quantum consciousness & the machinery behind the quantum brain
Exploring microtubules, protein qubits, and the subtle quantum processes that may underpin thought and awareness
“Well I used to think as other people do that the brain is a computer and I think instead, as I have said before, it’s more of a multi-scale hierarchical system. More like a musical system in some sense. I’d refer to it as a quantum orchestra. Because I think the computational metaphor doesn’t work because, well it works to a point but it treats neurons as simple on/off switches and that’s an insult to neurons… If you go inside neurons there’s all this interesting, I hate to use the word complex because I think complexity is often the last refuge of the bewildered. Just say it’s complex and that explains everything which I think is wrong. But you have all this structure, these microtubules doing all this interesting quantum stuff and quantum computation reducing by OR is not the kind of computation I was disillusioned with. So, I’d say that one thing is that the brain is a multi-scale hierarchal system more like music than a classical computer.”
— Stuart Hameroff —
The brain. What a wonderfully complex, and utterly fascinating organ it is, defying almost any attempt at trying to understand it. How does a collection of neurons give rise to the vivid, ineffable experience of being? Where does awareness emerge, and what is the seat of consciousness? The question of how subjective, phenomenological experience arises from purely physical matter, remains unresolved, with logic and computation alone seemingly insufficient to explain it.
Noticing this problem as far back as the early 1900’s, Eugene Wigner started developing the notion that quantum mechanics may underly the workings of the mind, proposing that the wave function collapses due to its interaction with consciousness. Similarly, Freeman Dyson argued that “mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent inherent in every electron”. Despite the views of these scientific luminaries, the mere mention of “quantum consciousness” usually makes most physicists roll their eyes, evoking images of “manifesting your reality” and other vague, insipid musings of a New Age gurus pop into their mind’s eye.
But more than the idea that quantum effects may illuminate questions around consciousness, the idea that quantum effects might play a role in brain function isn’t entirely new either. Hints of the quantum seem to echo through the neural networks and synaptic clefts of our brains as well, with quantum biologists silently toiling away in the background for decades. This fascinating scientific discipline concerns itself with investigating the weird and wonderful world of quantum science, and how quantum mechanics influences biological processes. What it also does is provide us with a framework from which to explore not only the strange and surreal realm of the quantum brain, but also to unlock the deepest mysteries of our conscious minds.
A Quick Quantum Cheat Sheet
But before we dive into the quantum, let’s first take a moment to revisit some of the fundamental principles of quantum physics as they relate to the exploration of brain function and the quantum brain.
First up, we have superposition, which is basically the quantum equivalent of being in two places at once. It’s like when you can’t decide whether to have pizza or sushi for dinner, so you exist in a state of both pizza-eating and sushi-eating until you make up your mind. In the quantum world, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously until they’re observed or measured.
Then there’s entanglement, which Einstein famously called “spooky action at a distance.” It’s when two particles become so intimately connected that you can’t describe one without describing the other, even if they’re separated by vast distances. It’s like having a telepathic connection with your best friend, but on a subatomic scale.
Quantum coherence1 is another crucial concept. It’s the ability of quantum systems to maintain their delicate quantum states over time. However, in the warm, wet environment of the brain, these states can quickly fall apart in a process called decoherence. It’s like trying to build a sandcastle in the surf – you’ve got to work fast before the waves wash it away.
Lastly, we have quantum tunneling, which is when particles can pass through barriers that classical physics says they shouldn’t be able to. It’s like if you could walk through walls – handy for avoiding awkward conversations at parties, but potentially even more useful for facilitating neural processes.
From Classical to Quantum Biology
At its very heart, life is a complex dance of atoms and molecules, choreographed according to the strange rules of quantum mechanics, while quantum chemistry — the application of these principles to the behaviour of chemical compounds — has allowed scientists to see how bonds form and break, sustaining the molecules that make life possible. Every biochemical reaction, from the way ligands bind to receptors in neurons to the replication of DNA, depends on these subtle quantum interactions.
Yet classical physics, for all its precision, cannot fully account for the extraordinary coherence and organisation we observe in complex living systems. Organisms maintain a remarkable unity across scales, from molecules to cells to tissues. Some scientists now propose that higher-level quantum phenomena, such as coherent superposition2, entanglement3, and collective excitation, may be essential for life itself.
