Does new research suggest that our brains are connected to the cosmos at a quantum level?… yup….
Wednesday, May 1, 2024. This is for RB. Is this not the “biggest” idea of them all?
Recent discoveries regarding quantum vibrations inside neurons in the brain have reignited interest in a controversial theory of consciousness.
This theory suggests that the brain is connected to the universe at a quantum level, a concept first proposed in the 1990s but heavily criticized at the time.
One of the main criticisms was that the brain was considered too "warm, wet, and noisy" for coherent quantum processes.
However, recent evidence from researchers led by Anirban Bandyopadhyay has identified quantum vibrations inside microtubules within brain neurons.
These microtubules, which are components of cell scaffolding, help provide our cells with their structure and are around 25µm in length.
This discovery adds to existing research that has found evidence of quantum coherence in living cells, including in our sense of smell, in the parts of bird brains responsible for navigation, and in plant photosynthesis.
According to Hameroff and Penrose, proponents of the theory, consciousness may derive from these quantum vibrations in microtubules. They explain, "consciousness derives from quantum vibrations in microtubules, protein polymers inside brain neurons, which both govern neuronal and synaptic function, and connect brain processes to self-organizing processes in the fine scale, ‘proto-conscious’ quantum structure of reality."
They further claim that their theory is "the most rigorous, comprehensive, and successfully-tested theory of consciousness ever put forth," and that treating brain microtubule vibrations could benefit a variety of mental, neurological, and cognitive conditions.
They also suggest that the electrical brain waves detectable by an EEG machine could be a result of these deeper-level microtubule vibrations.
The restatement of this theory has sparked criticism, but the authors maintain that it suggests "conscious experience is intrinsically connected to the fine-scale structure of space–time geometry, and that consciousness could be deeply related to the operation of the laws of the universe."
As neuroscience delves deeper into the mysteries of consciousness and its potential quantum foundations, a sense of awe and wonder may dissipate, revealing a truer notion of who we are and how we are all connected. Is this not the biggest idea of all?
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
RESEARCH:
Hameroff, S., & Penrose, R. (2014). Consciousness in the universe: A review of the ‘Orch OR’ theory. Physics of Life Reviews, 11(1), 39-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2013.08.002
