NeuroQuantology |June 2008 |Vol 6 |Issue 2|Page 152-160 152 Hari S. Psychons could be zero-energy tachyons Original Article Eccles’s Psychons Could be Zero-Energy Tachyons Syamala Hari Abstract This paper suggests that mental units called psychons by Eccles could be tachyons defined theoretically by physicists sometime ago. Although experiments to detect faster-than-light particles have not been successful so far, recently, there has been renewed interest in tachyon theories in various branches of physics. We suggest that tachyon theories may be applicable to brain physics. Eccles proposed an association between psychons and what he called dendrons which are dendrite bundles and basic anatomical units of the neocortex for reception. We show that a zero-energy tachyon could act as a trigger for exocytosis (modeled by Friedrich Beck as a quantum tunneling process), not merely at a single presynaptic terminal but at all selected terminals in the interacting dendron by momentarily transferring momentum to vesicles, thereby decreasing the effective barrier potential and increasing the probability of exocytosis at all boutons at the same time. This is consistent with the view of tachyons, which treats them as strictly non-local phenomenon produced and absorbed instantaneously and non-locally by detectors acting in a coherent and cooperative way. Key Words: exocytosis, quantum tunneling, tachyon, quantum potential, Bohmian Mechanics NeuroQuantology 2008; 2:152-160 1. Introduction1 some fundamental neural units of the Unlike many other prominent cerebral cortex dendrons, and proposes that neuroscientists, Sir John Eccles (1903-1997) each of the 40 million dendrons is linked with rejected the notion of mind brain identity and a mental unit, or psychon, representing a developed a theory of the mind, known as unitary conscious experience. According to dualist-interactionism. In his book, How the Eccles, in willed actions and thought, Self Controls Its Brain (1994), shows that psychons act on dendrons and momentarily mind-brain action can be explained without increase the probability of the firing of violating the conservation of energy if selected neurons. Based on physicist account is taken of quantum physics and the Friedrich Beck’s (Beck, 2008; Beck and Eccles, available knowledge concerning the 1992; Beck, 1996) quantum mechanical microstructure of the neocortex. Eccles calls analysis of bouton exocytosis, he proposes the hypothesis that mental intention (the volition) becomes neurally effective by Corresponding author: Syamala Hari momentarily increasing the probability of Address: 709 Margaret Court, South Plainfield, New Jersey, 07080, USA. exocytosis in selected cortical areas. Phone # 9087563311 e-mail: [email protected] ISSN 1303 5150 www.neuroquantology.com NeuroQuantology |June 2008 |Vol 6 |Issue 2|Page 152-160 153 Hari S. Psychons could be zero-energy tachyons A nerve impulse propagating into a potential (external potential plus the presynaptic terminal triggers a process called quantum potential also called the Bohmian exocytosis that causes opening of a channel potential) of a multitude of quasiparticles and and releasing transmitter molecules into the thereby enhancing the tunneling process synaptic cleft. Exocytosis is the basic activity across the whole dendron. that initiates information flow between In this paper, we consider a tachyon neurons in chemical synapses. It is triggered as a non-local object (but not a material with some small probability by an arriving particle), which can be associated with an nerve impulse. The detailed model proposed imaginary mass value and with waves which by Beck and Eccles (1992) is based on the are non-local in space but localized in time. quantum concept of quasiparticles, reflecting The author has held the view since a long the particle aspect of a collective mode. Their time (Hari, 2002; Vishnubhatla, 1985; 1986) proposed model refers to tunneling that thought processes in a brain involve processes of two-state quasiparticles, tachyons (faster than light objects) defined by resulting in state collapses. It yields a physicists sometime ago. Some intuitive probability of exocytosis in agreement with rationale for this hypothesis may be found in empirical observations. The quantum the stated references. Here, we adopt the treatment of exocytosis links the neocortical point of view that treats tachyons as strictly activity with the existence of a large number non-local phenomena produced and of quantum probability amplitudes (Stapp, absorbed by detectors in a coherent and 2007), since there are more than 100,000 cooperative way. A tachyon cannot be boutons in a bundle of dendrites called a created in one position to be later absorbed dendron. Eccles’s rationale for the or measured at another position; the tachyon hypothesis of mental interaction includes the must be created or absorbed over a region of argument that mental intention must be space, and therefore one cannot talk