ideasthesia

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Ryan Collison

I write about cool science and share it here.

Therapeutic state space with interference patterns showing integration and conflict zones

Clinical Implications of Quantum Cognition: From Theory to Therapy

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 8 of 9 A woman sits in her therapist’s office, paralyzed by a decision. Should she accept the promotion that requires relocating, or stay near aging parents? Every time she tries to evaluate the options independently, each seems reasonable. But when asked to compare them

Transition from quantum interference patterns to geometric coherence manifold

Quantum Coherence vs Cognitive Coherence: Same Word Different Meanings?

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 7 of 9 In physics, coherence means phase alignment. In psychology, it means something else entirely. The fact that quantum cognition uses both terms is either deeply confusing or deeply revealing. This is not a semantic accident. When Jerome Busemeyer and Peter Bruza titled their foundational

Precision weighting as quantum amplitude superposition with interfering prediction waves

Where Quantum Cognition Meets Active Inference: Precision Weighting as Superposition

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 6 of 9 What if the brain’s uncertainty isn’t a bug, but the computational substrate itself? The bridge between quantum cognition and the Free Energy Principle has been hiding in plain sight, buried in the mathematical machinery of active inference. When Karl Friston describes

Multiple measurement contexts projecting different bases onto central quantum cognitive state

Contextuality in Cognition: Why Context Changes Everything

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 5 of 9 In quantum mechanics, there’s a phenomenon that troubled Einstein so much he spent decades trying to disprove it. It’s called contextuality, and it means this: certain properties don’t exist independently of how you measure them. The measurement context itself determines

Quantum interference pattern with constructive and destructive wave regions

Interference Patterns in the Mind: The Mathematical Structure of Human Uncertainty

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 4 of 9 The mathematics that governs how light bends through a double slit might also govern how you decide whether someone is more likely to be a bank teller or a feminist bank teller. This isn’t metaphor. It’s not even analogy. It’s

Sequential measurement pathways creating different interference patterns based on order

Order Effects in Cognition: Why the Sequence of Questions Changes Your Answers

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 3 of 9 Ask someone if they’re happy. Then ask if they’re happy with their marriage. You’ll get one set of answers. Reverse the order—ask about marriage first, then general happiness—and the numbers change. Not by a little. By enough that

Probability wave functions interfering to create unexpected amplification patterns

The Conjunction Fallacy Explained: When Probability Interferes With Itself

Series: Quantum Cognition | Part: 2 of 9 Linda is 31 years old, single, outspoken, and very bright. She majored in philosophy. As a student, she was deeply concerned with issues of discrimination and social justice, and also participated in anti-nuclear demonstrations. Which is more probable? 1. Linda is a