Dynamical Asymmetries, the Bayes’ Theorem, Entanglement, and Intentionality in the Brain Functional Activity

Abstract

We discuss the asymmetries of dynamical origin that are relevant to functional brain activity. The brain is permanently open to its environment, and its dissipative dynamics is characterized indeed by the asymmetries under time translation transformations and time-reversal transformations, which manifest themselves in the irreversible “arrow of time”. Another asymmetry of dynamical origin arises from the breakdown of the rotational symmetry of molecular electric dipoles, triggered by incoming stimuli, which manifests in long-range dipole-dipole correlations favoring neuronal correlations. In the dissipative model, neurons, glial cells, and other biological components are classical structures. The dipole vibrational fields are quantum variables. We review the quantum field theory model of the brain proposed by Ricciardi and Umezawa and its subsequent extension to dissipative dynamics. We then show that Bayes’ theorem in probability theory is intrinsic to the structure of the brain states and discuss its strict relation with entanglement phenomena and free energy minimization. The brain estimates the action with a higher Bayes probability to be taken to produce the aimed effect. Bayes’ rule provides the formal basis of the intentionality in brain activity, which we also discuss in relation to mind and consciousness.

Brain asymmetry as minimization of free energy: a theoretical model

“…These features are naturally accounted for by considering the free energy [32][33][34], whose behaviour also provides a dynamic framework to the discussion on symmetries and asymmetries (see [37]), and their interplay with evolutionary pressure [38]. Moreover, the free-energy concept and formalism are useful in neuroscience to study the structures of sensory inputs in relation to Bayesian action planning and learning in the action-perception cycle [34][35][36]39,40].…”