Consciousness Is Quantum State Reduction Which Creates the Flow of Time
Timing & Time Perception November 6, 2023 Stuart Hameroff
The Penrose–Hameroff 'Orch OR' theory proposes that consciousness arises from discrete, irreversible quantum state reductions (objective reductions) occurring in microtubules within brain neurons. These self-collapses of the quantum wavefunction are orchestrated to regulate neuronal functions and produce sequences of 'NOW' moments of conscious experience. Connected to fundamental spacetime geometry, this process creates a flow of time by ratcheting forward in the fine-scale geometry of the universe. The theory suggests that time in physics—as a process or a dimension—and time as a conscious experience may all be consistent explanations.