Quantum Information Processing from Neuron to Consciousness

Consciousness is considered the most challenging problem in the science of the mind, especially about Chalmers' hard problem. From the standpoint of the system science philosophy, many consciousness theories overlook the structure-function correlation principle, thereby reducing their explanatory power regarding consciousness. Therefore, we initially introduce a philosophy for system science. Based on the structure-function correlation principle, we realize that the neck structure of dendritic spine is a key for information encoding in the frequency domain. Consequently, the whole work is discussed in the frequency domain. In the level of sensory modalities, the intrinsic function of simple auditory neuron encodes information as a wave function. Subsequently, in the mesoscopic level, we successfully resolve the quantum mechanism for frequency adaptation, a representation of energy constraint. Particularly, we find that the accommodation mechanism and the multi-layered retina are specialized to employ the principles of Fourier optics and quantum optics. Specifically, the stratified structures, positions and functions of retinal ganglion cells and bipolar cells are specialized for the Fock states in quantum optics. The whole brain might be considered as a neuronal quantal field, comprising billion neurons and trillions of synapses, which intrinsically function as wave functions and perceptive units, respectively. Furthermore, in the frequency domain, we advocate that there is no fundamental difference between the hard problem and the easy problems of consciousness. In summary, it is thrilling to understand the mechanism of neuronal function and consciousness, and this Unified Information Theory (UIT) providing a bridge between microscopic and macroscopic levels.