Are sleepwalkers philosophical zombies? Insights and predictions from a quantum model of consciousness
Andrew Bell
arXiv (Cornell University) August 21, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2309.02708 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that sleepwalkers are philosophical zombies who execute complex behavior while completely unconscious, and that consciousness emerges when feedback cooling produces macroscopic quantum coherence in neural circuits. Contends that if such zombies exist, materialism must be false because the mind would exist over and above the body. |
Abstract
A recent quantum model of consciousness proposes that neuronal clusters in the cortex switch from being an unconscious neural computer (when asleep) to a conscious quantum computer (when awake). The transition relies on feedback cooling, and is not unlike how a conductor becomes a superconductor when cooled. Here the model is explored in the context of sleepwalking, a peculiar but common phenomenon that has largely escaped philosophical attention. Based on several remarkable accounts, the case is made that sleepwalkers are truly philosophical zombies: they execute complex behaviour while remaining completely unconscious. They are phenomenal blanks, acting out pre-programmed routines governed by their neural computer. But when feedback cooling is active, the same neural circuits acquire macroscopic quantum coherence, and the sleepwalker awakes and becomes conscious. The claim under test is that if zombies exist, materialism must be false, for there is something – the mind – over and above the body.