Many scientists have been studying how human brains create consciousness, but they could have the problem the wrong way around.
Stuart Hameroff, an anesthesiologist, astrobiologist, and Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, proposes a radical reversal of this perspective. He suggests that consciousness isn’t a product of evolution, but rather the driving force behind it. This viewpoint, echoing ancient philosophical texts like the Upanishads, challenges the conventional understanding of life’s origins and development, particularly in light of recent research questioning the centrality of genes in early life.
“Lots of people are trying to find the function of consciousness in evolution, but it sounds like you’re suggesting that evolution is a function that consciousness is using to get pleasure. That’s a fascinating kind of switch,” an interviewer from iai asked him.
“Yes, I think in some way life developed as a vehicle for consciousness, and here we are,” he said.
“Roger Penrose’s objective reduction is another fascinating switch. So, it’s not consciousness that collapses the wave function, but the wave function is causing consciousness, it sounds like,” the interviewer went on.
“Exactly, it turns it around. It’s not that consciousness causes collapse; collapse causes consciousness, or collapse *is* consciousness.”
Hameroff further elaborates on his concept, connecting it to the very origins of life: “The idea comes from the Upanishads and can explain the origin and evolution of life. Otherwise, how/why did life start and develop for a hundred million years before genes? Without feelings, what was the motivation to survive and reproduce? Reward and aversion are the bases for behavior.”
This dialogue encapsulates Hameroff’s core argument: that consciousness isn’t merely a byproduct of complex biological processes, but a fundamental aspect of reality that has shaped the very trajectory of life. His reference to Roger Penrose’s “objective reduction” hints at a deeper, quantum mechanical basis for this claim. Objective reduction, also known as Orch OR, posits that consciousness arises from quantum wave function collapses within microtubules, structures inside brain neurons. This theory directly challenges the materialist view of consciousness as an emergent property of the brain’s complexity, suggesting instead that consciousness has a non-computable, quantum origin.
The implications of Hameroff’s ideas are profound. If consciousness is indeed fundamental, it rewrites our understanding of not only human existence but also the nature of the universe itself. It suggests a universe imbued with proto-conscious experience, where even seemingly simple systems possess a basic form of awareness. This perspective challenges the materialistic worldview dominant in science and opens up exciting possibilities for future research into the nature of consciousness, potentially bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and ancient spiritual wisdom.