Multiverses: Yes, They Exist

This episode argues that the multiverse does indeed exist, but not in the form commonly proposed by mainstream scientific theories. Rather than speculative parallel worlds, we present a more precise and coherent interpretation of the multiverse grounded in a proper understanding of concepts behind quantum physics and the core teaching of Vedanta. 

Each observer, through the act of observation, brings into existence a unique and exclusive universe. In this sense, no two observers inhabit the same universe. The existence of countless observers therefore implies the existence of countless universes.

 In this episode, drawing upon the principles of quantum physics, we will demonstrate how multiverses are not merely speculative ideas but arise naturally from the fundamental nature of observation and the wave function.

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Transcript

This episode argues that the multiverse does indeed exist, but not in the form commonly proposed by mainstream scientific theories. Rather than speculative parallel worlds, we present a more precise and coherent interpretation of the multiverse grounded in a proper understanding of concepts behind quantum physics and the core teaching of Vedanta.  

Introduction

Multiverses, or multiple universes, are a topic frequently debated by scientists. These proposed universes are often referred to as parallel or alternative universes. Some interpretations of quantum physics appear to suggest the existence of multiple universes, raising a profound question: Is such a concept even possible? While several hypotheses have been proposed, our understanding of how—or even where—these multiple universes might exist remains limited.

Much of the popular discussion around multiverses can be traced back to the famous thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s cat, devised by Nobel Prize–winning physicist Erwin Schrödinger. In this thought experiment, a cat is placed inside a sealed box containing a vial of poison connected to a random atomic trigger. The trigger may or may not activate the poison. If it does, the cat dies; if it does not, the cat remains alive. Until the box is opened and an observation is made, one cannot know the state of the cat. From a quantum perspective, both possibilities—alive and dead—exist simultaneously until observation occurs.

According to some interpretations, if an observer opens the box and finds the cat alive, the alternative outcome—in which the cat is dead—must also be realized elsewhere. Schrödinger’s wave function mathematically allows for both possibilities, and this has led some scientists to suggest that the unobserved outcome occurs in a separate, parallel universe. Thus, if the cat is alive in this universe, it must be dead in another. This interpretation contributed significantly to the popularization of multiverse ideas.

However, this is a misinterpretation of Schrödinger’s wave function. Schrödinger himself did not intend the thought experiment to demonstrate the existence of multiverses. His goal was to illustrate how wave functions of interacting systems can superimpose and form increasingly complex waveforms, not to propose parallel realities.

A deeper and more accurate understanding of the wave function leads to a far more intriguing conclusion: we may indeed live in a multiverse. Each observer, through the act of observation, brings into existence a unique and exclusive universe. In this sense, no two observers inhabit the same universe. The existence of countless observers therefore implies the existence of countless universes. In this episode, drawing upon the principles of quantum physics, we will demonstrate how multiverses are not merely speculative ideas but arise naturally from the fundamental nature of observation and the wave function.

Understanding Schrödinger’s Wave Function

We have discussed Schrödinger’s wave function in other episodes like Quantum Physics – Overview and Connecting Quantum Physics with Vedanta. If you have time you must listen to these episodes. It is worthwhile to restate some key ideas here, because a proper interpretation of this wave function is essential for correctly understanding the concept of multiverses.

Quantum physics emerged in the early twentieth century when scientists discovered that all matter exhibit both wave and particle properties. This applies universally—to you and me, to molecules and trees, to planets, stars, and galaxies. Everything in the universe possesses this wave–particle duality.

In 1925, Erwin Schrödinger formulated a mathematical equation to describe the wave aspect of this duality. Schrödinger’s wave equation is a general framework capable of representing the possible wave functions of all objects in the universe. 

A key insight of Schrödinger’s formulation is that a physical system consists of two components:

1. The observed system, which is the wave function representing the object or objects being observed.

2. The observing system, which is the observer or the measuring device performing the observation.

The observing system interacts with the observed system by making a measurement. In the famous Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment, the person opening the box functions as the observing system. When the observer interacts with the wave function, only one of the many possible outcomes is realized. This process is known as the collapse of the wave function.

