Self-consciousness and personal identity in quantum panprotopsychism

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum panprotopsychism offers a novel framework for understanding consciousness and personal identity, emphasizing entanglement and causal openness as key factors in self-consciousness.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum-based perspective on consciousness and identity, addressing classical limitations and proposing a new understanding of self-awareness within entangled quantum systems.

Findings

Consciousness arises in entangled quantum systems coupled to neural networks.

Quantum properties lead to emergent states and properties not present in individual parts.

Self-consciousness involves the capacity for independent choices enabled by quantum causal openness.

Abstract

In previous papers, we demonstrated that an ontology of quantum mechanics, described in terms of states and events with internal phenomenal aspects (a form of panprotopsychism), is well suited to explain consciousness. We showed that the combination problems of qualities, structures and subjects in panpsychism and panprotopsychism stem from implicit hypotheses based on classical physics regarding supervenience, which are not applicable at the quantum level. Within this view, consciousness arises in entangled quantum systems coupled to the neural network of the brain. In entangled systems, the properties of individual parts disappear, giving rise to an exponential number of emergent properties and states. Here, we analyze self-consciousness as the capacity to view oneself as a subject of experience. The causal openness of quantum systems provides self-conscious beings the ability to make independent choices and decisions, reflecting a sense of self-governance and autonomy. In this context, the issue of personal identity takes a new form free from the problems of the simple view or the reductive approaches.