Biofield in neural communication: A review and conceptual framework

The brain biofield, which represents the electromagnetic field generated by neurons, is hypothesized to play a role in neural communication, potentially complementing well-established, relatively slow chemical signaling and relatively fast conventional electrical signaling. Evidence was recently provided that neurons, and even entire nervous tissue, emit ultra-weak photons known as biophotons. From the perspective of quantum field theory, field particles, such as photons, act as universal mediators of interactions between matter particles, including electrons. When considering such a principle extended across scales from atoms to biomolecules, cells, and even whole tissues, biophotons might mediate ultrafast interactions between neurons occurring at the speed of light. Specific quantum properties of photons, such as superposition, coherence, and entanglement, could provide a physical basis for biophoton-mediated communication. However, neither the formation of such a quantum state associated with information coding nor its detection associated with decoding has yet been experimentally demonstrated in neural tissue. Furthermore, the stable propagation of a quantum state is severely limited by inherent biological noise, including thermal, chemical, and structural fluctuations, which rapidly destabilize the quantum state in neural tissue. Thus, biofield-mediated communication in the brain remains largely hypothetical and requires substantial experimental investigation before its feasibility can be assessed. Although direct experimental evidence remains limited, biophoton-mediated signaling represents a promising frontier for understanding neural communication within a quantum framework. Recent advances in biophoton detection might open new opportunities to investigate the role of biophotons in neural communication.