As a result of this collapse, a single possibility emerges from among all available possibilities. In the case of the cat experiment, the outcome is unambiguous: the cat is found to be either dead or alive.

Composition of the Wave Function for the Observed System

The wave function of the observed system is highly complex. Ultimately, there is a single system wave function that represents every possible object in the universe—from a single atom to living beings, stars, and entire galaxies. This unified system wave function can be called the cosmic wave function, as it represents everything that exists in the universe.

1. Cumulative Nature of an Object’s Wave Function

Schrödinger’s wave function represents the energy profile of an object at a given moment in time. As time progresses, this energy profile continuously changes, and with every passing moment a new wave function is formed. Importantly, no wave function is ever lost. All past wave functions remain available within the object’s total wave function.

Thus, an object’s wave function is cumulative: it is the sum total of all its wave functions from the moment of its inception up to the present. In other words, the object’s wave function contains its entire history.

Consider the example of the Sun. The Sun is over 4.5 billion years old, and its wave function includes the energy profile of every moment since its birth. Each individual moment contributes a distinct wave function, and all these momentary wave functions combine to form a single, grand wave function for the Sun. As time advances, new wave functions are continuously added to this cumulative profile.

Because every moment in the Sun’s history is present within its wave function, this cumulative wave function contains all possible historical versions of the Sun. Every version—from its earliest formation to its present state—exists as a possibility within the Sun’s wave function.

To understand this more clearly, consider the role of observation.

Imagine that you are observing the Sun from Earth, your friend is observing it from Mars, and an alien observer is observing it from a planet located five million light-years away. Light from the Sun takes approximately eight minutes to reach Earth, thirteen minutes to reach Mars, and five million years to reach the distant planet.

Although the total wave function of the Sun is available to all observers, what each observer experiences depend on which part of that wave function collapses during observation. When the wave function collapses in your presence on Earth, you observe the Sun as it was eight minutes ago. Your friend on Mars collapses the wavefunction where the Sun was thirteen minutes ago, and the alien observer sees the Sun from five million years in the past.

Each observer collapses a different historical version of the same object. All these versions already exist within the Sun’s cumulative wave function. Even if millions of observers look at the Sun at the same “now” moment, each observer collapses a different possibility from the same underlying wave function.

This principle applies not only to the Sun, but to all objects in the universe. Every object—human beings, trees, cars, planets, and galaxies—has a wave function that contains the totality of its history. Your own wave function includes every moment since your birth.

2. The Cosmic Wave Function

The complexity increases further when we recognize that all objects, each with their own cumulative historical wave functions, combine to form one unified wave function for the entire universe. This is the cosmic wave function.

Nothing is excluded from this cosmic wave function. It contains every object, every interaction, and every possible configuration that has ever existed within the universe.

Unlimited Possibilities in the Cosmic Wave Function

We have seen that the cosmic wave function is a single, all‑encompassing wave function that includes every object in the universe. Within this cosmic wave function exists an enormous—indeed unlimited—number of possibilities.

First, a possibility may consist of any combination of objects, whether large or small. For example, when you look out of your window, you experience one particular combination of objects—trees, buildings, sky, and people. When you look away, you encounter a different combination. Each such combination represents a distinct possibility. In this way, the cosmic wave function can be thought of as being “sliced” into many different parts, with each slice corresponding to a unique possibility. 

Second, each individual object contains multiple possibilities within its own wave function. These possibilities correspond to the object’s entire history—from its inception to the present moment. The Sun, for instance, is about 4.5 billion years old, and its wave function contains a unique wave profile for every moment of its existence. As we saw earlier, observers located at different distances from the Sun perceive different historical versions of it, each corresponding to a different possibility within the Sun’s wave function.

When these two ideas are combined—the innumerable combinations of objects and the vast number of historical possibilities within each object—it becomes clear that the cosmic wave function contains an unlimited number of possibilities. Each of these possibilities can be separated, or sliced, from the cosmic wave function.

