| sales@yourdomain.com Tel: 01234 567890 |
|
|
QBD 1Quantum Brain Dynamics 1.) Introduction 2.) Quantum Brain Dynamics & Consciousness - Jibu & Yasue Introduction: Quantum Brain Dynamics The basic concept in quantum brain dynamics (QBD) is that the electrical dipoles of the water molecules in the brain constitute a cortical field. The quanta of this field are described as corticons. The field interacts with quantum coherent waves propagating along the neuronal network. There is more than one view within QBD as to how this system supports or instantiates consciousness. The ideas behind quantum brain dynamics (QBD) derived originally from the physicists, Hiroomi Umezawa and Herbert Frohlich in the 1960s. In the last 20 years, these ideas have been elaborated and given greater prominence by the combined efforts of Japanese physicists, Mari Jibu and Kunio Yasue and the Italian physicist, Giuseppe Vitiello. Umezawa along with Iain Stuart and Yasushi Takahashi (12.) proposed the idea of a cortical field in the brain. Water comprises 70% of the brain, and QBD proposes that rather than providing a passive background, water could be an active player in brain processes. Water molecules have a constant electric dipole, and are considered in QBD to be capable of interacting with waves generated by biomolecules that are also electrical dipoles. In QBD, the totality of the water molecules in the brain is viewed as the best candidate for a cortical field, with the water’s electrical dipoles binding both to one another and to the biomolecules of the neuronal network. There are also suggested to be long-range waves within the cortical field. The quanta of the cortical field are given the name of corticons, and in Jibu and Yasue’s version of the theory, the interaction between the cortical field and the neuronal network, particularly the dendritic part of that network, is the basis of consciousness. The other half of the theory refers to biomolecules propagating through the neuronal network, an idea deriving from the work of Frohlich in the 1960’s. Frohlich argued that it was not clear how order was sustained in living systems, given the likely disrupting effect of the fluctuations in biochemical processes (3., 4. & 13.). His ideas relate mainly to the ordering of the neuronal network, on which the proposed cortical network of Umezawa is proposed to act. Frohlich saw the electric potential across the cell membrane as the macroscopic observable of an underlying quantum order. Frohlich’s studies claim to show that with oscillating electrical charges in a thermal bath, a large number of quanta may become condensed into a single state, known as a Bose condensate, allowing long-range correlations amongst the dipoles involved. He also proposed that biomolecules with a high electric dipole moment line up along the actin filaments, and that electric dipole oscillations propagate along these filaments in the form of quantum coherent waves. There is some support for these ideas, in the form of experimental confirmation that biomolecules with high electric dipole moment have a periodic oscillation (14. Gray & Singer, 1989). Vitiello agrees with Frohlich in arguing that living systems constitute ordered chains of chemical reactions, which could normally be expected to collapse in the random chemical environment of biological tissue. In Vitiello’s view stable ordering comes from the quantum level, but this is described by quantum field theory rather than quantum mechanics. He also claims that the folding of protein, which is fundamental to the activity of cells, cannot be described by classical physics, but could be quantum ordered. Vitiello provides citations, which he feels support a quantum dynamical view of biological tissue, notably studies of radiation effects on cell growth by (15. Grundler & Kaiser, 1992) & (16. Pohl, 1988), on electromagnetic fields and stress by (17. Gutzeit, 2000), on dynamical response to external stimuli by (18. Kaiser, 1988), on non-linear tunnelling by (19. Huth et al, 1984), on coherent nuclear motion in membrane proteins by (20. Vos et al, 1993), on optical coherence in biological systems by (21. Li et al, 1983), on weak radiation fields and biological systems by (22. Popp, 1986) & (23. Jerman et al, 1996) and on energy transfer via solitons and coherent excitations by (24. Huth, Gutman & Vitiello, 1989) & (25. Christiansen, Pagano & Vitiello, 1991). QBD proposes that the cortical field not only interacts with, but also to a good