Evidence of quantum effects is emerging in remarkable and unexpected corners of the living world. Although photosynthesis provides the clearest example, similar phenomena appear to operate in mammals as well, manifesting in the extraordinary navigational abilities of birds and even in the delicate workings of our sense of smell. Some birds, such as European robins, appear to sense the Earth’s magnetic field through a quantum mechanism in their eyes, a phenomenon known as the avian compass. Absorption of blue or green light produces a radical pair of entangled electrons in molecules such as cryptochromes, whose quantum oscillations depend on the molecule’s orientation relative to the magnetic field. The resulting spin-dependent electron transitions influence neural signals, allowing the bird to orient itself with astonishing precision, a behaviour classical physics alone cannot explain.
Similarly, the human sense of smell may exploit quantum mechanics. The conventional lock and key model of olfaction, in which molecules bind to receptors based solely on shape, cannot account for the vibrational sensitivity of the nose. Quantum inelastic tunnelling offers an explanation: when an odourant docks into a receptor, electrons pass through the molecule only if a specific vibrational mode is excited, enabling the detection of subtle differences such as those between hydrogen- and deuterium-containing molecules.
The Machinery Behind the Quantum Brain
This quest to uncover life’s hidden mechanisms echoes Erwin Schrödinger’s question in What is Life?, in which he suggested that biology might reveal principles beyond classical chemistry — principles that underpin the remarkable order and resilience of living organisms. Today, researchers are extending this vision, asking whether the brain, like other biological systems, might quietly harness quantum processes to achieve the richness of cognition and consciousness.
At first glance, the idea seems improbable. Quantum states are fragile, easily disrupted by interaction with their surroundings through environmental decoherence4. Yet evolution has had billions of years to experiment and discover ways of preserving and exploiting these delicate states. If such organised quantum effects exist in cells, they may integrate information across scales, filter noise, and even link multiple brain regions into coherent networks. In this way, quantum mechanics may offer not only the rules for atomic interactions but also the subtle scaffolding for life’s extraordinary organisation and the astonishing power of the human mind.
The Microtubule as a Framework for a Quantum Scaffold
If life at its foundation moves to the rhythm of quantum mechanics, could the mind itself, the seat of consciousness, participate in the same subtle choreography?
This question has guided the work of physicist Roger Penrose and anaesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff, who proposed that the brain may contain microscopic structures capable of harnessing quantum phenomena. Central to their idea are the tiny cylindrical scaffolds within neurons known as microtubules, which form part of the cell’s cytoskeleton and are composed of repeating units of tubulin proteins.
These peanut-shaped proteins are arranged in intricate lattices and, far from being inert frameworks, these scaffolds are dynamic, influencing cell shape, transport, and signalling, providing the structural foundation on which more complex quantum processes might operate — essentially translating molecular interactions into coordinated neuronal behaviour.
Each tubulin dimer contains hydrophobic pockets, small non-polar regions where electrons are relatively isolated from the surrounding water and thermal noise. This sheltered environment increases the likelihood that electrons can occupy multiple states simultaneously, or become entangled with one another, forming coherent quantum states.
In simpler terms, each tubulin protein may act like a qubit5, a quantum bit capable of existing in multiple states at once, very much unlike classical bits which are strictly on or off.
Imagine a spinning coin hovering between heads and tails, its outcome undefined until it is observed. The coin exists in a state of potentiality, simultaneously exploring multiple possibilities, much like a decision we hesitate to make, weighing all options before acting. In the same way, electrons within the hydrophobic pockets of tubulin proteins explore multiple states at once. Only when the quantum state “collapses” does the electron settle into a configuration that can influence the protein’s shape and function. This latent potential allows the protein to guide cellular processes in ways that classical chemistry alone cannot explain, offering a glimpse of the brain’s subtle quantum choreography.
Penrose and Hameroff suggested that arrays of protein qubits could form a quantum computational network within microtubules. Interactions among proteins, guided by subtle quantum forces such as London dispersion forces6, could allow the brain to process information in ways that classical neural firing alone cannot. Microtubules, therefore, may provide both the physical scaffold and the computational substrate for quantum aspects of cognition.
