Cooperative Functioning of Unconscious and Consciousness From Theory of Open Quantum Systems
March 17, 2021 A. Khrennikov preprint
A mathematical model of how unconscious and conscious processes interact is presented, using the theory of open quantum systems. Unconscious and consciousness are treated as bio-information systems, with consciousness acting as a measurement apparatus for the unconscious. The interaction is described by the scheme of indirect measurements from quantum information theory, leading to the theory of quantum instruments. This quantum-like modeling approach, distinct from modeling genuine quantum physical processes in the brain, treats the brain as a black box processing information according to quantum laws. The framework has been applied in cognition, psychology, decision making, and social and political sciences, and previously explored for sensation-perception modeling.