Scientists Use Quantum Mechanics to Explain the Existence of the Soul

November 1, 2012, 07:51 Tencent Science [1 Comment] (796)

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[Introduction] British physicist Sir Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff, director of the Center for Consciousness Studies in the US, propose that quantum matter in the brain forms the "soul," and when a person dies, the quantum information of the brain's microtubules leaves the body and enters the universe.

Tencent Science News (Youyou/compiled): According to the UK Daily Mail, scientists have proposed an unusual theory: human near-death experiences occur when the soul formed from quantum matter leaves the nervous system and begins to enter the universe.

American scientists explain that the human near-death experience is a quantum gravity effect of brain microtubules.

Dead and reborn: Latest research reveals the mystery of near-death experiences. After humans die, their quantum souls are released from the body and return to the universe. According to this theory, human near-death experiences are equivalent to a program of quantum computers in the brain, still existing in the universe even after death. This will explain the mysterious memories of those who have had near-death experiences.

Dr. Stuart Hameroff, director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona and professor emeritus of psychology and anesthesiology, proposed this quasi-religious theory. Based on quantum consciousness theory, he and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose (who together with Hawking proved the "Singularity Theorem") propose that our souls are contained in the microtubule structures within brain cells.

They point out that human near-death experiences are microtubule quantum gravity effects, also called "Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR)." Therefore, our souls are not merely interactions of brain nerve cells. In fact, they form within the universe.

This theory is very similar to Buddhist and Hindu theories--that human consciousness is a fundamental part of the universe, which is also similar to Western philosophical idealism. Based on these beliefs, Dr. Hameroff states that during near-death experiences, microtubules lose their quantum states, but the quantum information within them is not destroyed; they merely leave the body and return to the universe.

Hameroff pointed out in the Science Channel documentary "Crossing Wormholes" that, for example, when the heart stops beating and blood stops flowing, microtubules will lose their quantum states. The quantum information in microtubules is not destroyed; it cannot be destroyed, only disturbed, scattered and distributed throughout the universe. If a patient dies and then revives, the quantum information will return to the brain's microtubules, and they will be surprised to say: "I experienced a near-death experience."

He emphasized that if the patient does not revive and ultimately dies, the quantum information will leave the body and thus may be vaguely identified as a soul.

The "Orchestrated Objective Reduction" theory has faced severe criticism from some empiricist thinkers and remains highly controversial in the scientific community.

However, Hameroff believes that quantum physics research is beginning to verify the "Orchestrated Objective Reduction" theory. Based on recent research showing that quantum effects can verify many important biological processes, such as: smell, bird navigation, and photosynthesis.