THE SQUARE ROOT OF MINUS ONE IS THE MIND-

MATTER LINK
This paper explores the possibility that the square root of minus one (a complex number in
mathematical terms) is the correct symbol for absolute Consciousness.

Definition: C.C.C. (Certain Consciousness Changes) refers to a change of consciousness

brought on by either a meditative state (e.g. a Buddhist "trance"), or by taking a psychedelic
substance (see Masters and Houston's "Varieties of Psychedelic Experience").

The key link of special relativity to consciousness

People have the ability to alter their space-time frameworks by certain consciousness
changes (C.C.C.), where their subjective sense of time speeds up, while their "psychic"
sense of space increases (distance "collapses"). In other words, a subject might think that
five hours had gone by, while actually only two hours had elapsed; also he might have
experienced vivid sense impressions of objects, which made them seem closer to him
psychicly (cosmic consciousness).

These results are fairly well known, yet little work has been done in attempting to relate
them to the laws of physics, especially to the law of special relativity, which shows that the
laws of physics remain invariant under different space-time reference systems that are
moving at different velocities with respect to each other. According to the special theory of
relativity, the time and length scales of one coordinate system moving at velocity v with
respect to another will appear to be changed by a factor of the square root of (1 - v*v /c*c)
[throughout this paper "*" is used as the multiplication symbol] where c is the speed of
light. This factor, using physical velocities, is never greater than 1.

Attempting to interrelate consciousness to a physical framework, let us generalize the

coordinate systems to be two people, one of whom, in comparison to the other, is
undergoing Certain Consciousness Changes. Call him CCC and call the other person the
observer. CCC's sense of time will speed up while his sense of distance (radial with him as
the center) will make objects seem psychicly closer to him. This means for CCC that the
square root of (1 - v*v / c*c) is greater than 1, and the only way this can occur is if he is
moving at a velocity of v' = i times v, where i = the square root of minus one, so that v'*v'
= iv*iv = -(v*v). This does not make any sense physically, for the two people, who may be
sitting next to each other, are obviously not physically moving with respect to each other,
so it must mean that CCC has his coordinate system moving with respect to the observer's
at a velocity v' into an imaginary direction in space - he is truly 'spaced out'! The person in
C.C.C watching a clock will think the time it ticks off is slow. To the observer, who finds
out from CCC that their time seems to be moving slowly, it is explained by the relativistic
equation: Time(CCC's) = Time(Observer's) * gamma, where gamma = 1 divided by the
square root of (1 - v*v / c*c), where v is some fraction (or multiple!) of
(i * c). In a similar way, as his consciousness "expands", CCC's sense of a distance between
an object and himself will be that it has lessened - the observer will explain it as an
expansion of CCC's "measuring rod" according to the relativistic formula: Length(CCC's) =
Length(Observer's) divided by gamma
(1/(1 - v*v / c*c)), where again v is some portion or multiple of (i * c).

Light waves and consciousness

The argument that someone in C.C.C. achieves a velocity into an "imaginary" dimension is
supported by laws for the general wave equations of light and sound where the solution is
of the form L (amplitude) = exp(iw(t - x/v)) which by Euler's theorem can be put into the
form L = cos w(t - x/v) + i times sine w(t - x/v). In some treatments of physics, the complex
sine term is considered physically meaningless and only the cosine term is "real". Perhaps,
however, the subject in C.C.C. "perceives" the sine term as well as the cosine term, giving
him more sense impressions per unit of objective time than is normal. By perceiving the
sine term, his subjective time is speeded up and the distance from the object is
"shortened" as his awareness of it increases. Thus we have a complementary description
of what happens to someone's space-time framework during C.C.C. - an explanation that
dovetails in with the argument in the opening section. We now see that the subject in
C.C.C. achieves a mental velocity into the i-dimension, which allows him to pick up, bump
into, and perceive the imaginary (in a mathematical sense) components of waves (stimuli).

Also, the time-dependent classical and Schroedinger wave equations use the square-root of
minus one ( i ), while the time-independent equation for standing waves does not. In my
view, time and consciousness are closely bound, so this is another indication that
consciousness is represented by i.

Not only does the person in C.C.C. perceive more, but also the quality of what he perceives
is greatly different. Most people in strong C.C.C. undergo a mystical experience where they
become 'one' with the universe. Thus there is a correlation of complex i-space with a super-
consciousness. Since all matter in modern physics is considered to have a complex ( i )
component, this consciousness can be said to pervade the universe. It is actually this
consciousness that the person in C.C.C. 'merges' with in complex space, altering his space-
time matrix.

Additional considerations

The square root of -1 is a better representation of consciousness than infinity because the
square root of -1 has an unsolvable quality while infinity can be visualized as a lot of
something.

Reality is based on paradox (life is full of twists and turns). Therefore i (the square root of -
1) is an apt representation since i to the third power = -i, and i to the fifth power = i.

The square root of minus one is the geometric mean between opposites:
+1 / i = i / -1; and plus / i = i / minus; and Yang / i = i / Yin. Another way of putting it is
that i exemplifies nonduality.
The square root of -1 is necessary as a factor of unity. The infinite roots of unity (one) are
of the form (cos A + i times sine A) [de Moivre's Theorem]. Cos A, for example, could
represent the physical part of the universe while i times sine A could be the mental part.

"To see a World in a Grain of Sand,

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an Hour."
- William Blake in "Auguries of Innocence"