Quantum Cognition and the Narratives We Tell Ourselves

The second episode of Legends of the Philosophy of Science presents another cross-disciplinary dialogue between Dr. Sudip Patra and Professor Arup K. Chatterjee, moderated by PhD scholar Shobhit Mohan. Titled Quantum Cognition and Narrative Theory, this episode journeys into an intellectual crossroads—where quantum models of cognition intersect with the philosophy of narrative and meaning-making.

Dr. Patra, who is affiliated to the Centre for Complexity Economics and Applied Spirituality, Jindal School of Government and Policy, introduces the audience to the emerging field of quantum cognition—a rigorous, interdisciplinary framework that challenges the assumptions of neoclassical rationalism. Drawing from the work of pioneers like Daniel Kahneman, he critiques classical probabilistic models for failing to capture the complexity and ambiguity of human decision-making. Instead, he advocates for quantum-like models, which offer a more nuanced account of cognition that reflects contextual entanglements, order effects, and superpositions of meaning.

Importantly, the conversation distances itself from quantum mysticism or simplistic East-West analogies. Both speakers emphasize that their intention is not to equate Vedantic metaphysics with quantum physics, nor to blur the line between science and spirituality. Rather, they seek to construct intellectually rigorous and philosophically honest bridges between seemingly disparate domains.

What distinguishes this discussion is its ability to tie together the technical with the poetic. As the episode transitions into a conversation on narrative theory, it asks urgent questions about meaning, perspective, and representation. Can a Shakespearean sonnet provoke not only literary contemplation but also insight into physical or metaphysical structures? Is cognition, like narrative, a dynamic process existing in multiple interpretive frames simultaneously?

The dialogue does not shy away from criticism. The two scholars address concerns that quantum cognition might lead to moral relativism—that by embracing a multiplicity of meanings and perspectives, we risk undermining moral and epistemological clarity. Dr. Patra clarifies that quantum cognition is not a metaphysical stance, but a methodological shift—a new way of modeling decisions, judgments, and human behaviour in domains ranging from economics to international relations.

He draws a critical distinction between quantum cognition and quantum mechanics, cautioning against conflating the two. The former, he asserts, is not an ontological claim about reality, but a functional framework that better accounts for how people think, choose, and act under uncertainty.

The conversation concludes with a tribute to David Bohm, the theoretical physicist and philosopher who questioned the mechanistic framing of quantum theory. Bohm’s notion of an “unbroken wholeness” and his discomfort with the term “quantum mechanics” resonate strongly with non-Western epistemologies, which often reject dualistic frameworks in favour of processual and relational understandings of reality.

At its core, this episode is not about disciplinary novelty or theoretical spectacle. It is about restoring the right to think expansively—to challenge conventional boundaries, to draw lines between poetry and physics, and to imagine futures where narrative and number, intuition and logic, East and West, are not oppositions but collaborators.