Quantum modeling of the mental state: the concept of a cyclic mental workspace

Taking into account the constituting elements of the human brain, such as neuronal networks, individual neurons, trans-membrane ion-fluxes and energy producing cellular metabolism as well as other molecules that promote neural activity, there is clear consensus that the present knowledge of the brain, collectively, is insufficient to explain higher mental processes such as (self)consciousness, qualia, intuition, meditative states, transpersonal experiences as well as functional binding between distant parts of the brain. We argue that super-causal mechanisms are required to optimally integrate the above mentioned building blocks of brain function, also enabling the brain to amplify minimal perturbations for proper anticipation and action. We propose that such a super-causal structure may function as an interface between molecular transitions and the particular higher mental functions. As attractive bridging principles, the isoenergetic brain model and the physical-mathematical hypotheses denoted as quantum brain theories are treated. It is acknowledged that elementary quantum processes are likely to be essential for higher brain functions, as well as behavior and cognitive processing, since our central nervous system forms an integral part of a dynamic universe as a non-local information processing modality. In addition we conclude that quantum concepts may, at least, serve as a useful probability model and/or metaphor for human cognition. Yet, versatile brain function may require complementary information processing mechanisms at the classical and quantum (macro- and micro-) levels, both enabling bottom up and top down information processing. Concerted action of isoenergetic and quantum physics-based cognitive mechanisms in the human brain, requires a nested organization of fine-tuned neural micro-sites that enable decoherence-protected information transfer. For a rapid and causally effective flux of information, as well as a continuous updating of meaningful information, a super-causal field model is required. This neural structure is conceived by us as a “bi-cyclic” mental workspace, housing interacting and entangled wave/particle modalities that are integral parts of an a-temporal and universal knowledge domain.