extent controls the neuronal network. It suggests that biomolecular waves propagate along the actin filaments, an important part of the cytoskeleton, particularly in the vicinity of the cell membrane and dendritic spines. The waves derive energy from ATP molecules stored in the membrane, and these in turn are controlled by calcium ions. These waves are also suggested to control the action of ion channels, which are crucial in the transmission of signals to the synapses.. The neurons membrane is further suggested to act as a Josephson junction providing insulation between two layers of superconductivity. The superconductivity current across the membrane can be controlled by the electrical potentials across the same membrane. Vitiello also discusses the question of quantum decoherence. He claims that QBD only requires quantum oscillations to last 10-14 picoseconds, which should be much shorter than the period required for decoherence (26. Del Giudice, Preparata & Vitiello, 1988b). In common with Stuart Hameroff, he additionally argues that ordered water around protein molecules may shield them from the surrounding thermal bath. Jibu & Yasue appear to see consciousness as simply a function of the interaction of the corticons, the energy quanta which are proposed to arise in the cortical field, with the biomolecular waves of the neuronal network. Vitiello, while thinking in terms of much the same quantum systems as Jibu and Yasue, proposes that these quantum states produce two poles, first a subjective representation of the external world and secondly a self, which opens itself to this representation of the external world. According to Vitiello’s version of the theory, consciousness is not strictly speaking in either the self or the external representation but between the two, in the opening of one to the other. Quantum Brain Dynamics and Consciousness Mari Jibu & Kunio Yasue John Benjamins ISBN 90 272 5123 1 (Eur) The concepts behind this book derive from the Japanese physcist, Hiroomi Umezawa, who speculated that understanding the processes of memory in the brain would involve quantum field theory. This led onto the idea that understanding consciousness would also involve quantum field theory. The first four chapters of the book provide a standard background to quantum theory and neuroscience. Those without some grounding would be better advised to look at more standard text books or popularisations, as the style of the book is generally difficult and unecessarily repetitive. The first four chapters of the book deal with quantum theory. For those not familiar with this, there are many much more comprehensible descriptions. This is followed by some descriptive passages on the brain, which is again better described elsewhere. Getting beyond these introductory stages, the authors make the same point as others in strssing the estrangement between physics, where fundamental new views of nature emerged during the last hundred years and neuroscience which has remained largely wedded to 19th century physics. In particular physics has tended to think dynamically, in terms of controlled changes. Physics deals primarily with the inanimate, but the concepts of dynamics can be applied to living organisms, as they also undergo controlled changes. The authors suggest that the functions of the cortex might be better understood through the dendritic network, by which information enters cells. They stress that many neurons in the cortex do not have axons but only dendrites. They think that the conventional processing system described in the axon-neurotransmitter-dendrite system may overlook other networks in the brain. Neurons without axons are the majority in the cortex and the authors see these as the likely basis of consciousness. The authors discuss the dendritic network at length. They point out that it is much more sophisticated than the axonal network. The dendritic membrane comprises biomolecules with electric dipoles, the positive poles of the membrane are aligned on the inner surface and the negative poles on the outer surface.. Th negative poles on the outer surface attract positive ions, while the positive poles on the inner surface attract negative ions. The regions where these interactions occur are called Debye layers. The dendrites of several neurons are often entangled in a network. Chemical synapses are located on the tips of dendritic spines and there are ephases on the dendritic membranes. There is experimental confirmation that