If we were to place the human brain under a microscope, we would see that it is composed of countless cells. Each cell is formed from extremely tiny particles, and this aligns perfectly with the principles of quantum mechanics. In other words, our brain is essentially a complex system consisting of countless tiny particles, which, according to quantum mechanics, can exist in multiple states simultaneously and interact with each other in complex ways

A single micro-particle does not possess consciousness, but why do many particles coming together to form a human being result in consciousness? This is a philosophical issue that has perplexed humanity for many years.

We know that everything in the world is composed of countless micro-particles, and when different micro-particles combine in varying proportions, they create entirely different substances.

Humans today have consciousness, but does that mean these micro-particles themselves have the capacity for self-awareness? This is indeed an exceedingly complex question, and to find an answer, we may need to explore it from the perspective of quantum mechanics.

What is consciousness?

In general, consciousness refers to the activities of a high-level neural network involving perception, reasoning, understanding, and self-awareness. Although we currently do not fully understand the root causes of consciousness, according to many previous studies, it is not just humans who possess consciousness; some animals also exhibit self-awareness. This is because animals not only demonstrate memory, emotions, and certain social skills but, in some aspects, they even outperform humans.

However, the consciousness of animals is still in a very rudimentary stage, far less advanced than human consciousness. Neuroscientists initially defined the process of information transmission within the neural network in the brain as consciousness, but later, it was discovered that consciousness is not as simple as the activity of the neural network.

For example, a jellyfish lacks a neural network or a brain structure, yet it can still exhibit a certain level of wisdom in seeking survival advantages. Therefore, the neural network of the brain is not a necessary condition for consciousness. So, what is the key factor leading to our consciousness?

Some people believe that this may be related to our environment. We know that there are various forms of life on Earth, and they all have been shaped by adapting to the natural environment over long evolutionary periods.

As the highest level of life on Earth, humans gradually developed their unique advantages when competing with other creatures. One of the most important advantages is our highly developed brain and complex language system.

This enables us to think about issues, convey information, create culture, invent tools, and more. These abilities we call intelligence. There is a close relationship between intelligence and consciousness. Intelligence helps us recognize ourselves and the world outside, while also making reasonable evaluations and choices about them.

Consciousness allows us to perceive that we exist in this world and create emotions and values for it. It can be said that intelligence is the foundation of consciousness, and consciousness is the culmination of intelligence. Therefore, we can speculate that the formation of consciousness is related to our level of intelligence.

Why do individual particles not have consciousness?

If we were to put the human brain under a microscope, we would see that it is actually composed of countless cells. Each cell is made up of very tiny particles. In other words, our brain is essentially a complex system consisting of countless tiny particles. So, do these micro-particles also have consciousness?

Currently, the academic community does not have a clear answer to this question. However, based on current scientific knowledge, we can make a preliminary statement: a single micro-particle does not have consciousness. Why is that? Because what a tiny particle can do is very limited; it will only obey some fundamental physical laws, such as the law of universal gravitation, the law of electromagnetism, the laws of quantum mechanics, etc. These laws determine the states of motion and interaction of micro-particles, and these states of motion and interaction are not related to any subjective judgment or choice.

In other words, individual micro-particles do not have the ability to perceive or make choices; they passively receive external influences and react according to fixed rules. As mentioned earlier, consciousness is a type of advanced neural network activity that requires the ability to perceive and certain decision-making abilities. Therefore, individual micro-particles do not meet the conditions for generating consciousness and do not have consciousness.

Why can a collection of particles give rise to consciousness?

A single micro-particle does not have consciousness, but why do a bunch of particles come together to form a human being and generate consciousness? This is indeed related to a classic issue: the change in quantity causing a change in quality.

We know that there are many complex systems in nature, such as galaxies, life, the Earth’s atmosphere, and more. These complex systems consist of countless simple elements, yet they exhibit entirely different characteristics and functions compared to their individual elements.

For example, water molecules consist of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but water has properties such as wetness, melting, boiling, and freezing, whereas hydrogen and oxygen atoms do not possess these properties. This demonstrates that when simple elements are combined in a certain way, they create new properties and functions. Similarly, when countless micro-particles are combined in a certain way, various substances and different forms of life can emerge.

The emergence of consciousness from a complex network of particles likely involves a higher level of organization and interaction that gives rise to properties and functions not present in individual particles. While the exact mechanisms of consciousness remain a topic of ongoing research and debate, this phenomenon illustrates the power of emergence and complexity in the natural world.

When these substances and forms of life reach a certain level, new properties and functions are created, such as intelligence and consciousness. This demonstrates that intelligence and consciousness are not inherent attributes of a single micro-particle but rather new properties and functions formed by the combination of countless micro-particles. In other words, consciousness is an emergent phenomenon, a complexity that arises from the interactions of countless simple elements.

So, how do these tiny particles interact? We know that there is a principle in quantum mechanics known as Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. This principle tells us that it is impossible to simultaneously measure the position and momentum of any micro-particle, which results in all micro-particles exhibiting a certain level of uncertainty, and this uncertainty (specifically quantum entanglement) appears to be at the root of consciousness.

The relationship between quantum entanglement and consciousness is a topic of speculation and debate in the scientific and philosophical communities. Some scientists believe that quantum entanglement could be a crucial mechanism in the emergence of consciousness. They propose that there are many tiny channels in the human brain, such as microtubules, neurons, synapses, and more. The particles within these microchannels can become entangled under certain conditions, forming a massive quantum system within the brain.

When we think or perceive, we observe this quantum system, causing it to collapse into a certain state and creating a subjective experience. In other words, consciousness is seen as a quantum phenomenon generated by the interaction of countless entangled particles.

This theory is known as the quantum consciousness theory, attempting to use quantum mechanics to explain the nature and mechanism of consciousness. It posits that consciousness is not a property of material substance but a property of information. This means that consciousness is not determined by the material itself but by the interactions between the material.

However, it’s important to note that the quantum consciousness theory is not a perfect theory and still faces many challenges and questions. For example, how can one demonstrate the existence of quantum entanglement in the brain? How does the brain’s quantum system resist interference from external factors and increase thermodynamic entropy? How can we explain the interactions and influences of consciousness when people communicate and interact with each other? These issues require further experimentation and theoretical development for verification and improvement.