ULTIMATE COMPUTING - Quantum Consciousness Studies

From Brain to Cytoskeleton 79
lead, according to John, to the stream of conscious experience. Wave patterns
modify neuronal structure, forming memories to be evoked by later resonances.
E. R. John (1980) asserts that:
Consciousness is a property of these improbable distributions of
energy in space and time, just as gravity is a property of matter.
4.4 Toward Molecular Consciousness
How is electrical wave energy coupled to neuronal structure, and what
neuronal structures are most suitable for coupling and representation of cognitive
content Simultaneous recognition (and cooperative coupling) by large numbers
of neural elements requires rapid changes in chemical state of widely distributed
macromolecules. Likely candidates are the “allosteric” proteins which can
transduce regulatory signals (binding of molecules, ions/acidity, voltage fields
etc.) to undergo functional conformational changes. Hyden (1977) initially
proposed that proteins rapidly change their conformation in response to weak,
oscillating electric fields. W. Ross Adey (1977) has elaborated on the coupling of
neural protein conformation and function to EEG waves. He has suggested that
webs of hydrated glycoproteins (extending from neural membranes into the
extracellular space), membrane proteins, and the cytoskeleton are primed to
undergo rapid conformational changes in response to localized and selective
spatiotemporal EEG patterns, as well as biochemical signals. Transduction of
electromagnetic energy into conformational states by widely distributed proteins
can cooperatively represent dynamic information.
The common thread of biological intelligence, the “grain of the engram,” may
be found within cooperative dynamics of a molecular network whose structure
and functions appear perfectly adapted to information processing: the
cytoskeleton. response to weak, oscillating electric fields. W. Ross Adey (1977)
has elaborated on the coupling of neural protein conformation and function to
EEG waves. He has suggested that webs of hydrated glycoproteins (extending
from neural membranes into the extracellular space), membrane proteins, and the
cytoskeleton are primed to undergo rapid conformational changes in response to
localized and selective spatiotemporal EEG patterns, as well as biochemical
signals. Transduction of electromagnetic energy into conformational states by
widely distributed proteins can cooperatively represent dynamic information.
The common thread of biological intelligence, the “grain of the engram,” may
be found within cooperative dynamics of a molecular network whose structure
and functions appear perfectly adapted to information processing: the
cytoskeleton.