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The QBIT theory of consciousness: Entropy and qualia.

Majid Beshkar

Integrative psychological & behavioral science September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-022-09684-6 (opens in new tab) via PubMed

Summary

AI-generated from the abstract

The QBIT theory proposes that the brain generates consciousness by reducing the entropy of its internal representations below a critical threshold. When an observer's information-theoretic certainty about a stimulus surpasses that threshold, the observer becomes conscious of the stimulus. This paper explains how the brain gradually minimizes entropy to produce minimum-entropy representations, also called conscious representations or qualia, and explores the implications of this entropy-minimization process within quantum information theory.

Study at a glance

Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Keywords Brain Consciousness Entropy Information theory Qualia
Key finding Proposes that consciousness arises when the brain reduces the entropy of its internal representations below a critical threshold, generating minimum-entropy representations termed qualia.

Abstract

The QBIT theory is a recently introduced multi-disciplinary approach to the problem of consciousness. One of the main axioms of the theory is that when information-theoretic certainty of an observer about a stimulus goes beyond a certain threshold, the observer becomes conscious of that stimulus. This axiom could provide an explanation for how the brain generates consciousness.In short, the QBIT theory suggests that the brain generates consciousness by reducing the entropy of its internal representations below a critical threshold. This paper explains how the brain gradually minimizes the entropy of its internal representations and consequently generate minimum-entropy representations (also known as conscious representations or qualia). The paper also explores the consequences of this entropy-minimization process in the context of quantum information theory.

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