biomolecules of high electric dipole moment have a periodic oscillation (Fröhlich, 1968), (Gray & Singer, 1989) (1&2) The authors suggest that these oscillations are crucial to the functioning of the brain. This can be called wave cybernetics, because the wave or biomolecule oscillation is seen as the controlling factor in the brain. Frohlich proposed a theory where biomolecules with high electric dipole moment line up along the actin filaments immediately below the cell membrane, while electric dipole oscillations propagate along each filament as coherent waves. These are maintained by electrons trapped in and moving along the protein molecules. This is now known as a Frohlich wave. These waves exchange energy with the electromagnetic field. There is some experimental support for Frohlich waves (Genberg et al, 1991), (Genzel et al, 1976), Webb & Stoneham, 1977), (Webb, 1980). Umezawa, Stuart and Takahashi proposed the idea of a cortical field. This interacts with the macroscopic dynamics of the main neural network, which in turn transmits signals to the body tissues. The filamentous strings found in the cells also extend outside the cells forming an extracellular matrix that is also linked to the cell membrane. So the membrane proteins are linked both to the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. The authors propose that Fröhlich waves propagate along the filamentous strings. The waves are produced by energy stored in ATP molecules at membrane protein sites, which are in turn controlled by calcium ions. The waves also effect the operation of ion channels, which control neural impulses. The authors suggest that this structure can give rise to a macroscopic quantum phenomena, similar to superconductivity. They also regard the cell membrane as an insulating layer between two areas of superconductivity, otherwise known as a Josephson junction. This means that superconductivity current across the Josephson Junction can be controlled by electric potential differences in the insulating layer. The authors suggest that this quantum activity may facilitate the functioning of the brain and in particular an interface between the proposed cortical field and the neurons network. The cortical field is proposed to contain energy quanta behaving as particles, which the authors call corticons. Corticons are suggested to exist everywhere in the cerebral cortex. The interface between the cortical field and the neuron network takes place in the waves propagating along the filamentous strings in the cytoskeleton and the extracelular matrix. The authors emphasise the nature and importance of water within the brain. They suggest that water is not just a background substance, but is an active component in cell assemblies. This idea lies behind the original concept of the cortical field and corticons. The water molecule has a constant electrical dipole. It also has a symmetrical form that is invariant under reflection. The molecule rotates around its symmetry axis, which is the electrical dipole. Thus the molecule is a quantum mechanical spinning top, which interacts with the fields generated by biomolecules. The totality of water molecules in the brain is seen as the best candidate for the sought for cortical field. In water, one side of the molecule becomes negatively charged, and one side positvely charged creating an electric dipole. This is an attraction between molecules known as hydrogen bonding. The attraction is both between water molecules and between water molecules and other molecules with electrical dipoles. Biomolecules such as proteins have constant electric dipoles and connect to water molecules. The cortical field is identified with the water rotational field, created by the spinning dipoles of the water molecules. The field on the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix is proposed to be a Bose field, and the interaction between this Bose field and the corticons of the cortical field is seen as the basis of consciousness. Corticons are identified with the energy quanta of the water rotational field of the brain. The corticons interact with each other by emitting and absorbing the exchange bosons of the bose field, and are themselves the energy quanta of the warer rotational field. The water rotational field is a dipole field andtherefore interacts with an electromagnetic field. There are also suggested to be long-range correlation waves in the water rotational field of the brain. The brain structures described here