Role of the Observer

The existence of the physical universe, from this perspective, depends on observation. Consider a simple example: when you observe a tree, it appears as a definite physical object. When you turn away, however, its physical status becomes uncertain, as it is no longer being observed. In this view, physical reality requires observation; objects outside perception do not exist as concrete physical entities but remain as uncollapsed waveforms.

Quantum physics supports this principle by demonstrating that all entities possess both wave and particle characteristics. A wave function collapses into a definite physical state only upon observation, underscoring the essential role of the observer. Prior to observation, a system exists as a set of multiple possibilities; observation selects and actualizes only one.

Importantly, there is not a single observer. Every conscious being functions as an observer—humans, animals, and potentially life forms beyond Earth. The number of observers is therefore immense.

Each observer collapses a unique subsection of the cosmic wave function. This subsection represents a specific combination of objects and a particular historical state of each object. When the observer interacts with this subsection, it collapses into the universe that the observer experiences. This universe exists within the observer’s mind and is not shared with others. As time progresses, new subsections collapse continuously, producing a changing universe unique to that observer.

Similarly, every other observer collapses a different and exclusive subsection of the cosmic wave function. No two subsections are identical. Just as each slice of a cake is distinct, each collapsed possibility is unique and cannot be shared. Consequently, each observer experiences a distinct universe derived from the same underlying cosmic wave function.

Multiverses

Each observing mind collapses a unique subsection of the cosmic wave function. When this collapse occurs, the mind experiences the objects contained within that subsection. Because no subsection is ever repeated, each observer brings into existence a distinct universe. From the perspective of Schrödinger’s wave function, every mind selects a different possibility, resulting in a universe that is unique to that observer. No two universes are identical. Given the vast number of observing minds, an equally vast number of universes are continuously realized.

At first glance, it may appear that multiple observers are perceiving the same objects. For example, if you and a friend are looking at a group of trees, it seems natural to assume that you are observing the same trees. However, a closer examination reveals that each observer is, in fact, perceiving a different version of those objects. While these versions may appear identical, they are not the same.

Different distances from the object.
If your friend is standing closer to the trees than you are, light from the trees reaches your friend slightly earlier. As a result, your friend observes a more recent version of the trees, while you observe an earlier one. Although this temporal difference is extremely small and imperceptible to human senses, the versions are nevertheless distinct. Even a separation of a few millimeters produces a difference. Since an object’s wave function contains its entire history, each observer collapses a different historical version of the same object, resulting in different subsection wave functions.

Same distance from the object.
Even if two observers are positioned at the same distance from the trees, they cannot occupy the same point in space. This spatial separation leads to a different angular perspective, producing slightly different visual information. The same view would require both observers to occupy the exact same location, which is impossible. This principle applies not only to nearby objects but also to distant ones such as the Sun or stars. Consequently, each observer collapses a distinct subsection of the wave function.

Because no two observers can collapse the same subsection of the cosmic wave function, no two minds can experience the same universe. Each observer perceives a unique set of objects or unique versions of the same objects. In this way, every individual creates and experiences a universe that is exclusively their own. Multiverses, therefore, arise naturally from the act of observation itself.

Conclusion

Multiverses, therefore, are a reality. This conclusion aligns naturally with Schrödinger’s wave function, which allows for multiple possible outcomes and holds that, in the presence of an observer or measuring device, only one possibility is realized through collapse. The remaining possibilities do not disappear; they may be realized elsewhere as alternative or parallel universes. While this idea may initially seem mysterious, it follows logically from the principles discussed.

In summary, there are many observers, and every living being functions as one. Given the vast number of observers, there is an equally vast number of collapses of the cosmic wave function. Each collapse corresponds to a unique subsection of that wave function, and each subsection represents a distinct possibility. Because no two possibilities are identical, each observer gives rise to a different universe. These parallel universes are not distant or abstract; they coexist within the same underlying cosmic wave function. As long as multiple observers exist, multiple universes will necessarily arise. Viewed in this way, multiverses are not mysterious but a natural consequence of observation itself.

If you’re interested in delving deeper into topics like this, we invite you to discover more in my book, Science Meets Vedanta, available on Amazon. Additionally, we offer around 30 podcasts covering many different topics —feel free to browse through them at your convenience.

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