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NeuroQuantology

Some Vital and Unrecognized Roles of Attention in Quantum Theories of Consciousness

Yan Jiang, Ravi Prakash

Published May 13, 2014• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

As the quantum models of consciousness are becoming more and more prominent for theoretical models of consciousness, more dimensions of consciousness are being discovered. At the same time, the need to pin-point the element of consciousness is becoming more and more important. Parallal to these researches, several cognitive models of consciousness have also been propounded. With more and more results of cognitive studies, we are coming to know that like consciousness, attention is also a basic function of human psychology and both are very intricately related to each other, some- times even overlapping with each other. Perhaps this has been the reason either the cognitive functions of attention have been completely over-looked or have been mistakenly used synonymously with consciousness in the theories of the latter. This is especially true for QM theories of consciousness. Because of not taking attention into account, some of the most basic assumptions of QM models of consciousness have been erroneous. In this article, we review the literature of basic theories of QM and at the same time, we will see that several important roles of attention in these theories are missing. This is because in most of the theories, attention has either been completely ignored or has been confused with consciousness, where as both are two distinct cognitive functions. In this preliminary exploration, we will try to address three basic issues on QM in relation to consciousness: 1)The measurement problem 2) The quantum reduction or wave function collapse and 3) The free choice of consciousness. We propose that future models of consciousness should take into account the vitality of understanding attention.

DOI
10.14704/nq.2014.12.4.741

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Quantum consciousness concerns both the possible role that quantum mechanics has for understanding consciousness as well as the role that consciousness has for interpreting quantum physics. Quantum brain theories hypothesize that quantum physical processes occur within and between the neurons of the brain and have important effects on cognition as well as consciousness. Quantum cognition is a growing new field in cognitive science concerned with the application of the mathematical principles of quantum theory to human judgment and decision-making behaviour. What do all these theories have to do with each other? Quantum theories of consciousness have more to say about quantum physics than cognitive psychology and conscious experiences. Quantum brain theories have not been sufficiently ‘scaled up’ to provide clear implications for how quantum physical processes generate more complex cognition. Quantum cognition theories have avoided addressing fundamental issues about consciousness and have remained agnostic with respect to the quantum brain hypothesis. This article will address the problem of connecting these ideas together by connecting quantum cognition to the other two topics.
Quantum consciousness concerns both the possible role that quantum mechanicshas for understanding consciousness as well as the role that consciousnesshas for interpreting quantum physics. Quantum brain theorieshypothesize that quantum physical processes occur within and between theneurons of the brain and have important effects on cognition as well as consciousness.Quantum cognition is a growing new field in cognitive scienceconcerned with the application of the mathematical principles of quantumtheory to human judgment and decision-making behavior. What do all thesetheories have to do with each other? Quantum theories of consciousness havemore to say about quantum physics than cognitive psychology and consciousexperiences. Quantum brain theories have not been sufficiently “scaled up”to provide clear implications for how quantum physical processes generatemore complex cognition. Quantum cognition theories have avoided addressingfundamental issues about consciousness and have remained agnostic withrespect to the quantum brain hypothesis. This article will address the problemof connecting these ideas together by connecting quantum cognition tothe other two topics.
Quantum consciousness concerns both the possible role that quantum mechanicshas for understanding consciousness as well as the role that consciousnesshas for interpreting quantum physics. Quantum brain theorieshypothesize that quantum physical processes occur within and between theneurons of the brain and have important effects on cognition as well as consciousness.Quantum cognition is a growing new field in cognitive scienceconcerned with the application of the mathematical principles of quantumtheory to human judgment and decision-making behavior. What do all thesetheories have to do with each other? Quantum theories of consciousness havemore to say about quantum physics than cognitive psychology and consciousexperiences. Quantum brain theories have not been sufficiently “scaled up”to provide clear implications for how quantum physical processes generatemore complex cognition. Quantum cognition theories have avoided addressingfundamental issues about consciousness and have remained agnostic withrespect to the quantum brain hypothesis. This article will address the problemof connecting these ideas together by connecting quantum cognition tothe other two topics.
Quantum consciousness concerns both the possible role that quantum mechanicshas for understanding consciousness as well as the role that consciousnesshas for interpreting quantum physics. Quantum brain theorieshypothesize that quantum physical processes occur within and between theneurons of the brain and have important effects on cognition as well as consciousness.Quantum cognition is a growing new field in cognitive scienceconcerned with the application of the mathematical principles of quantumtheory to human judgment and decision-making behavior. What do all thesetheories have to do with each other? Quantum theories of consciousness havemore to say about quantum physics than cognitive psychology and consciousexperiences. Quantum brain theories have not been sufficiently “scaled up”to provide clear implications for how quantum physical processes generatemore complex cognition. Quantum cognition theories have avoided addressingfundamental issues about consciousness and have remained agnostic withrespect to the quantum brain hypothesis. This article will address the problemof connecting these ideas together by connecting quantum cognition tothe other two topics.
The aim of such paper is to explain in detail the foundations of quantum cognition and to evidence the manner in which our pioneering experiments on quantum interference in humans should be correctly interpreted in the framework of a correct quantum mechanical elaboration. Often, studies on quantum cognition are elaborated from some authors evidencing that presently we have empirical evidence that the application of quantum rules gives better results respect to classical ones. Consequently, such studies are delineated as empirical tentative. It is not true. Quantum cognition is a scientific realization structured about robust quantum foundations and this is the reason because it gives such important results. Consequently, we discuss the evidence to correctly explain the foundations of this emerging discipline. In order to reach this objective we analyze the fundamental role of the abstract entity that is called quantum mechanical wave function. Soon after we describe the manner in which quantum operators must be entered in cognition studies by using the projectors that represent logic statements and thus relate directly our cognitive functions. We also discuss in detail the logical origins of quantum mechanics outlining that it does not represent a physical theory looking at the matter at microscopic level but a God Giano two faces looking simultaneously to material and to mental reality. We also discuss results establishing the nature of our consciousness and the unquestionable result that it obeys to the basic rules of quantum mechanics. We also give a further and pressing indication: in quantum cognition studies the quantum wave function must be intended as reconstructed experimentally a posteriori in our cognitive studies and cannot be confused with the standard examining elaboration that is used in usual textbooks of quantum mechanics. Also the question of the order effect is analyzed in detail using the important notion of reaction time of psychology. In substance, we give a total reformulation of the current quantum cognition studies evidencing that previous elaborations finalized to present the current status of this discipline as empirical tentative to characterize a quantum cognitive modelling result to be only approximate, incorrect and confusing prospects that damage the information about the robust structure of quantum cognition and therefore need to be rejected.
Neuroscience has realized valuable advances.As example, it has identified brain regions performing learning, memory, feeling and still more.The current tendency in neuroscience retains that adding pieces of knowledge day by day, we will finally arrive to an unified understanding of brain including the manner in which mind and consciousness arise and explain their functions.Also a number of empirical psychological results have been collected.However a profound gap remains between neuroscience advances and empirical psychological data .We retain that such existing gap is due to a missing theoretical model linking neuroscience to psychology .We have arrived to formulate a basic theoretical quantum model particularly of the perceptive -cognitive functions.The result is that quantum mechanics has a decisive role in human cognition.Our quantum model relates directly our mind entities.The model also finds the existing correlations between the brain time dynamics operating without direct awareness and the subsequent behaviour that is induced determining our subsequent behaviours.In the present paper we discuss in detail and for the first time such further basic features of the model.We perform one experiment on priming showing that its results agree with the given quantum mechanical basic model.