are thought to be sensitive to and to modify themselves in responses to information coming into the brain. The combined dynamics of the cortical field and the electromagnetic field comprise what the authors describe as quantum brain dynamics (QBD). The dynamics of the corticons is thought to be capable of controlling the dendritic and neural networks. The authors think that the creation and annilihation of corticons in the QBD is what is called consciousness. Unfortunately the authors do not explain why they think this, and therefore like more mainstream theories of consciousness, the actual consciousness seems to be created by fiat. There is no more apparent reason why consciousness should arise from this physical interaction than from the physical interaction of electrical potentials and chemical in the synapses. The authors could have suggested that consciousness was a fundamental property of photons or of the proposed corticons or of particular fields but they do not do this. References:- Bohm, D. (1951) Quantum Theory Prentice Hall Bohm, D (1952) A suggested interpretation of quantum theory in terms of hidden variables I & II Physical Review 85, 166-179 and 180-193 Bohm, D. )1980) Wholeness and the Implicate Order Routledge & Kegan Paul Bohm, D. (1986) A new theory of the relationship of mind and matter Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 80, 113-135 Eccles, J. (1986) Do mental events cause neural events anologously to the probability fields of quantum mechanics? Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B277, 411-428 Fröhlich, H. (1968) Long-range coherence and energy storage in biological systems International Journal of Quantum Chemistry 2, 641-649 Fröhlich, H. (1970) Long-range coherence and the actions of enzymes Nature, 228, 1093 Globus, G (1995) Postmodern Brain John Benjamins Gray, C. & Singer, W (1989) Stimulus-specific neuronal oscillations Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 86, 1698-1702 Hameroff, S. (1987) Ultimate Computing North-Holland Hiley, B. & Peat, D (1987) Quantum Implications: Essays in Honour of David Bohm Routledge Kegan & Paul Jibu, M & Yasue, K. (1992) A physical picture of Umezawa’s quantum brain dynamics in, Cybernetics and Systems Research, ed. R. Trappl World Scientific Jibu, M & Yasue, K. (1993A) Introduction to quantum brain dynamics in, Nature , Cognition and System ed, Carvallo, M. Kluwer Academic Jibu, M & Yasue, K. (1993B) Intracellular quantum signal transfer Cybernetics and Systems 24, 1-7 Jibu, M & Yasue, K. (1993C) The basics of quantum brain dynamics in, Rethinking Neural Networks ed. K. Pribram Lawrence Erlbaum Jibu, M., Hagan, S., Hameroff, S. Pribram, K. & Yasue, K. (1994) Quantum coherence in microtubules Biosystems 32, 195-209 Penrose, R. (1989) The Emperor’s New Mind Oxford University Press Penrose, R. (1994) Shadows of the Mind Oxford University Press Pribram, K (1991) Brain and Perception Lawrence Erlbaum Schrödinger, E. (1944) What is Life? Cambridge University Press Stuart, C. Takahashi, Y. & Umezawa, H. (1978) On the stability and non-local properties of memory Journal of Theoretical Biology 71, 605-18 Stuart, C. Takahashi, Y. & Umezawa, H. (1979) Neural memory as a macroscopic ordered state Foundations of Physics 9, 301-327 Umezawa, H. (1993) Advanced Field Theory: Micro, Macro and Thermal Physics American Institute of Physics von Neumann, J. (1966) Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata Illinois University Press Watterson, J. (1987) A role for water in cell structure Biochemical Journal 248, 615-617 Wiener, N (1948) Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine MIT Press Yasue, K. (1978) Quantum mechanics of non-conservative systems Annals of Physics 114, 479-496 Yasue, K. (1980) Schrödinger quantisation revisited Letters in Mathematical Physics 4, 143-6 Yasue, K. (1981) Quantum mechanics and stochastic control theory Journal of Mathematical Physics 22, 1010-1020 Yasue, K. (1988) Wave cybernetics Physical Review A38, 2671-2673 Yasue, K. et al (1988) Stochastic neurodynamics Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mechanics 40, 41-59 Karl Pribram Georgetown University Brain and mathematics In Globus, G., Pribram, H. & Vitiello, G. Eds. Brain and Being John Benjamins Pribram stresses that the same mathematical formulations apply to a variety of databases, including brain processes, information, thermodynamics and quantum physics. The relationships can be portrayed by the Fourier transformation. The