The feasibility of wave function collapse in the human brain has been the subject of vigorous scientific debates since the advent of quantum theory. Scientists like Von Neumann, London, Bauer and Wigner (initially) believed that wave function collapse occurs in the brain or is caused by the mind of the observer. It is a legitimate question to ask how human brain can receive subtle external visual quantum information intact when it must pass through very noisy and complex pathways from the eye to the brain? There are several approaches to investigate information processing in the brain, each of which presents a different set of conclusions. Penrose and Hameroff have hypothesized that there is quantum information processing inside the human brain whose material substrate involves microtubules and consciousness is the result of a collective wavefunction collapse occurring in these structures. Conversely, Tegmark stated that owing to thermal decoherence there cannot be any quantum processing in neurons of the brain and processing in the brain must be classical for cognitive processes. However, Rosa and Faber presented an argument for a middle way which shows that none of the previous authors are completely right and despite the presence of decoherence, it is still possible to consider the brain to be a quantum system. Additionally, Thaheld, has concluded that quantum states of photons do collapse in the human eye and there is no possibility for collapse of visual quantum states in the brain and thus there is no possibility for the quantum state reduction in the brain. In this paper we conclude that if we accept the main essence of the above approaches taken together, each of them can provide a different part of a teleportation mechanism.
The feasibility of wave function collapse in the human brain has been the subject of vigorous scientific debates since the advent of quantum theory. Scientists like Von Neumann, London, Bauer and Wigner (initially) believed that wave function collapse occurs in the brain or is caused by the mind of the observer. It is a legitimate question to ask how human brain can receive subtle external visual quantum information intact when it must pass through very noisy and complex pathways from the eye to the brain? There are several approaches to investigate information processing in the brain, each of which presents a different set of conclusions. Penrose and Hameroff have hypothesized that there is quantum information processing inside the human brain whose material substrate involves microtubules and consciousness is the result of a collective wavefunction collapse occurring in these structures. Conversely, Tegmark stated that owing to thermal decoherence there cannot be any quantum processing in neurons of the brain and processing in the brain must be classical for cognitive processes. However, Rosa and Faber presented an argument for a middle way which shows that none of the previous authors are completely right and despite the presence of decoherence, it is still possible to consider the brain to be a quantum system. Additionally, Thaheld, has concluded that quantum states of photons do collapse in the human eye and there is no possibility for collapse of visual quantum states in the brain and thus there is no possibility for the quantum state reduction in the brain. In this paper we conclude that if we accept the main essence of the above approaches taken together, each of them can provide a different part of a teleportation mechanism.
The main problem which this paper tries to address is whether collapse of the wave function describing the state of a quantum mechanical system occurs, or, rather can occur in the brain of the observer or not. One of the first (relatively) detailed “collapse models” following the original abstract suggestion by von Neumann that collapse occurs in the brain of the observer and is related to consciousness, is the Orch OR model of Penrose and Hameroff. This model was first criticized by Tegmark on the ground that due to decoherence, quantum processing cannot occur in the human brain. This criticism was countered by saying that due to structural shielding, microtubules inside the neurons can be protected against the wet and warm environment inside the brain. Thaheld, however, in a number of papers argued that quantum visual information carried by the photons from the environment cannot reach the brain intact. In other words, the quantum states of the photons would collapse inside the human eye and only classical information would finally reach the brain and hence no collapse and quantum processing in the brain can take place. In this paper we advance a hypothesis that there is the possibility for the quantum states of photons to be transmitted to the brain in a quantum-like manner. Our approach is based on the quantum teleportation mechanism which includes both classical and quantum aspects of information transfer, but the process itself is wholly quantum mechanical.
One of the answers to the measurement problem in quantum theory is given by the Copenhagen-Interpretation of quantum theory (i.e. orthodox quantum theory) in which the wave function collapse happens in (by) the mind of observer. In fact, at first, great scientists like Von Neumann, London, Bauer and Wigner (initially) believed that the wave function collapse occurs in the brain or is caused by the consciousness of observer. However, this issue has been stayed yet very controversial. In fact, there are many challenging discussions about the survival of quantum effects in microscopic structures of the human brain, which is mainly because of quick decoherence of quantum states due to hot, wet and noisy environment of the brain that forbids long life coherence for brain processing. Nevertheless, there are also several arguments and evidences that emergence of large coherent states is feasible in the brain. In this paper, our approach is based on the latter in which macroscopic quantum states are probable in the human brain. Here, we simulate the delayed luminescence of photons in neurons with a Brassard-like teleportation circuit, i.e. equivalent to the transfer of quantum states of photons through the visual pathways from retina to the visual cortex. Indeed, our simulation considers both classical and quantum mechanical aspects of processing in neurons. As a result and based on our simulation, it is possible for our brain to receive the exact quantum states of photons in the visual cortex to be collapsed by our consciousness, which supports the Copenhagen-Interpretation of measurement problem in quantum theory.
