The Silence Paradigm: A Theoretical Framework and Protocol for Testing the von Neumann–Wigner Interpretation Using Controlled Observer States in Shielded Environments

A theoretical framework proposing that the role of the conscious observer in quantum measurement can be treated as a controlled experimental variable and tested at the quantum–classical boundary using pre-registered, shielded protocols. The Silence Paradigm develops a modified von Neumann–Wigner position, grounded in contemplative phenomenology rather than abstract philosophy, and generates specific falsifiable predictions centered on decoherence behavior. The core hypothesis: when a conscious observer achieves a state of minimum cognitive excitation — as indicated by EEG patterns consistent with objectless awareness — the system's proximity to the quantum vacuum ground state increases, producing measurable changes in the decoherence behavior of nearby quantum systems. The primary prediction is specific and falsifiable: decoherence times (T₂) of a shielded quantum system will differ across controlled consciousness conditions, with states of minimum cognitive excitation producing the longest coherence times. The paper directly addresses the mechanism gap — no current theory predicts an expected effect size, optimal sensor, distance dependence, or which cognitive state is relevant — and frames the work as an exploratory search for statistical signals with pre-registered thresholds and upper-bound contributions even under null results. Companion paper to The Silence Experiment, which details the experimental protocol designed to test these predictions.