Quantum formalism to describe binocular rivalry

Abstract

On the basis of the general character and operation of the process of perception, a formalism is sought to mathematically describe the subjective or abstract/mental process of perception. It is shown that the formalism of orthodox quantum theory of measurement, where the observer plays a key role, is a broader mathematical foundation which can be adopted to describe the dynamics of the subjective experience. The mathematical formalism describes the psychophysical dynamics of the subjective or cognitive experience as communicated to us by the subject. Subsequently, the formalism is used to describe simple perception processes and, in particular, to describe the probability distribution of dominance duration obtained from the testimony of subjects experiencing binocular rivalry. Using this theory and parameters based on known values of neuronal oscillation frequencies and firing rates, the calculated probability distribution of dominance duration of rival states in binocular rivalry under various conditions is found to be in good agreement with available experimental data. This theory naturally explains an observed marked increase in dominance duration in binocular rivalry upon periodic interruption of stimulus and yields testable predictions for the distribution of perceptual alteration in time.

A Quantum-Like View to a Generalized Two Players Game

“…This is just one of the several contributions existing in the literature related to decision making processes and to brain dynamics, and it is just one of the contributions suggesting the relevance of something quantum in this kind of problems. For instance, Manousakis in [8] suggests that the condition describing someone who must still make a choice, could be thought as a superposition of suitable states in a particular Hilbert space, whose coefficients are related to the probabilities of making a particular choice among the various possibilities. He also proposes a time evolution driven by some hyper-simplified hamiltonian.…”

Consciousness and Hallucinations: Molecular Considerations and Theoretical Questions

“…From those considerations have emerged possible formal descriptions of the most empirically elementary mental events, i.e., the subjective experience of the perceptual process (Manousakis, 2009). Quantum foundations of conscious processes as theorized in particular by Hameroff and Penrose (1996) fit especially well with the interactome hypothesis of depressed consciousness described by us in the current issue of this journal (Cocchi, 2010c).…”

Quantum Logic of the Unconscious and Schizophrenia

“…In fact, Manousakis (2009) has presented a formalism to describe basic aspects of the first person perceptual experience, which parallels the features of quantum mechanics. Throughout the current paper, we will develop rigorous arguments in favour of the idea that quantum theory and its adaptations in Quantum Mind can provide powerful formal tools for constructing a therapeutically exploitable pathogenic theory of schizophrenia.…”