What is the wave function and what does its collapse mean? According to the keon hypothesis, the collapse of the wave function is a “lack-of-definite-information”-collapse that occurs in our minds, nowhere else.
In order to have a chance of understanding the wave function and its collapse, we must first realize that there can be a difference between the actual state of a system, and the knowledge we can have about the system. The reason for this is the uncertainty principle and that we cannot observe a system without affecting it.
The wave function is a description of the state of a physical system expressed in a language called mathematics. At a future observation, some systems can be in different states. A particle can be located here or there, a cat can be alive or dead. But we cannot know what the actual state is until we perform an observation. Therefore, in order for the wave function to be a complete description of the state of the system, it must before an observation contain all possible alternatives for the state detected in a future observation - even if the system in reality is only in one of these states. This mix if possible states is what is called a superposition. Immediately after an observation, we know what the state of the system is and the wave function contains only one alternative, namely the state that was observed. The transition from a wave function that contains several alternatives to one that contains only one alternative is called the collapse of the wave function. Because the wave function to some extent describes the physical reality, its collapse has often been interpreted as a real and existing physical event, which according to the keon hypothesis is wrong.
Before an observation, the wave function describes all possible states of the system and there are many possible alternatives for the state that eventually will be observed, and therefore some degree of uncertainty regarding what the observation will show. Only one of the alternatives described by the wave function will turn out to exist physically, the other states are imaginary. When the observation is made, we acquire precise information about the system. Many possible alternatives are replaced by the one alternative that is actually observed, and uncertainty turns into certainty. The wave function is a formalization of our thoughts concerning possible states of the system and the alternatives it contains are the result of our ability to imagine different possible states of the system described. The wave function is thus a direct result of our imagination and its “collapse” only means that our thoughts change when uncertainty turns into certainty. The collapse of the wave function occurs in our minds and it is nothing but a product of our imagination!
This is explained in more detail in section 16.4.2.2 of the keon hypothesis, together with a thought experiment that results in this interpretation.
The keon hypothesis is a new explanation for nature and the universe. It is based on a very simple common principle and gives concrete physical “nuts-and-bolts”-explanations for energy, light, matter, mass, motion, inertia, electric charge, gravitation, time, and many other properties of nature that so far have remained unexplained. Based on the same principle, it also provides an interpretation of quantum mechanics, including explanations for the wave function and its collapse, the uncertainty principle, and the double-slit experiment. You will only find concrete physical and “down-to-earth” explanations in the keon hypothesis. There are no vague mumbo jumbo explanations, which otherwise are so common in alternative theories. If you are interested in these very deep questions, you should download the keon hypothesis and read it.
You will find the homepage of the keon hypothesis at:
http://www.jmhook.com/en/
