Brain entangled quantum states in radical pairs: a possible link to consciousness.
Brain Res June 8, 2026
Consciousness may involve quantum effects in the brain, specifically through NMDA receptor-based radical pairs that embed conscious experiences. A testable hypothesis proposes that a conscious experience is registered by the brain via its embedding in these radical pairs, which can be measured with intracranial EEG and electron paramagnetic resonance. Another hypothesis suggests that entangled spin states within these radical pairs encode sensory and cognitive information into measurable quantum parameters that correspond to neuronal spike timing and frequency. The work extends quantum information formalisms to connect electronic wavefunctions with brain activity, but the precise mechanisms remain elusive.