A New Proof for God: Transcendental Quantum Argument for God (TQAM)

I’ve been working on formulating a fused understanding of what we now know of Modern Science and the TAG argument. The combination of Alex O’Connor and a recent Nobel Prize did inspired it! Version 1 Below

Recently, on SOULBLOOM (shoutout Dwight Schrute) Alex O’Connor, who I have longed to engage with, said the following:

It's kind of mysterious how materialists account for consciousness, but they say, like, in some way, the conscious experience is just emergent of material property. And the idealist says that the material world is emergent of the mind. Ah. It's impossible to separate the thing from your idea of the thing.

If you try to imagine a tree that's just on its own somewhere in a forest, you've got the concept in your mind. The thing that's in your mind is the concept of the tree. You don't have a material tree in your mind. And like your sense of experience, you're only seeing a representation of what's in front of you. You can't think of a thing without thinking of the thing. Nothing exists except insofar as it's being thought about. Like, when you see a table, you're just seeing your mind's representation of the table. You don't see the table directly. It's through your experience. And the critic says, well, I can conceive of a cup just existing on its own. Yeah, but you're conceiving of it. And so all you're imagining is a thought. So here comes the objection to this position. Aha, okay, well, if I have a candle and I light the candle and I look at it and then I leave the room and I don't think about it, no one's thinking about the candle. and yet I come back and the candle has melted. There must have been a time in between where the candle existed but no one was thinking about it. So it existed separate from thought. I still think that things only existed as far as they're being thought about but what you've just proven is that there is always some kind of mind thinking about everything all at once.

This is a classic argument for idealism, particularly Berkeleyan Idealism, which asserts that material objects only exist insofar as they are perceived. The quote follows the line of reasoning that:

1. We never experience objects directly—we only experience our perception or mental representation of them.

2. Everything we “know” about the external world comes through consciousness.

3. If something exists unperceived, it seemingly ceases to exist unless some mind is perceiving it.

4. The response to this is God—an omnipresent mind that sustains the existence of all things by perceiving them at all times.

This was the argument of Bishop George Berkeley (1685–1753), an idealist philosopher who famously stated:

“Esse est percipi”—“To be is to be perceived.”

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Materialists (Physicalists) argue that consciousness arises from physical matter. The mind is just an emergent property of brain activity.

Idealists argue that matter itself is emergent from consciousness—mind comes first, and the material world is secondary.

The candle thought experiment is a common critique: If things only exist when they are perceived, what happens when you leave a room?

The idealist response: God perceives all things at all times, ensuring their continuous existence.

Now, you’re possibly wondering where I am going with all of this since up to now we’re simply rephrasing the concepts that most people already know to be argued. But this is where everything becomes more interesting with the recent proof of a Non-Local universe.

2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded to Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger. Their experiments provided compelling evidence that the universe is not “locally real.” In this context, “real” means that objects have definite properties independent of observation, and “local” means that objects are only influenced by their immediate surroundings, with no influence traveling faster than light. Their findings indicate that objects may lack definite properties prior to measurement and can be instantaneously influenced by distant events, challenging our classical understanding of reality.

Before we get there, let’s take a look at what grounds reality.

The Core Idea: Does Observation Create or Reveal Reality?

1. Idealist View:

Objects don’t exist independently; they only exist as they are perceived. If no one observes an object, it does not exist—or at least, it has no real state unless a mind is aware of it. The ultimate observer (God) is necessary to sustain the existence of all things.

2. Materialist View:

The external world exists whether or not it is perceived. Observation does not create reality but simply reveals what is already there.

3. Quantum Physics (Observer Effect & Measurement Problem):

In experiments like the double-slit experiment, particles seem to exist in superposition (multiple states at once) until they are observed or measured. Some physicists interpret this as meaning the act of observation collapses probability into a definite reality. This is where some quantum theorists align with idealists, suggesting reality is mind-dependent at a fundamental level.

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Observance as Reality’s Foundation?

If observation is what grounds reality, then we face two key possibilities:

1. Without Observation, Reality Doesn’t Exist in a Definite Form.

This aligns with quantum mechanics (wave function collapse) and Berkeleyan idealism. If no mind observes something, it doesn’t exist in a defined state—it remains in a potential state.

