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To move forward, to have a future, humanity must acknowledge and account for the dysfunction of the normal. The current state of the world, produced by humanity as a whole, proves the dysfunction of the normal.

Retrocausality

4 min readApr 25, 2025

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Retrocausality is a concept in philosophy and physics that suggests effects can precede their causes in time, challenging the traditional notion of causality where causes always precede effects.

Retrocausality proposes that an effect can occur before its cause.

This is often discussed in theoretical physics, such as the Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory and certain interpretations of quantum mechanics.

A particle’s future behavior influences its past state.

Causality is the relationship between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect), where the second event is a direct consequence of the first.

In causality, the cause always precedes the effect, whereas in retrocausality, the effect can precede the cause.

A billiard ball strikes another, causing the second ball to move.

Acausality refers to systems or processes that do not exhibit a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

Events may be correlated but not directly causally connected.

Acausality denies a direct causal link, while retrocausality posits a reverse causal link.

In quantum entanglement, one particle's state instantly affects another's state, regardless of distance, without a clear causal mechanism.

Determinism is the philosophical view that all events, including human actions, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will.

Given the same initial conditions, the same outcomes will always follow.

Determinism implies a forward-directed causality where past events determine future events.

Retrocausality, on the other hand, allows for future events to influence past events.

In classical mechanics, the future state of a system can be predicted with certainty given its current state and the laws of physics.

Key Points of Comparison:

Direction of Influence
Causality: Past to future.
Retrocausality: Future to past.
Acausality: No clear direction; events may be correlated without a direct causal link.
Determinism: Past to future, strictly adhering to initial conditions determining future states.

Predictability
Causality: High predictability based on known causes.
Retrocausality: Challenges traditional predictability by allowing future events to influence the past.
Acausality: Low predictability due to unclear causal links.
Determinism: High predictability based on initial conditions and laws of nature.

Philosophical Implications
Causality: Supports a linear, forward-moving view of time and events.
Retrocausality: Suggests a more complex, non-linear view of time and events.
Acausality: Questions the necessity of causal links in understanding phenomena.
Determinism: Implies a predetermined, fixed sequence of events.

Wheeler-Feynman Absorber Theory

The Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory, proposed by physicists John Archibald Wheeler and Richard Feynman, is a unique approach to understanding electromagnetic radiation. It introduces the concept of retrocausality in the following way:

Advanced and Retarded Waves
— The theory posits that an accelerating charged particle emits both retarded waves (which travel forward in time) and advanced waves (which travel backward in time).
— Retarded waves are the conventional electromagnetic waves that we observe, while advanced waves are hypothetical waves that travel backward in time.

Absorber Condition
— The theory requires that the universe be a perfect absorber, meaning that all advanced waves are completely absorbed by other particles in the future.
— This absorption ensures that the advanced waves do not interfere with the retarded waves, maintaining the observed causal structure of electromagnetic radiation.

Retrocausality
— The absorption of advanced waves in the future influences the emission of radiation in the past. This is a form of retrocausality, where future events (the absorption of advanced waves) affect past events (the emission of radiation).

The Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory provides a theoretical framework where retrocausality plays a crucial role in maintaining the observed behavior of electromagnetic radiation.

Quantum Mechanics and Retrocausality

In quantum mechanics, retrocausality appears in several interpretations and theoretical frameworks:

Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (TIQM)
— Proposed by John Cramer, TIQM extends the Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory to quantum mechanics.
— In TIQM, quantum events are described as transactions between retarded waves (offer waves) and advanced waves (confirmation waves).
— The transaction is completed when the offer wave from the past meets the confirmation wave from the future, establishing a retrocausal link.

Two-State Vector Formalism (TSVF)
— Developed by Yakir Aharonov, Peter Bergmann, and Joel Lebowitz, TSVF describes quantum systems using two state vectors: one evolving forward in time (the pre-selected state) and one evolving backward in time (the post-selected state).
— The formalism allows for retrocausal influences, where the future post-selected state can affect the past pre-selected state.
— Experiments such as the quantum Cheshire cat and weak measurements have been interpreted using TSVF, suggesting retrocausal effects.

Quantum Entanglement and Retrocausality
— Some interpretations of quantum entanglement suggest retrocausal influences.
— In entangled systems, one particle's state instantly affects another's state, regardless of distance. This non-locality has been interpreted as a form of retrocausality, where the future measurement of one particle influences the past state of the other.

Delayed-Choice Experiments
— Proposed by John Wheeler, delayed-choice experiments explore the idea that the act of measurement in the future can influence the path taken by a particle in the past.
— These experiments suggest that the choice of measurement basis in the future can retrocausally affect the interference pattern observed in the past.

Retrocausality suggests that the future can influence the past, blurring the distinction between cause and effect.

This has profound implications for our understanding of free will, determinism, and the nature of reality.

Retrocausality remains a theoretical and interpretative concept.

While some experiments and theoretical frameworks support the idea, it is not universally accepted or proven.

Retrocausality invites us to reconsider our assumptions about the direction of influence and the interconnectedness of events in the universe.

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Hyperobjects
Hyperobjects

Published in Hyperobjects

To move forward, to have a future, humanity must acknowledge and account for the dysfunction of the normal. The current state of the world, produced by humanity as a whole, proves the dysfunction of the normal.

Jay Greathouse
Jay Greathouse

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