The Nature of Consciousness: Quantum Origins

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Are there quantum structures in our minds that give rise to consciousness? Sir Roger Penrose, one of the most famous scientists in the world, believes that the nature of consciousness is of quantum origin and explains how he thinks it works.

Human consciousness is one of the greatest mysteries on Earth to this day. How does every person know that he is "he"? Does our awareness and perception of ourselves come from the mind or is it formed by the sensations of the body? What actually happens when a person is in a state of "altered" consciousness under the influence of certain chemicals or plants? Do animals have consciousness? You might think that our self-awareness, as the main secret of humanity, should be at the forefront of all research in the world, but science does not yet have clear answers to these questions.

One approach to consciousness is to view it as a byproduct of the many computations that take place in the brain.

According to the theory of integrated information, created by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conscious experience is the integration of a large amount of information that enters the brain, and it is an "irreducible" experience. The brain weaves a complex information network of sensory and cognitive signals.

The theory of the global workspace, developed by neuroscientist at the Institute of Neuroscience in La Jolla, California, Bernard Baars, suggests that consciousness is simply the act of transmitting information through the brain from a memory bank.

But there are those who predict failure to unravel the nature of consciousness only with the help of neuroscience, if quantum mechanics is not involved. Thus, the world famous physicist-mathematician of the University of Oxford, Sir Roger Penrose, believes that consciousness has a quantum origin.

Together with renowned anesthesiologist Stuart Hammeroff, who teaches at the University of Arizona, Penrose developed the theory of organized objective mind reduction. This is a rather unusual theory in itself, but it cannot be easily discarded, given that Roger Penrose is one of the most outstanding people in the world who made significant contributions to cosmology and general relativity. The researcher is also famous for his award-winning work on black holes with Stephen Hawking. Physicist Lee Smolin once said of Penrose:

"He is one of very few people among those whom I have met in my life, whom I call a genius without reservation."

Penrose believes that consciousness is not the result of computational operations and their accumulation. It is not just a mechanical byproduct like a computer can do automatically. According to the scientist, to understand the phenomenon of consciousness, a revolution is needed in our approach to the physical world. In particular, Penrose believes that the answer to the question about the nature of consciousness may lie in a deeper study of quantum mechanics.

In an interview with Steve Paulson for Nautilus, Penrose uses an example from quantum computing to explain that qubits of information remain in multiple states until they combine into "quantum coherence," in which large numbers of particles act together as a single quantum.

Here, Penrose's theory builds on Hameroff's work, arguing that this quantum coherence takes place in protein structures called "microtubules." They are located inside the neurons of the brain and can store and process information and memory. Penrose and Hameroff believe that microtubules are quantum devices that control our consciousness.

This theory was not appreciated by everyone in the scientific community. Many critics say that the brain is too "warm, wet and noisy" to support the quantum process. And physicist Max Tegmark even calculated that the brain cannot function as fast as it is required in this case. Hawking also disagreed, suggesting that Penrose stick to his field of expertise.

And yet, a 2013 study by Japanese scientists added some evidence of Penrose and Hameroff's theory as vibrations were found in microtubules. Penrose and Hameroff then suggested that focusing brain stimulation on these vibrations could "benefit a multitude of mental, neurological, and cognitive conditions."

Nevertheless, this theory is rather in opposition in its field, in which, by the way, there has not been much progress lately.

In 2017, Sir Roger Penrose founded the Penrose Institute to study human consciousness through physics and distinguish it from any potential artificial intelligence.

The scientist explains why he came to the idea of quantum structures in the brain as follows:

“Although consciousness has been modified in various ways, it is not a result of computation. This is something else. There are many aspects to understanding the phenomenon of consciousness. People often identify consciousness with what we feel: it can be either pain or an assessment of beauty, love or color. That is, in any case, this is the experience that we have. However, I want to say that consciousness is something very, very specific. And if consciousness is something specific, not limited only to "calculation", then the question arises about its other qualities. Is it possible, for example, to explain whether the perception of blue is a calculation or something specific? We can be aware of different things without understanding them. But I argue that understanding is something that is clearly not the result of computation itself. This is especially evident in the fact how we use computers. This is a tricky calculation. But the understanding that we have regarding what calculations to do and what these calculations mean in the end is a completely different thing. Here we are confronted with the difference between pure computation and understanding. "