Consciousness in the universe: a review of the 'Orch OR' theory.
March 1, 2014 Stuart R. Hameroff, Roger Penrose 384 citations
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.