Quantum aspects of brain activity and the role of consciousness.
Open accessAbstract
The relationship of brain activity to conscious intentions is considered on the basis of the functional microstructure of the cerebral cortex. Each incoming nerve impulse causes the emission of transmitter molecules by the process of exocytosis. Since exocytosis is a quantal phenomenon of the presynaptic vesicular grid with a probability much less than 1, we present a quantum mechanical model for it based on a tunneling process of the trigger mechanism. Consciousness manifests itself in mental intentions. The consequent voluntary actions become effective by momentary increases of the probability of vesicular emission in the thousands of synapses on each pyramidal cell by quantal selection.
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Some claims about the life-consciousness connection can clearly be falsified, for example Beck and Eccles' proposed link between consciousness and quantum tunnelling during exocytosis, which dropped out because its predictions were shown false.
“To see grounds for optimism, first note that some claims about the life-consciousness connection can clearly be falsified.Think, for example, of Friedrich Beck and John Eccles' (1992) proposed link between consciousness and quantum tunnelling during exocytosis.This specific hypothesis has dropped out of the discussion because it entailed predictions that were shown to be false.23”
From AI Consciousness: A Centrist Manifesto (2025) · cites this paper as Beck and Eccles' (1992)
Cites
Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?
Einstein, A., Podolsky, B., & Rosen, N. (1935) · Physical Review · doi:10.1103/physrev.47.777 · Cited by 16,654 · see citing works
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Orchestrated reduction of quantum coherence in brain microtubules: a model for consciousness
Hameroff, S., & Penrose, R. (1996) · Mathematics and Computers in Simulation · doi:10.1016/0378-4754(96)80476-9 · Cited by 641 · see citing works
Quantum computation in brain microtubules: decoherence and biological feasibility
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‘Funda-mentality’: is the conscious mind subtly linked to a basic level of the universe?
Hameroff, S. (1998) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/s1364-6613(98)01157-7 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Panksepp, J. (2000) · Consciousness & Emotion · doi:10.1075/ce.1.1.04pan · Cited by 109 · see citing works
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Basis for a neuronal version of Grover's quantum algorithm
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AI Consciousness: A Centrist Manifesto
Birch, J. (2025) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/af7c9_v1 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Birch, J. (2024) · The Edge of Sentience · doi:10.1093/9780191966729.003.0003 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Beck, F., & Eccles, J. C.
- Affiliations
- Technische Universität Darmstadt (DE)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 1992-12
- Volume
- 89
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 11357-11361
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC50549
- OpenAlex
- W2032342925
- Cited by
- 392
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 44
- FWCI
- 7.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Biofield Effects and Biophysics
- Keywords
- quantum consciousness, brain activity, consciousness, cerebral cortex, exocytosis, presynaptic vesicles, quantum tunneling, synapses, pyramidal neurons, voluntary action
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Axons, Brain, Cerebral Cortex, Consciousness, Exocytosis, Hippocampus, Humans, Models, Theoretical, Nerve Endings, Synaptic Transmission, Synapses
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