Hypothesis: Beyond the Neural Correlates - Consciousness as Emergent Property of Whole-Organism RNA Attractor Networks
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) June 10, 2026 Piotr Kukier, Martin Noirmont
Consciousness may originate not solely in the brain but as an emergent property of RNA attractor networks throughout the body, modulated by bioelectric fields. The theory proposes that qualia arise as global properties of distributed RNA conformational landscapes, with the nervous system acting as a high-complexity amplifier rather than the source. Evidence from 2025-2026 supports molecular mechanisms including quantum radical-pair coupling in cryptochrome and calcium-dependent annexin transduction. The framework accommodates disorders of consciousness and general anesthesia through a two-layer temporal architecture: a fast bioelectric layer and a slow epitranscriptomic layer. Six falsifiable hypotheses and a three-aim research program are proposed, including predictions about fetal EEG coherence and differential RNA profiles in exosomes.