Consciousness in the universe: a review of the 'Orch OR' theory.

Consciousness may arise from quantum processes inside microtubules within brain neurons, orchestrated by biological mechanisms and culminating in moments of conscious awareness through a specific form of quantum state reduction. This orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR) theory links brain activity to the fundamental structure of the universe, connecting quantum mechanics and space-time geometry. The review also suggests that faster microtubule vibrations could produce beat frequencies corresponding to observed EEG patterns. The authors conclude that consciousness is an intrinsic feature of the universe.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The nature of consciousness, the mechanism by which it occurs in the brain, and its ultimate place in the universe are unknown. We proposed in the mid 1990's that consciousness depends on biologically 'orchestrated' coherent quantum processes in collections of microtubules within brain neurons, that these quantum processes correlate with, and regulate, neuronal synaptic and membrane activity, and that the continuous Schrödinger evolution of each such process terminates in accordance with the specific Diósi-Penrose (DP) scheme of 'objective reduction' ('OR') of the quantum state. This orchestrated OR activity ('Orch OR') is taken to result in moments of conscious awareness and/or choice. The DP form of OR is related to the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and space-time geometry, so Orch OR suggests that there is a connection between the brain's biomolecular processes and the basic structure of the universe. Here we review Orch OR in light of criticisms and developments in quantum biology, neuroscience, physics and cosmology. We also introduce a novel suggestion of 'beat frequencies' of faster microtubule vibrations as a possible source of the observed electro-encephalographic ('EEG') correlates of consciousness. We conclude that consciousness plays an intrinsic role in the universe.