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Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

Consciousness, biology and quantum hypotheses.

Bernard J Baars¹, David B Edelman

¹The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, CA 92121, United States. baars@nsi.edu

Physics of Life Reviews

|August 29, 2012

Summary

Consciousness is a complex biological process in animal brains, not explained by quantum mechanics. Current theories fail to distinguish conscious from unconscious brain events, necessitating biological explanations.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Philosophy of Mind

Background:

Natural phenomena are reducible to quantum events, but higher levels of analysis are often more effective for complex systems like biological organisms.
Animal brains are highly organized, adaptive, information-preserving systems with massive neuronal networks crucial for goal-directed actions.
Waking brains operate far from thermodynamic equilibrium, exhibiting sensitivity and adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the nature of consciousness as a biological phenomenon.
To evaluate quantum-based theories of consciousness, such as the Orch-OR hypothesis.
To identify the empirical features that any adequate theory of consciousness must explain.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on neuroscience, cognitive science, and quantum mechanics.

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Published on: August 1, 2017

Analysis of the functional and structural properties of animal brains, particularly neuronal interactions.

Critique of quantum-level proposals for consciousness based on empirical evidence.

Main Results:

Consciousness is characterized as a specific type of brain event, occurring in the cortico-thalamic system and linked to attentional selection.
Quantum-level proposals, like Orch-OR, do not adequately explain key features of consciousness, such as distinguishing conscious from unconscious events.
While quantum mechanics is fundamental, current evidence does not support its direct role in generating conscious experience in the way proposed by some theories.

Conclusions:

Conscious cognition is a distinct biological event requiring cognitive-biological explanations.
Current quantum theories of consciousness lack empirical support and fail to account for essential characteristics of conscious experience.
Future research should focus on biological mechanisms to understand consciousness, as quantum explanations remain speculative.