Why the observer is immaterial

This paper examines the ontological nature of the observer in Special Relativity. In the visual field of a stationary observer, light overtakes an external moving material object at an effective separation speed of c − v. However, relative to the observer's own frame of observation, light can never be measured at c − v; it remains strictly invariant at the limiting speed c, regardless of motion. To preserve this invariant relation, physical lengths contract and temporal intervals dilate around the observation point. From this asymmetry, the paper deduces that the observing function does not participate in physical drift, establishing the conscious observer not as a material particle within the physical stream, but as a foundational, non-material reference center around which spacetime geometry dynamically configures.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-09-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22352963
Primary Topic
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Why the observer is immaterial

Maarten Vergucht
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
article

Why the observer is immaterial

Maarten Vergucht
article en

Abstract

This paper examines the ontological nature of the observer in Special Relativity. In the visual field of a stationary observer, light overtakes an external moving material object at an effective separation speed of c − v. However, relative to the observer's own frame of observation, light can never be measured at c − v; it remains strictly invariant at the limiting speed c, regardless of motion. To preserve this invariant relation, physical lengths contract and temporal intervals dilate around the observation point. From this asymmetry, the paper deduces that the observing function does not participate in physical drift, establishing the conscious observer not as a material particle within the physical stream, but as a foundational, non-material reference center around which spacetime geometry dynamically configures.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
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