Consciousness

Human brain

Main article: Human brain

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2024: Experimental confirmation of the quantum nature of consciousness received

In mid-August 2024, American experts from Wellesley College released the results of a study that confirms the quantum nature of consciousness. Scientists experimentally tested the hypothesis that consciousness is associated with quantum processes in the microtubules of neurons.

For decades, one of the most fundamental and complex problems in neuroscience has been the question of the physical basis of consciousness in the brain. Most researchers prefer classical models based on traditional physics. However, others argue that consciousness is quantum in nature. According to this theory, consciousness works on the basis of microscopic quantum coherent processes occurring in clusters of special microtubules of the cytoskeleton of brain neurons.

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A new study led by Professor Mike Wiest has yielded important experimental results. As part of the work, the question of how anesthesia affects the brain was studied. Experts have found that if you act on rats with a drug that binds to microtubules, rodents take much longer to fall into unconsciousness under the influence of anesthetic gas. In other words, the drug binding to microtubules interferes with the action of the anesthetic, and therefore microtubules can be one of the main factors of consciousness.

More broadly, quantum understanding of consciousness gives us a picture of a world in which we can be connected to the universe in a more natural and holistic way, says Wist.

In the future, the results of the work can help improve understanding of the processes that occur in the human brain, as well as provide answers to questions such as Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia affect perception and memory.^[1]

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