Qualia from quantum magic: A quantum resource approach to phenomenal consciousness

Qualia, the first-person subjective qualities of conscious experience, have resisted physical explanation. This paper hypothesizes that qualia are generated in the brain during quantum computational resolution of difficult inverse problems, specifically when non-Clifford magic states are consumed above a threshold rate. Magic states are a quantum resource needed for universal quantum computation. Inverse problems in cognition, like reconstructing 3D shape from a blurry 2D retinal image, are ill-posed and computationally costly. The hypothesis reframes philosophical thought experiments, predicts qualia arise in posterior sensory cortices due to challenging inverse problems in vision and hearing, and explains their absence in simple or many complex systems. The authors discuss recent empirical findings from the Cogitate Consortium.

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Abstract

Qualia—the first-person qualities of subjective experiences that constitute the “what it is like”of phenomenal consciousness—have thus far resisted physical explanation. Here we hypothesizethat qualia are generated in the brain during the quantum computational resolution of difficultinverse problems when non-Clifford magic states are consumed above a threshold rate. Magicstates are a well-known quantum resource necessary for universal quantum computation—a formof computational fuel. Inverse problems in cognition, such as reconstructing the state of theenvironment or internal states from incomplete or noisy sensory and interoceptive data, are typicallyill-posed and computationally costly. A prototypical inverse problem is determining the actual 3Dshape of an object from a blurry 2D retinal image. The Qualia-from-Quantum-Magic Hypothesisreframes classic philosophical thought experiments (e.g., zombies and inverted qualia), predictswhen and where qualia should arise, and offers a natural explanation for their absence in simplesystems such as thermostats and in many complex systems such as the Internet. In the brain, itpredicts consciousness-related activity to be concentrated in the posterior sensory cortices, becausevision and hearing pose some of the most challenging inverse problems that are vital to an animal’ssurvival. In light of this prediction, we conclude by discussing recent empirical findings of theCogitate Consortium.