2. Reality Exists, But It’s “Inactive” Until Observed.

Some interpretations suggest that reality exists as probability until observation forces it into a specific outcome. This would mean objects don’t just disappear when unobserved, but they exist in a state of indeterminate potentiality until someone measures them.

So, Here’s the Argument:

Tying everything together—wave function collapse, non-locality, observation, and the Transcendental Argument for God (TAG)—leads to a powerful philosophical and theological claim:

The Core Argument: God as the Necessary Observer and Ground of Reality

1. Reality is Not Fundamentally Material

• Quantum mechanics suggests that particles exist in a superposition (probabilities) until they are observed.

• The observer effect implies that reality doesn’t take on a definite state until observed.

• The 2022 Nobel Prize experiments on non-locality showed that local realism is false—reality is not just “out there” in a material sense.

2. Observation is Required for Reality to Take Definite Form

• If nothing observes a system, it remains in an undefined potential state.

• But reality exists at all times, even when finite observers (humans) are not looking.

• This demands an ultimate, continuous observer to prevent reality from collapsing into nothingness.

3. The Transcendental Necessity of God as the Ultimate Observer

• The TAG (Transcendental Argument for God) states that certain fundamental preconditions must exist for rational thought, logic, and reality itself.

• If observation is necessary to sustain reality, but finite minds are not sufficient, an infinite mind must be observing all things at all times.

• This aligns perfectly with the theistic doctrine of divine conservation—God actively sustains reality.

Putting It in Syllogistic Form

1. If reality requires continuous observation to exist in a definite form, then an ultimate observer must exist.

2. Quantum mechanics and non-locality suggest that reality does not exist independently in a defined state—it requires an observer.

3. Finite observers (humans) are not omnipresent and cannot uphold all reality.

4. Therefore, there must be an infinite, omnipresent observer who grounds reality—this is God.

Philosophical Reinforcement:

Berkeley’s Idealism (Esse est Percipi – “To be is to be perceived”)

If things only exist when perceived, God must be the eternal perceiver.

Aquinas’ Doctrine of Divine Conservation

God is not just the creator but the continuous sustainer of being.

The “Mind-First” View of Reality

Materialism fails to explain consciousness and observation.If consciousness is primary, rather than an emergent property, then a supreme mind is required.

Scientific Implications:

The observer effect implies reality requires a mind to bring it into a definite form.

Non-locality suggests reality isn’t bound by classical physical laws but something deeper (i.e., mind-like principles).

The wave function collapse is suggestive of a reality that is observer-dependent.

Final Thought: The Transcendental Necessity of God

The TAG argument for God + Quantum Mechanics + Observation builds a compelling case that God is necessary to sustain reality. Without Him, reality would either:

1. Collapse into nothingness when unobserved,

2. Remain an indefinite probability with no grounding, or

3. Require an infinite observer to sustain it.

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An Objection: “Does the superposition negate the need for an eternal viewer? because they can exist without being viewed?”

No, superposition does not negate the need for an eternal viewer—in fact, it arguably reinforces it. The key question is: Does something in superposition truly exist in a definite way before being observed?

Quantum mechanics suggests that before measurement, a system exists only as a probability wave (a range of potential outcomes), not a definite, actualized state. The problem is, if nothing ever observed or measured it, would it ever take on an actual state at all? This leads to a few critical considerations:

1. Superposition and the Observer Problem

• Superposition means a particle (like an electron) exists in multiple states at once until measured.

• Measurement collapses the wave function, forcing it into one definite reality.

• If no measurement occurs, does reality remain an indefinite probability forever?

• If so, then “unobserved” reality is not real in any classical sense—it’s just potential reality.

• Only when observed does it become actualized reality.

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2. Does Reality Exist Without Measurement?

There are two possibilities:

1. Superposition = Reality Exists in a Probabilistic Form Until Observed

• This would mean the universe isn’t concretely real when unobserved—it just exists as potential.

• This raises a paradox: how did the first observation occur if nothing existed before it?