similarity implies that neural processes are based on relations between quantum events. Pribram discusses two articles by another quantum mind theorist, Henry Stapp (Stapp, 1997a & b) (1-2) . Stapp took the view that the brain process was a search process for satisfactory responses conditioned by earlier experience. He envisages a point moving in a well that blocks out those brain states that are not good solutions, while not blocking out those that are good solutions. Classical solutions to this don’t work in the chaotic conditions of the brain. However, Stapp points out that quantum solutions will work because they can explore a superposition of all solutions. Pribram notes that a number of publications have reported that quantum coherence characterises the oscillation of ions in neural ion channels. Pribram relates the 'double' suggested by Vitiello, which comprises the external world and the internal, so-called tilda copy. Pribram also refers to George Chapline, who suggested that quantum theory presented a method for solving pattern recognition problems and that it could be a model for the type of distributed information processing carried out in the brain. References:- Adey, W. (1987) The modulation of brain tissue functions In Adelman, G. Ed. The International Encyclopaedia of Neuroscience Barrett, T. (1993) Is quantum physics a branch of sampling theory? In Corrmier-Delanous, C. et al Eds. Ecueilsen Microphysique Fondation Louis DeBroglie Bohm, D. (1973) Indication of a new order in physics Foundations of Physics, 3, 139-168 Bohm, D. & Hiley, B. (1993) The Undivided Universe Routledge Bohr, N. (1961) Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge Science Editions Chapline, G. (1999) Is theoretical physics the same thing as mathematics? Physical Reports, 315, pp. 95-105 Chapline, G. (2002) Entangled states, holography and quantum surfaces Chaos, Solitons and Fractals, 14, 809-816 DeValois, R. & Devalois, K. (1988) Spatial Vision In Oxford Psychology Series Oxford University Press Fourier, J. (1807) Sine and cosine series for an arbitrary function In Joseph Fourier MIT Press Gabor, D. (1948) A new microscopic principle Nature, 161, pp. 777-778 Hameroff, S. & Penrose, R. (1995) Orchestrated reduction of quantum coherence in brain microtubules In King, J.& Pribram, K. eds. Is the brain too important to be left to specialists to study? Lawrence Erlbaum Hebb, D. (1949) The Organisation of Behaviour Wiley Hiley, B. (1996) Mind and Matter In Pribram, K. & King, J. Eds. Learning as Self Organisation Lawrence Relbaum Hiley, B. (2001) Towards a dynamics of moments In Bowden, K. Ed. Correlations, 23, pp.104-134 Lashley, K. (1942) The problem of cerebral organisation in vision In Biological Symposia, pp. 327-349 Moyal, J. (1949) Quantum mechanics as statitical theory Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 45, 99-123 Pribram, K. (1959) On the neurology of thinking Behavioural Science, 4, 265-287 Pribram, K. (1971) Languages of the Brain Prentice-Hall Pribram, K. (1982) Brain mechanisms In Clynes, M. Ed. Music, Mind and Brain, pp. 21-35 Plenum Press Pribram, K. (1991) Brain and Perception Lawrence Erlbaum Pribram, K. & Bradley, H. (1998) The Brain, the Me and the I In Ferrari, M. & Sternberg, J. Eds. Self-Awareness, pp. 273-307 The Guildford Press Pribram, K. (2004) Consciousness reassessed Journal of Mind and Matter Shannon, C. & Weaver, W. (1949) The mathematical theory of communications The University of Illinois Press Smolin, Lee (2004) Atoms of space and time Scientific American, vol. 290 Stapp, H. (1972/97) The Copenhagen Interpretation American Journal of Physics, 40 (8), 1098-1116 Vitiello, G. (2001) My Double Unveiled John Benjamins Wigner, E. (1967) Symmetries and reflections Indiana University Press Wigner, E. (1972) Time-energy uncertainty relation In Salam, A. & Woolf, P. Eds. Aspects of Quantum Theory In Brain and Being eds. Globus, G., Pribram, K. & Vitiello, G . Emilio Del Giudice INFN The psycho-emotional physical unity of living organisms as an outcome of quantun physics Del Giudice discusses how quantum field theory (QFT) could provide an understanding of the pysche. Del Giudice starts his discussion at the point where classical 19th century physics was overtaken by quantum theory. He points out that at the very beginning of quantum theory Max Planck showed that matter had a self-movement produced by quantum fluctuations and unrelated to any external influence. The phase describes the spontaneous