I agree with most of what you say. Consciousness is not supernatural. But it is still problematic because:
the only outcome the participant can expect to experience, and that they will experience with certainty
“Only outcome you can experience” is not quite the same thing as “Will experience with certainty.” Let’s go back to the case where you survive in both branches. The outcome you do experience is the only outcome that you can experience. The trick is that this is really two statements disguised as one. After the event there are two you’s, you1 and you2. The outcome that you1 do experience is the only outcome you1 can experience, and the outcome you2 do experience is the only outcome you2 can experience. This remains true (I believe) even if one of those experiences is the null experience of having your consciousness enter the cosmic void.
Reasonable people could disagree, I suppose. We can never know what the null experience “feels like” because by definition it doesn’t feel like anything. Personally, I find even the possibility that this argument could be correct to be sufficient reason for me to avoid playing quantum roulette. But everyone needs to choose their own risk posture.
It was two statements: “only outcome the participant can expect to experience” because I think that no, it is not possible to experience a null experience; and “will experience with certainty” because I believe quantum mechanics, when interpreted literally, means that the experience will exist.
As I said, I don’t find the Russian roulette a particularly interesting scenario in reality, nor something that I would like to try myself; it’s because I think this applies to other life-and-death situations as well that I think the basic question is important.
I agree with most of what you say. Consciousness is not supernatural. But it is still problematic because:
“Only outcome you can experience” is not quite the same thing as “Will experience with certainty.” Let’s go back to the case where you survive in both branches. The outcome you do experience is the only outcome that you can experience. The trick is that this is really two statements disguised as one. After the event there are two you’s, you1 and you2. The outcome that you1 do experience is the only outcome you1 can experience, and the outcome you2 do experience is the only outcome you2 can experience. This remains true (I believe) even if one of those experiences is the null experience of having your consciousness enter the cosmic void.
Reasonable people could disagree, I suppose. We can never know what the null experience “feels like” because by definition it doesn’t feel like anything. Personally, I find even the possibility that this argument could be correct to be sufficient reason for me to avoid playing quantum roulette. But everyone needs to choose their own risk posture.
It was two statements: “only outcome the participant can expect to experience” because I think that no, it is not possible to experience a null experience; and “will experience with certainty” because I believe quantum mechanics, when interpreted literally, means that the experience will exist.
As I said, I don’t find the Russian roulette a particularly interesting scenario in reality, nor something that I would like to try myself; it’s because I think this applies to other life-and-death situations as well that I think the basic question is important.