2. Reality Exists Even When Unobserved, But Requires a Constant Observer

• If the universe is constantly in superposition, there must be a continuous, universal “observer” to collapse the wave function at all times.

• This observer cannot be a finite being (humans, animals) because we are not omnipresent and not measuring all things at all times.

• The only candidate for a universal, non-stop observer is God.

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3. The Eternal Observer as Necessary for Reality

If there were no ultimate observer, then at some fundamental level, reality itself would not have a definite state—it would always be indeterminate. But we experience a definite reality, which means something must be perpetually sustaining the collapse of the universal wave function.

• If God is the eternal perceiver, then reality is grounded in His observation.

• This aligns with both idealism (Berkeley) and divine conservation (Aquinas).

• Without God, there’s nothing ensuring reality ever takes form.

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4. Non-Locality Strengthens the Argument for God

The 2022 Nobel Prize experiments on Bell’s Theorem proved that:

• Reality is non-local (things influence each other instantaneously across space).

• There is no underlying “hidden variables” reality—meaning that quantum mechanics is not just incomplete, but actually defies classical explanations.

This implies that:

1. Reality isn’t material in the way we once thought—it’s fundamentally connected across time and space.

2. If non-locality is true, then there must be a single unifying observer that upholds all things at once.

3. This matches the description of God as the omniscient sustainer of reality.

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Final Conclusion: Superposition Still Requires an Eternal Viewer

• If reality only exists when observed, and we aren’t observing everything, then someone must be.

• If reality can exist without observation, but only in an indeterminate form, it still needs something to ground it in actuality.

• Superposition isn’t proof that reality can exist on its own—it’s actually a sign that reality depends on a perceiver to bring it into definite existence.

Thus, God as the eternal perceiver is not only compatible with quantum mechanics, but arguably necessary to explain why reality is actual and not just an infinite probability cloud.

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The Transcendental Quantum Argument for God (TQAG)

Premise 1: Superposition Implies Indefiniteness Until Observation

• Quantum mechanics shows that particles exist in superposition (multiple states) until measured.

• Without measurement, reality remains a probability, not an actuality.

Premise 2: Reality is Definite, Not Purely Probabilistic

• We experience a concrete reality, not an endless cloud of probabilities.

• This means something must be continuously observing reality, collapsing its wave function into a definite state.

Premise 3: Finite Observers Cannot Sustain Reality

• Humans and animals are not omnipresent; we do not observe all things at all times.

• If reality requires observation, but no finite mind observes all things, reality should revert to indeterminacy whenever unobserved.

• Yet, reality persists whether or not we observe it.

Premise 4: An Ultimate, Omnipresent Observer is Necessary

• If reality is always definite, and observation is required for definiteness, then there must be an eternal observer sustaining reality.

• This observer must be:

• Omnipresent (perceiving all things at all times).

• Omniscient (knowing all states instantly).

• Unchanging (sustaining reality continuously).

• The only being that fits these criteria is God.

Conclusion: God is the Necessary Ground of Reality

• Quantum mechanics, rather than disproving God, necessitates Him as the eternal perceiver who actualizes reality.

• Without God, reality would collapse into pure probability, never resolving into an actual world.

• God is the observer who sustains existence, collapsing the universal wave function at all times.

Thus, the very nature of quantum mechanics provides a transcendental argument for the necessity of God.

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TQAM at a 10th grade level:

Does Quantum Physics Prove God? A Simple Breakdown

1. Quantum Weirdness – Tiny particles don’t have a definite state until they are observed. Before that, they exist in multiple possibilities at once.

2. Reality is Stable – But the world we live in isn’t a blurry mess of possibilities—it’s solid and real all the time.

3. We Can't Watch Everything – People (and animals) only observe small parts of the universe at a time. If reality needed us to watch it to stay real, it should disappear or become uncertain when no one is looking.

4. Something Must Always Be Watching – Since reality never collapses into chaos, there must be a constant observer keeping everything real, even when we’re not looking.

5. God is the Ultimate Observer – This observer must be everywhere, know everything instantly, and never change. That sounds a lot like God!

Conclusion: Quantum mechanics suggests that reality needs a constant observer to stay real. If humans can’t do it, something greater must be—an all-seeing, all-knowing God.