oscillation of every quantum particle. Quantum particles and quantum fields, such as the electromagnetic field must oscillate. The quantum field cannot vanish completely, because there would be no fluctuation at an absolute zero, therefore the concept of a vacuum in classical physics is modified, and becomes a mass of fluctuations. There are two proofs of the existence of the underlying quantum fluctuations. Firstly, there is the Lamb Shift, where measurements of the relationship between the proton and the electron in the hydrogen atom shows a discrepancy which is due to fluctuations in the elctromagnetic field. The second is the Casimir effect, where two metal plates set sufficiently close together exclude the long-wave quanta of the em field, which results in the inward pressure from the external space being greater than the pressure within the plates, proving the existence of vacuum energy. Del Giudice puts forward the idea of the coherent domain. Every particle made up of charged components, as are all atoms and molecules, is coupled with the em field. Above a certain density and below a certain temperature, and at a lower energy than the gas state, these particles are suggested to enter a coherent state. Here the particles oscillate in tune with the em field that is trapped within the resonating particles. There is a coherent regime of matter and em field that prevails within a space that is the size of the em oscillations. This region is called a coherence domain (CD). Its size ranges from a fraction of a micron up to several tens of microns. Long range forces are suggested to occur at the boundaries of the coherent domains. Del Giudice claims that analysis of many non-gases, such as water and crystals shows a good agreement with this thoery. The very limited acceptance of the idea is blamed on the tendency of the scientific community to confine its thinking to the ideas of classical physics. The author suggests that the large number sof CDs in living matter creates the possibility of finding the missing bridge between physics and biology. He suggests that the surface of the CDs could have molecules resonating with the surrounding water. The CDs are capable of giving rise to further CDs and these in turn to chemical reactions that by changing the molecules in the system also change the em field. The energy is not disippated in heat but instead produces a coherent excitation, which modulates the em field. This concept is seen as underlying the ordering of living matter. As such it provides us with a theory for life forms and possibly for information and cognition but not for consciousness as such. There is no reason why the property of consciousness should arise from the interchange with the electromagnetic field more than any other component of the physical universe, unless the theory is preapared to go the further step of specifying consciousness as a fundamental anf given property of the field or its quanta. References:- Bohm, David & Yakir, A. (1959) Electromagnetic potentials in the Quantum Theory Physical Review, 115, 485-491 Damasio, A. (1994) Descartes Error Putnam Del Giudice, E., Doglia, S. Milani, M. & Vitiello, G. (1988) Electromagnetic interactions in living matter In Fröhlich, H. ed. Biological Coherence and Response to External Stimuli pp. 49-64 Springer Del Giudice, E., Doglia, S. Milani, M., Vitiello, G. & Smith, C. (1989) Magnetic flux and Josephson behaviour in living systems In Fröhlich, H. ed. Biological Coherence and Response to External Stimuli Springer Del Giudice, E. & Preparata, G. (1995) Coherent dynamics in water as an explanation of biological membranes Journal of Biological Physics, 20, 105-116 Del Giudice, E. et al (2002) Effects of weak magnetic fields on ions Bioelectrmagnetics, 23, 522-530 Fröhlich, H. (1968) Long-range coherence in biological systems International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 11, 641-645 Josephson, B. (1962) Superconductive tunnelling Physics Letters, 1, 251-253 Nernst, W. (1969) The new heat theorem Dover Preparata, G. (1995) QED coherence in matter World Scientific Preparata, G. (2002) An introduction to realistic quantum physics World Scientific Zhadin et al (1998) Static and alternating magnetic field on ionic current Bioelectromagnetics, 19, 41-45 |
|
| quantummind Number 2, Your Street, Smallville, Countyshire, NW3 1SS, United Kingdom - Show map - Tel: 01234 567890 Email: sales@yourdomain.com Copyright © quantummind 2008. Web design by 7Soft.co.uk. |