The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness

The article analyzes the effectiveness of quantum theories of mental experience in relation to two ontological problems - the problem of the existence of consciousness in the material world and the problem of the interaction of consciousness and body. A critical analysis of the quantum theories of c...

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Main Author: Igor V. Cherepanov
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2022-12-01
Series:RUDN Journal of Philosophy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.rudn.ru/philosophy/article/viewFile/33097/21534
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author Igor V. Cherepanov
author_facet Igor V. Cherepanov
author_sort Igor V. Cherepanov
collection DOAJ
description The article analyzes the effectiveness of quantum theories of mental experience in relation to two ontological problems - the problem of the existence of consciousness in the material world and the problem of the interaction of consciousness and body. A critical analysis of the quantum theories of consciousness by Penrose-Hameroff, M. Tegmark, G. Stapp, M. Fischer and M.B. Mensky shows that they fail to fully explain how complex physical systems generate mental experience without violating the principle of causal closure of the physical world and the principle of epistemological completeness of physics. Quantum mechanics provides specific processes that are the physical basis of the psyche, but do not explain the phenomenal aspect of subjective reality. Nevertheless, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle gives an understanding of how the interaction of consciousness and body within the scientific picture of the world can be carried out without violating the law of energy conservation. It is shown that the quantum theories of consciousness currently being developed have a predominantly panprotopsychic character, which faces a problem due to the fact that the protomental property of physical systems must be expressed quantitatively and correspond to the value included in the physical equations. As a result, it is concluded that in order to develop quantum theories of consciousness more effectively, it is necessary to give an emergent character, not jumping from the quantum level to the psychic, but explaining the mechanism of the emergence of systemic properties during the sequential transition between different ontological regions of existence, including physical, chemical, biological, neurophysiological and psychic.
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spelling doaj.art-5e6be75631dd4b47a11004c0644330372023-01-10T10:16:08ZdeuPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)RUDN Journal of Philosophy2313-23022408-89002022-12-0126477078910.22363/2313-2302-2022-26-4-770-78920808The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of ConsciousnessIgor V. Cherepanov0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8683-0835Novosibirsk State Technical UniversityThe article analyzes the effectiveness of quantum theories of mental experience in relation to two ontological problems - the problem of the existence of consciousness in the material world and the problem of the interaction of consciousness and body. A critical analysis of the quantum theories of consciousness by Penrose-Hameroff, M. Tegmark, G. Stapp, M. Fischer and M.B. Mensky shows that they fail to fully explain how complex physical systems generate mental experience without violating the principle of causal closure of the physical world and the principle of epistemological completeness of physics. Quantum mechanics provides specific processes that are the physical basis of the psyche, but do not explain the phenomenal aspect of subjective reality. Nevertheless, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle gives an understanding of how the interaction of consciousness and body within the scientific picture of the world can be carried out without violating the law of energy conservation. It is shown that the quantum theories of consciousness currently being developed have a predominantly panprotopsychic character, which faces a problem due to the fact that the protomental property of physical systems must be expressed quantitatively and correspond to the value included in the physical equations. As a result, it is concluded that in order to develop quantum theories of consciousness more effectively, it is necessary to give an emergent character, not jumping from the quantum level to the psychic, but explaining the mechanism of the emergence of systemic properties during the sequential transition between different ontological regions of existence, including physical, chemical, biological, neurophysiological and psychic.https://journals.rudn.ru/philosophy/article/viewFile/33097/21534consciousnesssubjective realityquantum mechanicswave function collapsequantum theories of consciousness
spellingShingle Igor V. Cherepanov
The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness
RUDN Journal of Philosophy
consciousness
subjective reality
quantum mechanics
wave function collapse
quantum theories of consciousness
title The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness
title_full The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness
title_fullStr The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness
title_short The Role of Quantum Mechanics in Understanding the Phenomenon of Consciousness
title_sort role of quantum mechanics in understanding the phenomenon of consciousness
topic consciousness
subjective reality
quantum mechanics
wave function collapse
quantum theories of consciousness
url https://journals.rudn.ru/philosophy/article/viewFile/33097/21534
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