Gambini and Pullin’s Quantum Panprotopsychism

Theoretical physicists Rudolfo Gambini and Jorge Pullin propose their “Quantum Panprotopsychism” theory of consciousness, in which “an ontology of quantum mechanics in terms of states and events with internal phenomenal aspects, that is, a form of panprotopsychism, is well suited to explaining consciousness” (Gambini & Pullin, 2025).

The authors begin their argument by appealing to “a phenomenological analysis of consciousness similar to that of Husserl,” which “shows that the effects of phenomenal qualities shape our perception of the world.” It also shows, they say, that the way the physical and mathematical sciences operate allows us to accurately describe the observed regularities in terms of communicable mathematical laws. They note that these laws “say nothing about the intrinsic features of things. They only refer to the observed regularities in their behaviors, providing rigorous descriptions of how the universe works, to which any viable ontology must conform.” The implication, they stress, is “Classical mechanistic determinism limits everything that can occur to what happens in an instant and leaves no room for novelty or any intrinsic aspect that is not epiphenomenal.” Therefore, if one assumes that consciousness is not epiphenomenal, the move to quantum physics follows. The authors state, “The situation changes with quantum probabilistic determinism if one takes seriously the ontology that arises from its axioms of objects, systems in certain states, and the events they produce in other objects” (Gambini & Pullin, 2024).

From Phenomenology to Quantum Ontology

This is where Gambini and Pullin introduce panprotopsychism. Referencing Bertrand Russell, they state that “an ontology of events with an internal phenomenal aspect, now known as panprotopsychism, is better suited to explaining the phenomenal aspects of consciousness.” The authors then address the central “objections to panpsychism and panprotopsychism, which are usually called the combination problem”—which, they claim, “arise from implicit hypotheses based on classical physics about supervenience.” They argue, “These are inappropriate at the quantum level, where an exponential number of emergent properties and states arise [due to entanglement]” (Gambini & Pullin, 2024).

Combination Problem and Quantum Causality

Subsequently, the authors “address what is probably the first and most important combination problem of panpsychism: the subject-summing problem originally posed by William James.” They make the strong claim that “Due to the indeterminacy of quantum mechanics and the resulting causal efficacy of consciousness, this ontology appears suitable for analysing the remaining aspects of the structure combination problem, which pertain to how the structuration capacity of consciousness evolved from primitive animals to humans” (Gambini & Pullin, 2025).

Principles and Implications

In a critical aspect of their argument, Gambini and Pullin contend that their theory “is based on principles of quantum mechanics that do not require a particular interpretation, they just assume the quantum kinematics — the identification of the mathematical counterparts of states, events, and their properties — a precise identification of when one can assign properties to a state and the recognition of the random character of the theory in the production of events or measurements.”

The authors suggest that the implications of their proposed solution to the subject-summing combination problem can also address “the appearance of self-consciousness and possible solutions to the issue of personal identity” (Gambini & Pullin, 2025).

Note: Gambini and Pullin’s Quantum Panprotopsychism could have been classified under Panpsychisms, but its foundational ideas rely on quantum mechanics, which motivates its inclusion here under Quantum & Dimensions.