The causal consciousness: presynaptic beta-neurexin promotes neuromediator release via vibrational multidimensional tunneling
arXiv Preprint Archive October 13, 2002 via arXiv
Summary
Consciousness must have evolved through natural selection, making epiphenomenalism (the view that consciousness is a causally inert byproduct) untenable. The paper proposes a specific molecular mechanism by which quantum effects could influence neurotransmitter release. In this model, the brain's microtubule network generates quantum-coherent solitons that tune beta-neurexin molecules. These molecules' thermal vibrations can then promote or suppress conformational changes through vibrational multidimensional tunneling, which drives the detachment of the calcium sensor synaptotagmin-1 from the SNARE complex. This detachment triggers membrane fusion and neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft, allowing quantum information transfer to causally affect neural signaling.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Quant-ph Neuroscience Quantum-biology Consciousness-studies Brain-chemistry |
| Key finding | Quantum effects in microtubules can causally influence neurotransmitter release by modulating synaptotagmin-1 detachment via vibrational multidimensional tunneling in beta-neurexin molecules. |
Abstract
Epiphenomenalism is shown to be absurd because the development of consciousness must be explainable through natural selection. A detailed neuromolecular basis of the neuromediator release is given and it is stressed on the possible key point where the quantum mind could act, namely presynaptic scaffold protein dynamics and detachment of the calcium sensor v-SNARE synaptotagmin-1. The beta-neurexin molecules are tuned via fast propagating solitons by the quantum coherent microtubule network so that the beta-neurexin molecule thermal vibrations could promote or suppress conformational changes via vibrational multidimensional tunneling, which drives synaptotagmin-1 detachment from the SNARE complex under calcium ion binding. Following the synaptotagmin-1 detachment membrane fusion takes place in SNARE dependent fashion and the presynaptic vesicle spills neuromediator in the synaptic cleft. Thus the quantum transfer of information causally affects the neuromediator release.