The QBIT theory proposes that consciousness arises from macroscopic coherence emerging in the axon initial segment of neurons, a specialized compartment that integrates synaptic inputs and amplifies sensory signals. This coherence is necessary for conscious perception, as the axon initial segment's unique properties enable spontaneous emergence of this state. The theory links consciousness to a specific intracellular substrate that registers and processes sensory information within the brain.
Microtubules, nanoscale structures within neurons, can act as spintronic oscillators with memristive properties. Under specific conditions in the axon initial segment, these properties allow quantum coherence to emerge spontaneously in a population of microtubules. According to QBIT theory, this spontaneous coherence is both necessary and sufficient for the brain to generate a micro-consciousness, or quale. The simultaneous generation of multiple qualia through synchronized activity across different parts of the cerebral cortex creates the appearance of a unified macro-consciousness, or a seemingly unified subjective experience.