function’  , is introduced.  In general,   is a function of experience-based space and time or of event-based space and time including µ.  In analogy with the action integral of classical mechanics, an ‘effort integral’ is constructed here perhaps for the first time and the extremeness of this integral is investigated using the tools of calculus of variation.  The viability of the resultant psycho-dynamical equations is demonstrated by solving them for some particular situations.