Proteins as Quantum Microprocessors
If microtubules form the scaffold, the proteins within them act as the quantum microprocessors, translating quantum events into biological function. Proteins are versatile macromolecules that fold into complex three-dimensional shapes, a process that determines their activity. Predicting a protein’s final structure from its linear amino acid sequence is extraordinarily difficult — a puzzle often described as NP complete7. While classical computation struggles with this challenge, nature seems to exploit quantum principles to solve it effectively and efficiently.
According to Penrose and Hameroff, this is accomplished via hydrophobic pockets within each microtubule. These pockets, rich in non-polar amino acids such as phenylalanine or tryptophan, provide sheltered micro-environments where electrons can explore multiple conformations simultaneously. Quantum vibrations and subtle interactions within these pockets, guided by the aforementioned London dispersion forces, may steer the protein toward its correct folded state. In this sense, proteins can be thought of as performing a form of quantum computation, collapsing into their functional configuration only when the most favourable state is realised.
Empirical evidence supports this view. Functional vibrations in proteins appear to depend on quantum effects, and coherent states have been observed in proteins such as ferritin. The role of anaesthetic gases further underscores the significance of these pockets: by reversibly binding in hydrophobic regions, anaesthetics can temporarily suppress consciousness, suggesting that delicate quantum interactions within proteins contribute directly to awareness.
Theoretical models indicate that arrays of protein qubits, if properly organised and shielded, could perform quantum information processing. From picosecond-scale side-chain movements to nanosecond-scale global conformational changes, proteins may support the rapid integration of information at a quantum level. Together with microtubules, these protein networks illustrate how life may have harnessed the subtle rules of quantum mechanics to not only achieve the robustness, adaptability, and cognitive power observed in the human brain, but also consciousness itself.
The Functional & Cognitive Implications
If microtubules and proteins can harness quantum effects, then consciousness may not be a mere by-product of neurons firing, but an emergent property of quantum processes woven into the very fabric of the brain. This perspective suggests that the mind does not simply compute in classical terms; it may participate in the subtle orchestration of reality at a level that bridges molecules, cells, and the cosmos itself. Consciousness, in this light, becomes a phenomenon that is both deeply biological and profoundly quantum, rooted in the material yet reaching toward something more elusive.
The implications are both scientific and philosophical. Understanding consciousness as a quantum phenomenon opens new avenues for exploring cognition, memory, and perception. It invites a reconsideration of the boundaries between mind and matter, showing how even the smallest molecular interactions could contribute to awareness. In practical terms, this framework encourages researchers to look beyond classical neural networks and consider how quantum coherence, superposition, and entanglement might influence brain function in ways previously unimagined.
This essay lays the groundwork for the next step in the series, where we turn from the mechanics of the quantum brain to the broader question of quantum consciousness itself. There, we will explore how these quantum processes might give rise to subjective experience, insight, and the ineffable qualities of mind that have long fascinated philosophers and scientists alike. For now, the quantum brain invites us to marvel at the delicate, hidden architecture that may underpin our very awareness, hinting at a profound connection between life, mind, and the fundamental rhythms of the universe.
Why does this matter?
The evidence suggests that consciousness may not be a mere emergent property of classical neural networks, but a phenomenon deeply entwined with the quantum machinery of the brain. Microtubules and protein qubits provide a plausible substrate for quantum information processing, revealing a hidden level of organisation that allows the brain to integrate information, make decisions, and support awareness.
Understanding the quantum basis of cognition reframes our perspective on what the mind is capable of, pointing to a reality in which life itself has mastered the subtle and powerful principles of quantum mechanics. Tomorrow, we will explore the functional and cognitive implications of the quantum brain, considering how these principles may influence perception, memory, creativity, and the very nature of consciousness.
Footnotes:
This essay draws on ideas from my books Living in a Quantum Reality and A Participatory Cosmos. For a deeper exploration of these ideas, consider purchasing your copy. To support the work you can subscribe to my Substack, or make a small donation.
Lieze Boshoff is an author and researcher exploring consciousness, metaphysics, and anomalous experience through the lenses of contemporary science, psychology, and philosophy. With a background in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and doctoral research on consciousness and perception, her work examines reality as a participatory, holographic field in which mind and matter are inseparable. She writes at the intersection of science, symbolism, and the unseen, investigating how experience itself shapes the cosmos we inhabit.
DISCLAIMER: ◦ lieze ◡ boshoff ◦ is a proudly human-made publication and a 100% AI free. Every word is mine, but so is every grammar and spelling mistake. Thank you for reading an supporting my work.