The Natural Philosophy and Physics of Consciousness
Advances in Consciousness Research April 12, 2001 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1075/aicr.29.03wal
Summary
Consciousness arises from quantum mechanical processes in the brain, specifically tunneling and state vector collapse driven by the brain's comparison loops. This view is formalized through a modified Schrödinger equation (MSE). The theory claims to resolve longstanding problems in neurophysiology and physics, including the conflict between general relativity and quantum mechanics. It also offers a resolution to the quantum measurement problem and yields testable experimental predictions.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Consciousness is a quantum process arising from tunneling and state vector collapse in the brain, which can resolve the measurement problem and the disparity between general relativity and quantum theory. |
Abstract
Consciousness comes out of quantum mechanics — from the presence of tunneling in the brain, and from state vector collapse brought on by the brain’s comparison loops. This fact is tied to the machinery of the MSE — the modified Schrödinger equation. This understanding of consciousness also lets us resolve problems in neurophysiology and even in physics — the resolution of the disparity that has long beset general relativity vis a vis quantum theory. We use this understanding of consciousness as a quantum process to resolve the measurement problem in quantum mechanics and to obtain quantities that allow us to test experimentally the viability of this theory.