The implicit possibility of dualism in quantum probabilistic cognitive modeling

Abstract

Pothos & Busemeyer (P&B) argue convincingly that quantum probability offers an improvement over classical Bayesian probability in modeling the empirical data of cognitive science. However, a weakness related to restrictions on the dimensionality of incompatible physical observables flows from the authors' "agnosticism" regarding quantum processes in neural substrates underlying cognition. Addressing this problem will require either future research findings validating quantum neurophysics or theoretical expansion of the uncertainty principle as a new, neurocognitively contextualized, "local" symmetry.

From Quantum Photosynthesis to the Sentient Brain

“…An "incision point" for possible penetration through the Explanatory Gap may be located by fleshing out traditionally unexplored links between standard physical observables and consciously felt qualities, which phenomenalist philosophers have dubbed "qualia." Perhaps at this point speculative recourse to the technical artifice of an "isoqualitative distortion gauge" (Mender, 2013a;2013b), whose extrinsic curvature (Sklar, 1976) can serve to keep qualia locally "hidden in plain sight" from the apparent causal completeness of orthodox physics, may be relevant.…”

“…However, unlike canonically conjugate observables, "subjective" qualia a la Weber and Fechner have not customarily been interrelated by quantum physics through the Fourier dual formalism responsible for photosynthetic and other tunneling (Mender, 2013a;2013b). Yet an occult Fourier dual interrelationship may be uncovered among psychophysical qualia (Pothos and Busemeyer, 2013) and between those qualia and the observables of orthodox physics, if we posit the aforementioned "isoqualitative distortion gauge."…”

“…e-mail  onald.mender@yale.edu Relevant conflicts of interest/financial disclosures: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Received: September 27, 2015; Accepted: November 1, 2015 (Mender, 2013a;. In this regard quantum olfaction, quantum avian compasses, quantum genetic coding, quantum enzyme folding, sustainably orchestrated quantum tubulin superpositions, and ordered water to date all remain merely theoretically tantalizing proposals with at best debatable and in many cases no experimental support.…”

“…In this regard quantum olfaction, quantum avian compasses, quantum genetic coding, quantum enzyme folding, sustainably orchestrated quantum tubulin superpositions, and ordered water to date all remain merely theoretically tantalizing proposals with at best debatable and in many cases no experimental support. At present one must consider the real possibility that experiments may never (Mender, 2013a;Tegmark, 2000) generate the kind of ironclad examples of overt quantum neurodynamical coherence imagined as a future vindication of existing quantum brain theories.However, there is currently available one functionally significant example of nontrivial quantum coherence that is experimentally on fairly firm ground in what seems at first glance to be a systematically non-neural domain of biology, i.e. photon energy harvesting by the photosynthetic Z-process (Engel et al, 2007) in …”

“…In this regard quantum olfaction, quantum avian compasses, quantum genetic coding, quantum enzyme folding, sustainably orchestrated quantum tubulin superpositions, and ordered water to date all remain merely theoretically tantalizing proposals with at best debatable and in many cases no experimental support. At present one must consider the real possibility that experiments may never (Mender, 2013a;Tegmark, 2000) generate the kind of ironclad examples of overt quantum neurodynamical coherence imagined as a future vindication of existing quantum brain theories.…”