Consciousness as a Decoherent Process: An Explanatory Model Connecting Quantum Physics and Cognitive Science
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) June 21, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20521678 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Quantum decoherence Consciousness Explanatory model Cognition Superposition principle Rational analysis Process computing Metaphor Cognitive science Counterfactual thinking Theoretical physics Cognitive model Cognitive psychology State computer science Comprehension Conceptual model Anticipation artificial intelligence |
| Key points | Proposes that conscious awareness arises from a decoherence-like process that collapses multiple pre-conscious possibilities into a single stable state. |
Abstract
This paper proposes a "Consciousness Decoherence Model" grounded in a structured metaphor drawn from quantum decoherence theory. The model frames pre-conscious states as a superposition of multiple possible contents, and characterizes the formation of conscious awareness as a process of decoherence—triggered by internal and external "environments" (including sensory input, interoception, and attention)—that stabilizes one specific classical state into reportable awareness. Through systematic conceptual mapping and comparative analysis with Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, Integrated Information Theory, and other recent decoherence-inspired frameworks, the model unifies diverse cognitive phenomena such as creative insight, decision paralysis, and psychopathological states under a single dynamical logic.