Mental intervention in quantum scattering of ions without violating conservation laws

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum mechanical model suggesting that mental influence on ion scattering in neurons could initiate action potentials without violating conservation laws, involving minimal thermodynamic violations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hypothesis that mental selection can influence quantum scattering in neurons, aligning with physical laws and suggesting a testable mechanism.

Findings

Mental influence could affect ion scattering directions in neurons.

No violation of conservation laws occurs during proposed mental intervention.

A small local decrease in temperature is theoretically possible.

Abstract

There have been several proposals in the past that mind might influence matter by exploiting the randomness of quantum events. Here, calculations are presented how mental selection of quantum mechanical scattering directions of ions in the axon hillock of neuronal cells could influence diffusion and initiate an action potential. Only a few thousand ions would need to be affected. No conservation laws are violated, but a momentary and very small local decrease of temperature should occur, consistent with a quantum mechanically possible but extremely improbable evolution. An estimate of the concurrent violation of the second law of thermodynamics is presented. Some thoughts are given to how this hypothesized mental intervention could be tested.