The observer and the observed create one another

The phrase "the observer and the observed create one another" captures the idea that the act of observing is inherently intertwined with what is being observed, and that the distinction between the two is, at a fundamental level, illusory or constructed. This perspective appears in both philosophical and quantum-mechanical contexts, suggesting a deep interdependence between subject and object.

Nondual Philosophy

In the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and broader nondual traditions, the separation between observer and observed is seen as a mental construct emerging from accumulated experiences, images, and judgments of the observer. When this division is recognized as artificial, one realizes that the observer is actually the observed. The observer is shaped by the same images and memories being observed—any attempt at separation simply re-creates the same cycle. This unity—seeing that the perceiver and the perceived are parts of a single process—leads to a release of psychological conflict and a state of undivided awareness.kfoundation+3​

Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics

Within quantum mechanics, the "observer effect" refers to how the act of observation (or measurement) alters the state of what’s being observed. The classic example is the double-slit experiment, where particles behave differently based on whether they are being measured. This has led to interpretations that the observer and the observed system are fundamentally linked—the properties of quantum objects do not exist in a definite state until observed, suggesting a collapse of distinction between observer and observed at the quantum level.wikipedia+3​

Synthesis: Co-Creation of Reality

Both perspectives converge on the idea that observer and observed are co-creators of experience or reality. In subjective experience, interpretations and attention help bring phenomena into awareness; in quantum physics, act of measurement plays a direct role in determining the manifestation of physical reality. In both cases, creating a hard line between the observer and the observed is not supported—their relationship is participatory and mutually defining.reddit+2​

Core Takeaway

• The distinction between observer and observed is ultimately a conceptual division; they exist in an interdependent unity where each gives rise to the other.larrygottlieb+1​

• Realizing this unity can lead to transformed perception, whether in meditative awareness or in foundational understandings of physical reality.thegivinguniverse+1​

This view invites reflection on how identity, perspective, and reality are not fixed but emerge from participatory processes where the act of observing is inseparable from what is observed.

1. https://kfoundation.org/the-observer-and-the-observed/
2. https://www.reddit.com/r/Krishnamurti/comments/s27th0/observer_is_the_observed_what_does_that_mean/
3. https://brucesanguin.ca/krishnamurti-the-observed-is-the-observer/
4. https://seanreagan.com/the-observer-and-the-observed-redux/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect_(physics)
6. https://thequantumrecord.com/quantum-computing/observer-effect-why-do-measurements-change-quantum-outcomes/
7. https://thegivinguniverse.com/12-universal-laws/the-observer-effect/
8. https://www.scienceabc.com/pure-sciences/observer-effect-quantum-mechanics.html
9. https://www.larrygottlieb.com/blog/a-conversion-about-the-observer-effect
10. https://www.reddit.com/r/Krishnamurti/comments/1b9tngh/what_does_it_mean_when_jk_says_the_observer_is/
11. https://www.krishnamurti.org/transcript/when-the-mind-realises-the-observer-is-the-observed-there-is-a-release-of-energy/
12. https://www.facebook.com/groups/184422868555638/posts/2291504901180747/
13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKC-AQmJx6M
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_(quantum_physics)
15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfn2kFOeNKg
16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqh6CH1Hlvo
17. https://www.inner-works.com/who-we-are/
18. https://nfps.info/you-are-the-observer-and-the-observed/
19. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhysics/comments/1jxs3tj/why_is_it_called_the_observer_effect_when_it_is/
20. https://livelovesimple.com/tag/relationship-between-observer-and-observed/