Abstract Recently, the experiments on photosynthetic systems via “femto-second laser spectroscopy” methods have indicated that a “quantum-coherence” in the system causes a highly efficient transfer of energy to the “reaction center” (efficiency is approximately equal to 100%). A recent experiment on a single neuron has indicated that it can conduct light. Also, a re-emission of light from both photosynthetic systems and single neurons has been observed, which is called “delayed luminescence”. This can be supposed as a possibility for dissipationless transfer of visual information to the human brain. In addition, a long-range Fröhlich coherence in microtubules can be a candidate for efficient transfer of light through “noisy” and complex structures of the human brain. From an informational point of view it is a legitimate question to ask how human brain can receive subtle external quantum information of photons intact when photons are in a quantum superposition and pass through very noisy and complex pathways from the eye to the brain? Here, we propose a coherent model in which quantum states of photons can be rebuilt in the human brain.
An analysis has been performed of the theories and postulates advanced by von Neumann, London and Bauer, and Wigner, concerning the role that consciousness might play in the collapse of the wave function, which has become known as the measurement problem. This reveals that an error may have been made by them in the area of biology and its interface with quantum mechanics, when they called for the reduction of any superposition states in the brain through the mind or consciousness. Many years later Wigner changed his mind to reflect a simpler and more realistic objective position, expanded upon by Shimony, which appears to offer a way to resolve this issue. The argument is therefore made that the wave function of any superposed photon state or states is always objectively changed within the complex architecture of the eye in a continuous linear process initially for most of the superposed photons, followed by a discontinuous nonlinear collapse process later for any remaining superposed photons, thereby guaranteeing that only final, measured information is presented to the brain, mind or consciousness. An experiment to be conducted in the near future may enable us to simultaneously resolve the measurement problem and also determine if the linear nature of quantum mechanics is violated by the perceptual process.
Quantum models of the mind associate consciousness with coherent superposition of states in the brain. Some authors consider consciousness to be the result of a kind of internal quantum measurement process in the brain. In this paper we discuss the ideas of Hameroff-Penrose and Tegmark and their calculation for an estimate of decoherence time. We criticize the Hameroff-Penrose model in the context of a quantum brain model by gravitational collapse orchestrated objective reduction (OOR), assumed by Penrose, and we propose instead that the decoherence process is caused by interaction with the environment. We consider it useful to exploit this possibility because of the growing importance of the decoherence theory in quantum measurement, and also because quantum mechanics can be applied to brain study independently of the Hameroff-Penrose model for mind and consciousness. Our conclusion is that the Hameroff-Penrose model is not compatible with decoherence, but nevertheless the quantum brain can still be considered if we replace gravitational collapse OOR with decoherence. However, our result does not agree with Tegmark's conclusion of refuting not only the Hameroff-Penrose gravitational collapse but also the quantum brain, based on decoherence time calculations in specific cases in the brain. In spite of this fact we also disagree with some points of the response to Tegmark's article given by Hagan, Hameroff, and Tuszynski.
The question of whether quantum mechanical phenomena play a functional role in brain activity and the emergence of consciousness remains one of the most controversial yet intellectually stimulating debates at the intersection of physics, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind. This review systematically examines the principal theoretical frameworks proposing quantum-level mechanisms in neural computation, including the Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch OR) hypothesis by Penrose and Hameroff, the quantum brain hypothesis of Stapp, quantum coherence models in microtubules, and quantum field theories of consciousness. We critically evaluate the current state of empirical evidence—including recent quantum biology findings, the challenge of decoherence in warm, biological systems, and experimental observations of quantum effects in biological systems—alongside computational models that bridge quantum formalism and neural network dynamics. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of quantum cognition models for understanding perception, decision-making, and memory. Despite significant scientific skepticism, emerging evidence from quantum biology and advanced neuroimaging technologies provides tentative support for quantum processes in neural substrates. We conclude by identifying critical gaps in current knowledge and outlining future research directions that may resolve the debate, including proposals for experimental paradigms using quantum sensing technologies applied to neural tissue. This review aims to serve as a foundational reference for researchers across disciplines approaching the quantum mind hypothesis with scientific rigor.