Dual-Aspect Quantum Theory: An Ontological Framework Unifying Physical Processes and Phenomenal Consciousness
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) June 1, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19543856 via OpenAlex
Summary
Dual-Aspect Quantum Theory (DAQT) proposes that consciousness has a dual functional structure, where qualia influence probabilistic tendencies and agency determines actual behavior. It interprets quantum mechanics' unitary evolution and collapse as having subjective aspects, aiming to unify phenomenology, evolutionary constraints, and physical processes. DAQT reframes key philosophical issues in the philosophy of mind as consequences of a shared psychophysical structure, while exploring the mathematical characterization of qualia and the role of quantum entanglement in consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Design | preprint |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Consciousness is proposed to have a dual functional structure that aligns with the dynamics of quantum theory, suggesting that unitary evolution has a qualitative interior and collapse has an agential interior. |
Abstract
This preprint develops Dual-Aspect Quantum Theory (DAQT), a framework that interprets the two fundamental dynamical modes of quantum mechanics, unitary evolution and collapse, as possessing intrinsic subjective aspects. The theory is motivated by the attempt to place phenomenology, evolutionary constraints, and physical processes within a single coherent ontology. Beginning from the conditional hypothesis that consciousness is real and not wholly epiphenomenal, the paper argues that consciousness has a dual functional structure: qualia modulate probabilistic tendencies, while agency resolves open alternatives into actual behavior. DAQT then proposes that quantum theory provides the clearest known structural match for this architecture. On that basis, it advances a dual-aspect interpretation in which unitary evolution has a qualitative interior and collapse an agential interior. Within this framework, several major problems in the philosophy of mind, including the Hard Problem, the conceivability of philosophical zombies, and the Combination Problem, are not treated as isolated puzzles but are reformulated as internal consequences of the same psychophysical structure. The paper also explores the mathematical characterization of qualia, the role of entanglement in unified consciousness, and the possibility of a biologically plausible mechanism capable of exploiting these dynamics. Rather than claiming a deductive proof or a completed empirical model, DAQT is presented as a coherent explanatory program for the functional role, physical locus, and ontological status of consciousness.