in terms neurally effective by momentarily increasing of time of flight from one position to another the probabilities for exocytosis in a whole (Shay and Miller, 1977). dendron and coupling the large number of probability amplitudes to produce coherent 2. Beck-Eccles Quantum Mechanical Model action because in the absence of mental of Exocytosis activity these probability amplitudes would In the Beck-Eccles (1992; Beck, 2008) act independently, causing fluctuating EPSPs quantum mechanical model of exocytosis, in the pyramidal cell. they adopt the following concept: In this paper, we suggest that the so preparation for exocytosis means bringing called psychons could be tachyons defined by the presynaptic vesicular grid into a physicists sometime ago (Bilaniuk et al., 1962; metastable state from which exocytosis can Feinberg, 1967; Recami, 1974). Theoretically, occur. The process of exocytosis is then the existence of tachyons is not contrary to modeled by the motion of a quasiparticle the principle of Relativity. Although with one degree of freedom along a collective experiments to detect faster-than-light coordinate q, and over an activation barrier. particles have not been successful so far, The motion is characterized by a potential recently, there has been renewed and keen energy V(q), which may take on a positive interest in tachyon theories (Recami, 1998; value before exocytosis according to the 2001; 2004; 2008; Recami et al., 1986; metastable situation, then rises toward a Giannetto et al., 1986) across a spectrum of maximum and acts as the barrier, which the research areas as diverse as particle physics quasiparticle has to tunnel through, and to astrophysics and string theory. In this finally drops to zero. This quantum paper, we suggest that tachyon theories may mechanical tunneling process consists of two be applicable to brain physics as well. We states: one in which the particle has not show how a zero-energy tachyon could act as crossed the barrier and exocytosis does not a trigger for exocytosis in a whole dendron by take place, and the other state in which the momentarily decreasing the effective particle crosses the barrier and exocytosis ISSN 1303 5150 www.neuroquantology.com NeuroQuantology |June 2008 |Vol 6 |Issue 2|Page 152-160 154 Hari S. Psychons could be zero-energy tachyons takes place. Eccles hypothesizes that mental conformational change is described by Beck intention is responsible for the action of by means of a quasiparticle with a single selecting the state, where exocytosis occurs, degree of freedom, which represents the by momentarily increasing the probability of collective degrees of freedom along this exocytosis. The time-dependent process of motion. exocytosis is described by Beck and Eccles (1992: p3) by a one-dimensional Schrödinger 3. Zero-Energy Tachyon’s Electromagnetic equation for the wave function Y(q,t) , Field The Klein-Gordon equation for a free tachyon 2 æöћ2 having negative squared-mass − µ (where µ iћ YYq,tç ÷ 2 q,t ¶tq( )=-¶ç÷( ) is a positive real number) is written as èøç2M÷ (2.1) +V(q)Y(q,t) 2 ¶t D 2 (2 --=m)y x,t0 (3.1) c ( ) where ∂ denotes differentiation with respect to its suffix, M is the mass of the particle and where x is the vector (x, y, z), ћ is the Plank’s constant. In the following D 222and again, ∂ denotes sections, we show that a zero-energy tachyon =¶x+¶yz+¶ can trigger the crossing of the potential differentiation with respect to its suffix, c is barrier (in other words, collapse of the the speed of light in free space, quasiparticle wave-function to the state, andm= µc/ћ . Separating the time where exocytosis occurs) by momentarily dependence of y by writing transferring momentum to the quasiparticle y(xx,t)=¢yy( ) (t,) we get solutions (somewhat like giving it a push!) without any iwt e y(x) of equation (3.1), where y (x) exchange of energy. Thereby, the particle’s satisfies effective potential, that is, the external potential plus the quantum potential is Dy22222 decreased to a value below the particle’s [--k](x) ==0 and w /ck–m. (3.2) total energy and allows the particle to tunnel through the barrier. Being a field, the The frequency ω is real only for i(t–kx.) tachyon pushes all the boutons in the k ³ m; plane wave solutions e w where dendron at the same time! k=|k| and ω is real, are not a complete set in space because of this condition and a superposition of them cannot be localized in space (Feinberg, 1967). The phase velocity of such a wave ei(wt–kx.) is < c and group velocity of the associated wave packet is > c. On the other hand, a superposition of solutions i(wt–kx.) e of (3.1) with real ω can be localized in Figure 1. The stages of exocytosis (from Beck, 2008). Nt time. It happens that superposition of = neurotransmitter molecules, vs = vescicle, pm = solutions of (3.1) corresponding to presynnaptic membrane. Influx of Ca2+ after depolarization by a nerve impulse opens the calcium nonphysical energies (imaginary ω) and gated channel.