Friday, January 21, 2011

TEDxBrussels - Stuart Hameroff - Do we have a quantum Soul?

http://consciousness-and-spirituality.com/image-files/stuart-hameroff.jpg

I used to respect Stuart Hameroff, mostly based on his work with Roger Penrose on a quantum theory of consciousness (the Orch OR model). But also for his annual work (bi-annual here in Tucson) on the Toward a Science of Consciousness conference.

Then he showed up prominently in What the Bleep Do We Know?!

Seriously? A respected consciousness theorist in a film inspired by a greedy woman who channels a "god" from outer space? WTF?!

Anyway, this is interesting, sort of, if you buy into this kind of thing.

TEDxBrussels - Stuart Hameroff - Do we have a quantum Soul?
Dr. Hameroff's research for 35 years has involved consciousness - how the pinkish gray meat between our ears produces the richness of experiential awareness. A clinical anesthesiologist, Hameroff has studied how anesthetic gas molecules selectively erase consciousness via delicate quantum effects on protein dynamics. Following a longstanding interest in the computational capacity of microtubules inside neurons, Hameroff teamed with the eminent British physicist Sir Roger Penrose to develop a controversial quantum theory of consciousness called orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR) which connects brain processes to fundamental spacetime geometry. Recently Hameroff has explored the theoretical implications of Orch OR for consciousness to exist independent of the body, distributed in deeper, lower, faster scales in non-local, holographic spacetime, raising possible scientific approaches to the soul and spirituality.




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