Now the mathematics which allowed for the creation of computers goes well back into the 20’s and 30’s of the last century. This was produced by the mathematical giant Von Neumann. Most are aware that it is based on what is known as a bit of information. This bit simply is an either-or state. It is a yes or no, positive or negative or a zero or one state. The information set that is carried through is referred to as binary language, and all computer operations are a combination of these on/off sites. Now by making a series of iterations (sequential trips) through these sets of bits, now called bytes when there are a defined set, we are able to make computations.

Conceptually a quantum computer would have a bit that carries more than the choice of yes or no but a third intermediate between yes and no. It is thought that two electrons in a pair could have spins that are either right-left or up/down.  Thus we could have the states down/up or in an unmeasured state where both are in a mix of up/down and down/up. This would give us on and off and a state in between or conceptually -1, +1 and zero. It is easy to see that this would correspond to an oscillatory state and allow the measurement of oscillations the heart of quantum mechanics. The oscillations between the qwiffs and the finite quantum states can be used to “cohere” results. When quantum bits or qubits are used like this, problems can be represented differently and the solutions cohered.

Eventually our brains according to Penrose would not work as a simple mathematical operation such that one piece of data operates on another piece of data. Each piece of data or thought would be functioning, solving multiple solutions without serially performing detailed calculations. An overview allows all of these to cohere into a single best solution or experience without slowly being calculated. The coherence is into a best fitting pattern.

Penrose shared his idea with Hameroff, an anesthesiologist to come forth with a theory of consciousness. Hameroff proposes that within the microtubules of the neurons in the brain the protein called tubulin is able to act as the source of the qubits by trapping an electron in the up/down state or other wise. There would be billions in each microtubule and then there would be billions of the microtubules. These qubits would allow the brain to function essentially as a quantum computer.

This theory explained the non-computability of the operation of the brain. This was felt to explain non-computability in consciousness.

According to Wikipedia most theories of consciousness assume consciousness emerges from complex computations at the level of the synapses among the brain neurons. Orch OR involves a specific form of quantum computation which underlies neuronal synaptic activities. It is proposed that these quantum computations occur in structures in the brain neurons called microtubules.

The benefits of these propositions are that they lend themselves to possible study. It is proposed that we can consider a single thought to last between one twentieth and a half a second or so. Then it would take a billion or so tubulins set up in a quantum state with each other. These tubulin states would self cohere into an answer state and a conscious experience occurs. In this way a stream of consciousness can be explained. 

This, itself does not explain consciousness. What generates the conscious thought that required the coherent solution? Does the brain of other primates share the microtubules? Does the reptilian brain? It is obvious that some thinking takes place as in when animals hunt together in a pack and trap an animal.

To say it explains consciousness is the equivalent of saying consciousness creates the stream of consciousness. It says that the egg begets the egg and then if so what begets the first egg? Why does self-coherence occur? Self-coherence can only be the result of self awareness. The moment self-awareness takes place, there is self-coherence. Self must first be aware or self in order to have an experience in self. Self coherence must then require self awareness.

The energy requirements to manifest self-coherence then simply show how self coherence is orchestrated. It does not show how self coherence is initiated.

It must be initiated by a recognizable event in consciousness which then implies that consciousness simply is, much as light is, and that the two are entangled, sharing the quantum entanglement that all shares, such that it is an act of consciousness that allows for the manifestation of the photon as a particle or a wave or combination of both.