Have you ever wondered what happens when you die? Do you believe in an afterlife, reincarnation, or nothing at all? Well, there is a conspiracy theory that claims you never really die, at least not from your own perspective. It’s called quantum immortality, and it’s going viral after a popular TikToker named Joli Moli aka @Joli.artist posted a video revealing her belief in it.
What is Quantum Immortality?
Quantum immortality is a theory that proposes that consciousness is eternal and that our experience of reality is simply a product of our consciousness. The theory suggests that every time we die in one universe, our consciousness continues to exist in another universe where we survive. The idea is that it may be impossible to die (from your own point of view), no matter how hard you try.
The theory is based on a philosophical thought experiment called quantum suicide, which uses parallel universes to argue that you might actually be immortal. The thought experiment was originally devised by physicist Hugh Everett, who also proposed the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
This interpretation states that every possible outcome of a quantum event (such as flipping a coin) actually happens in a separate branch of reality, creating an infinite number of parallel universes.
The quantum suicide experiment involves a person standing in front of a gun that fires or does not fire depending on the spin of a subatomic particle. The gun does this repeatedly, and from an outside perspective, both outcomes are equally likely.
However, according to the theory, if the many-worlds interpretation is true, the person in front of the gun finds that the gun never fires, even though this is very unlikely. In the many-worlds interpretation, the gun fires in one world and does not fire in another, but the person can only continue being conscious in a world where the gun does not fire. Therefore, such a person would find themselves to be immortal.
Quantum immortality extends this idea to real-world causes of death, such as accidents, diseases, or old age. The theory claims that whenever you die in one world, your consciousness shifts to another world where you survive, either by a miracle or by some subtle difference in the circumstances.
For example, if you get hit by a car in one world, you might wake up in a hospital bed in another world where the car missed you by an inch. Or if you die of a heart attack in one world, you might wake up in another world where you had a mild chest pain instead.
Of course, you would not remember dying in any of these worlds, because your memory would only be consistent with the world where you survive. You might notice some strange changes or glitches in your reality, such as people acting differently or events happening differently than you remember. These could be signs that you have shifted to another universe where things are slightly different.
Why are Quantum Immortality Conspiracy Theories Trending in 2023?
The theory of quantum immortality has been around for decades, but it gained popularity recently after Joli Moli posted a video on TikTok explaining her belief in it. She claims that she has experienced several near-death situations in her life, such as drowning, choking, and falling from heights, but she always survived without any serious injuries. She believes that she actually died in those situations, but her consciousness moved to another universe where she lived.
She also claims that she has noticed some weird changes in her reality, such as her birthmark changing shape and size, her eye color changing from brown to green, and her memories not matching with other people’s memories. She thinks these are evidence that she has shifted to different universes after dying.
Her video has received over 10 million views and thousands of comments from people who are either fascinated or freaked out by her story. Some people share their own experiences of near-death situations or glitches in reality, while others question her sanity or challenge her logic. Some reactions were suggestions of dangerous ways to test if theory is true.
Why Many Scientists Don’t Accept the Quantum Immortality Theory
The theory of quantum immortality is very controversial and speculative. It relies on several assumptions and interpretations that are not widely accepted or proven by science. There are three reasons that scientist often point to when trying to disprove this theory.
Firstly they point out that it assumes that consciousness is something separate from the physical body and brain, and that it can exist independently of them. This is not supported by neuroscience or psychology, which suggest that consciousness is an emergent property of the brain’s activity and structure.
They also focus on the fact that the theory assumes that the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is true, and that there are infinite parallel universes where every possible outcome happens. This is not confirmed by empirical evidence or observation, and there are other interpretations of quantum mechanics that do not require parallel universes.
Lastly they believe that the assumption that there is a mechanism or principle that ensures that consciousness always follows the path of survival, and that it can switch between universes without any physical or mental consequences has no merit. This is not explained by any known physical law or theory, and it seems to violate the principle of conservation of energy and information.
With all that said, we have to remember that science has no definitive explanation of what exactly our consciousness is, and also can’t prove that nothing happens after we die in the spiritual sense. In that way the scientists who don’t believe in Quantum Immortality, are also basing their reasoning on their own theories. Science doesn’t even know how life started.
