Testing the Conjecture That Quantum Processes Create Conscious Experience.

Conscious experience may emerge from quantum mechanical superpositions, a groundbreaking idea that suggests the structure of these superpositions shapes our experiences. This theory posits that quantum entanglement resolves the binding problem, creating a unified phenomenal experience. In a proposed series of experiments involving brain organoids and xenon anesthesia, the aim is to explore these connections further. With a focus on brain-computer interfaces, this approach could potentially enhance human consciousness, offering innovative avenues for understanding the physical substrate of consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The question of what generates conscious experience has mesmerized thinkers since the dawn of humanity, yet its origins remain a mystery. The topic of consciousness has gained traction in recent years, thanks to the development of large language models that now arguably pass the Turing test, an operational test for intelligence. However, intelligence and consciousness are not related in obvious ways, as anyone who suffers from a bad toothache can attest-pain generates intense feelings and absorbs all our conscious awareness, yet nothing particularly intelligent is going on. In the hard sciences, this topic is frequently met with skepticism because, to date, no protocol to measure the content or intensity of conscious experiences in an observer-independent manner has been agreed upon. Here, we present a novel proposal: Conscious experience arises whenever a quantum mechanical superposition forms. Our proposal has several implications: First, it suggests that the structure of the superposition determines the qualia of the experience. Second, quantum entanglement naturally solves the binding problem, ensuring the unity of phenomenal experience. Finally, a moment of agency may coincide with the formation of a superposition state. We outline a research program to experimentally test our conjecture via a sequence of quantum biology experiments. Applying these ideas opens up the possibility of expanding human conscious experience through brain-quantum computer interfaces.