Consciousness and Quantum Brain Dynamics

F. Beck

眞里 治部, 邦夫 保江

1. Prologue 2. Acknowledgments 3. Part I: A Tutorial in Quantum Physics 4. 1. Quanta and Fields 5. 2. Quantum Mechanics 6. 3. Quantum Field Theory 7. Part II: Theories of Brain Functioning 8. 4. Classical Theory of the Brain 9. 5. Phusiological Theory of the Brain 10. 6. Dynamical Theory of the Brain 11. Part III: A Quantum Approach to Brain Functioning, Consciousness and Life 12. 7. Quantum Theory of the Brain 13. 8. Quantum Brain Dynamics 14. 9. Quantum Theory of Consciousness 15. Epilogue 16. References 17. Appendices 18. Index

Danko Dimchev Georgiev

The evolution of the human mind through natural selection mandates that our conscious experiences are causally potent in order to leave a tangible impact on the surrounding physical world. Any attempt to construct a functional theory of the conscious mind within the framework of classical physics, however, inevitably leads to causally impotent conscious experiences in direct contradiction to evolution theory. Here, we derive several rigorous theorems that identify the origin of the latter impasse in the mathematical properties of ordinary differential equations employed in combination with the alleged functional production of the mind by the brain. Then, we demonstrate that a mind–brain theory consistent with causally potent conscious experiences is provided by modern quantum physics, in which the unobservable conscious mind is reductively identified with the quantum state of the brain and the observable brain is constructed by the physical measurement of quantum brain observables. The resulting quantum stochastic dynamics obtained from sequential quantum measurements of the brain is governed by stochastic differential equations, which permit genuine free will exercised through sequential conscious choices of future courses of action. Thus, quantum reductionism provides a solid theoretical foundation for the causal potency of consciousness, free will and cultural transmission.

Mari Jibu, Kunio Yasue

Bruce Rosenblum, Fred Kuttner, Henry Pierce Stapp

Gordon G. Globus

I “think together” quantum brain dynamics (QBD) and postmodernism (appropriated to include Heidegger). In particular, the world thrownness of Heidegger, the sovereignty of Bataille and the differance of Derrida can be talked about in terms of QBD. This effects a rapprochement between the QBD revolution against classical neural network brain theory and the postmodern revolution against modernity and the metaphysical tradition. Such a grand millenial rapprochement brings together science in the guise of quantum neurophysics and postmodernism against their respective wills. Discussion of the problem of “consciousness” and brain has been so stalemated and seemingly interminable that if progress is to be made, a great conceptual wrenching is only to be expected. My formulation relinquishes consciousness and the quotidian world-in-common in favor of existence and parallel world-thrownnesses.