I've mentioned before the possibility that the universe could exist entirely for our benefit, and that the existence of subjective observers could be inextricably intertwined with the origin and fate of the universe.
Occasionally I've wondered if subjective observers could directly control the objective universe via thought alone (rather than relying on clumsy appendages) if only we knew how. It's a delightful thought, though one that seems rather like wishful thinking. It also seems like something we would have discovered already if it was possible, since it would be a great evolutionary advantage.
Well, the other day I thought of a way it might be able to (sort of) work, through the concept of quantum immortality. I will illustrate this by explaining a method for winning the lottery. First, you have to buy a ticket (the numbers don't matter, except that, as with any lottery system you probably want to pick numbers that other people haven't picked to minimize your chances of having to share the prize). Wait for the draw, and if you don't win, kill yourself (hey, I didn't say it would be an easy or fun method of winning the lottery). Quantum immortality means that your consciousness will continue in only the parallel universes where you won, so that's what you experience.
Don't worry, I'm not about to try this or recommend that anyone else does - my belief in quantum immortality isn't sufficiently strong for me to bet my life on it. Even if it was, it would be very cruel to friends and family left behind in those non-winning parallel universes. Also, even if one was certain of quantum immortality, one would also have to have a suicide method more reliable than winning the lottery (or one would be more likely to experience survival due to failure than due to winning, probably with a debilitating injury). Finally, one would have to reliably entangle the suicide to not-winning-the-lottery - make sure that having a change of heart between the latter and the former would be less likely than winning.
It's interesting that the superpowers of immortality and omnipotence can be linked like this. However, it still leaves me looking for a more practical method of imposing my will on the universe.