Source: “Quantum Physics in Consciousness Studies”, By Dirk K. F. Meijer and Simon Raggett, A Review/Literature compilation: The Quantum Mind Extended
4. Henry Stapp- attention, intention and quantum coherence .pdf
Henry Stapp proposes a revolutionary model of the human mind by arguing that quantum mechanics, rather than classical physics, is essential to understanding how consciousness interacts with the brain. He suggests that the brain functions as a quantum system where conscious thoughts act as "top-level codes" that select specific outcomes from a vast field of physical probabilities. This process, rooted in the Heisenberg choice, allows the mind to exercise top-level control over neural activity, effectively transforming mental intentions into physical actions. Ultimately, the text seeks to bridge the gap between subjective experience and material reality by framing consciousness as a creative force that resolves the randomness of nature into meaningful, goal-directed behavior.
Quantum Will and Consciousness.pdf
Your_Attention_Collapses_Quantum_Reality.m4a
For centuries, the deepest mystery of science and philosophy has been the problem of consciousness. How does the wet, physical machinery of the brain—a collection of neurons, ions, and electrical signals—give rise to the rich, subjective, and seemingly non-physical world of our conscious experience? The dominant view, rooted in classical physics, treats the brain as a complex computer, a clockwork mechanism where consciousness is, at best, a passive byproduct of its operations.
Physicist Henry Stapp argues this entire framework is built on a fundamental mistake. We have been trying to understand the mind using the wrong tools: the deterministic laws of Newtonian physics. He contends that to truly grasp the nature of consciousness and its relationship to the physical world, we must turn to the more fundamental and counter-intuitive principles of quantum theory. This shift in perspective doesn't just offer a new explanation; it proposes a radical re-envisioning of reality where consciousness is not a ghost in the machine but an active, causal force in the universe.
This article explores four of the most profound takeaways from Stapp's quantum theory of mind—ideas that challenge our basic assumptions about the brain, reality, and our place within it.