Dual-Aspect Quantum Theory: An Ontological Framework Unifying Physical Processes and Phenomenal Consciousness

Dual-Aspect Quantum Theory (DAQT) proposes that consciousness has a dual structure: subjective experiences (qualia) influence probabilities, and agency resolves possibilities into actions. Quantum mechanics' two modes—unitary evolution and collapse—are interpreted as having subjective interiors, matching this architecture. The framework reformulates major problems in philosophy of mind, such as the Hard Problem and the Combination Problem, as consequences of this psychophysical structure. It explores mathematical characterization of qualia, entanglement's role in unified consciousness, and a potential biological mechanism. DAQT is presented as a coherent explanatory program, not a completed proof or model.

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Abstract

This preprint develops Dual-Aspect Quantum Theory (DAQT), a framework that interprets the two fundamental dynamical modes of quantum mechanics, unitary evolution and collapse, as possessing intrinsic subjective aspects. The theory is motivated by the attempt to place phenomenology, evolutionary constraints, and physical processes within a single coherent ontology. Beginning from the conditional hypothesis that consciousness is real and not wholly epiphenomenal, the paper argues that consciousness has a dual functional structure: qualia modulate probabilistic tendencies, while agency resolves open alternatives into actual behavior. DAQT then proposes that quantum theory provides the clearest known structural match for this architecture. On that basis, it advances a dual-aspect interpretation in which unitary evolution has a qualitative interior and collapse an agential interior. Within this framework, several major problems in the philosophy of mind, including the Hard Problem, the conceivability of philosophical zombies, and the Combination Problem, are not treated as isolated puzzles but are reformulated as internal consequences of the same psychophysical structure. The paper also explores the mathematical characterization of qualia, the role of entanglement in unified consciousness, and the possibility of a biologically plausible mechanism capable of exploiting these dynamics. Rather than claiming a deductive proof or a completed empirical model, DAQT is presented as a coherent explanatory program for the functional role, physical locus, and ontological status of consciousness.