Instead of describing what the world is, quantum theory may be describing what you expect to experience when you interact with it.
Introduction
Physics always felt like it was describing something “out there.”
An objective world.
Independent of me.
Existing whether I observed it or not.
Equations, laws, predictions…
All pointing toward:
a reality that exists on its own
But then I encountered a strange interpretation of quantum mechanics.
One that didn’t deny the equations—
But completely changed what they meant.
Quantum Bayesianism, or QBism
And suddenly, the question shifted from:
“What is reality?”
To:
“What is my relationship to reality?”
The Traditional View
In standard interpretations, quantum mechanics describes:
- particles
- wave functions
- probabilities
These are assumed to represent:
something real in the world
Even if we don’t fully understand it.
The QBist Shift
QBism proposes something radical:
Quantum mechanics does not describe reality itself.
It describes:
your beliefs about what you will experience
Not the system.
But:
your interaction with it
Probability as Personal
In classical physics:
Probability is often seen as:
uncertainty about reality
In QBism:
Probability is:
your personal expectation
A degree of belief.
Not about what is…
But about:
what you think will happen
The Measurement Problem Revisited
Quantum mechanics struggles with:
What happens during measurement?
Does the wave function collapse?
Does reality change?
QBism answers differently:
Nothing mysterious happens to the system.
What changes is:
your knowledge
Reality as Interaction
In this view:
Reality is not something fully defined before observation.
It is:
co-created through interaction
When you measure something:
You are not revealing a fixed property.
You are:
participating in an event
The Role of the Observer
In most physics, the observer is:
secondary
In QBism, the observer becomes:
central
Not as ego.
But as:
the point where experience happens
A World Without Absolute Objectivity
This leads to a surprising implication:
There is no single, fully objective description of reality.
There are:
many perspectives
Each observer:
- assigns probabilities
- updates beliefs
- experiences outcomes
Reality as Experience
QBism brings physics closer to something unexpected:
experience
It suggests that:
What physics describes is not reality itself—
But:
how we navigate it
The Collapse of Detachment
This removes the idea of a detached observer.
You are not outside reality, measuring it.
You are:
inside it, interacting with it
Every observation is:
an event you participate in
The Personal Universe
This does not mean reality is subjective in a trivial sense.
It means:
your experience of reality is inseparable from your interaction with it
There is no view from nowhere.
Only:
views from somewhere
The Echo of Non-Dual Thought
This begins to resonate with something deeper.
Not identical to Advaita—
But similar in direction.
The separation between:
- observer
- observed
is no longer absolute.
Knowledge as Living Process
In QBism:
Knowledge is not static.
It evolves with:
- interaction
- experience
- updating belief
Reality is not fixed and revealed.
It is:
encountered
The Subtle Shift
This changes how reality feels.
Less like:
- a fixed structure
More like:
a dynamic relationship
Something you are always:
participating in
Key Insight / Turning Point
Quantum mechanics may not be describing reality itself.
It may be describing:
how we, as observers, engage with reality
Reality is not fully separate from you.
Nor fully created by you.
It exists:
in interaction
Practices / Reflections
-
Notice interpretation
Observe how expectations shape perception -
Question objectivity
Is your experience ever truly detached? -
Engage consciously
Treat interactions as participatory events -
Update beliefs gently
Let experience refine understanding
Closing
I still see the world.
Objects still appear.
Events still happen.
But something has shifted.
Reality no longer feels like something I observe from a distance.
It feels like:
something I am constantly in relationship with
Something I influence…
And am influenced by.
And maybe that’s the quiet truth QBism points toward:
Not that reality is subjective.
Not that it is objective.
But that it is:
a living dialogue
Between you…
And whatever is.