Biophysics, Physical Consciousness and Mitogenetic Radiation

Vernadsky's Method
Biophysics And the Life Process by Wolfgang Lillge, M.D.
(Full text of article from Summer 2001 21st Century)

Mitogenetic Radiation
The Harmony of Biophotons
Magneto-Biology

Wolfgang Lillge

Dean Andromidas / EIRNS
Wolfgang Lillge: "We are only at the beginning of the era of'life technology.'"

It has been the legacy of Vernadsky to the future world, to continue the broad-based research effort he began, to uncover the physical principles that are behind the differences between living and non-living processes. As we have heard in Jonathan Tennenbaum's contribution (p. 14), Vernadsky himself always emphasized a universal approach to this problem: What is needed is an understanding of what are the physical characteristics of life that can be measured, among others, in terms of different types of radiation, different wavelengths, magneto-biological criteria, the coupling between various living systems, between living and non-living systems, between living systems and astrophysical systems, and also between non-living and astrophysical systems, and so on. I want to report here about a number of biological technologies that have been developed completely outside of the molecular biology mainstream in the last 30 years, which provide fascinating insights into the inner state of living cells. What has been established by these means is, that cells have a specific kind of communication that is closely connected to extremely weak, but biologically highly effective, electromagnetic signals. By that, a new pathway of biophysical research has been opened, which focusses exactly on those key aspects of life that are systematically ignored by standard methods of molecular biology and genetics.
In fact, the question "What is life?" has been effectively removed from the established thinking in biology. Molecular biology, which focusses exclusively on researching only the "building blocks" of nature, has completely lost sight of the characteristic differences between living and dead matter. For molecular biology, there is no qualitative difference between a living and a dead cell: Just before and after dying, a cell still contains the same molecules and structures.
But what has happened in between? Where is the "living force" or "animus vitae," as was once speculated about?
Before we elaborate more on the nature of those electromagnetic signals, which can also be called "biophotons," we should look at some of the phenomenal achievements of which living processes are capable. In growing tissue, it can be estimated that every single cell produces some million molecules per second, which is more, by several magnitudes, than what can be produced by laboratory means.
There is another astounding figure: On average, every human being consists of approximately 10 trillion cells (10¹³), which are generated by 43 successive rounds of cell doublings. Only after this impressive precision work, will a human being reach adulthood.
However, at the same time, there is a constant turnover of cells coming and going: In every individual, every second, approximately 10 million cells die, and must be replaced in a short period of time, in order to prevent an entropic decay. It cannot be predicted where and when a cell will die, but if the replacement rate were to be only slightly lower (or higher), the body would disintegrate quickly. For example, if the growth rate of intestinal cells, which have a large turnover themselves, would exceed the cell death rate by only some percent, the body would rapidly die from obstruction of the intestines.
The biophysicist Fritz Popp has pointed to the conditions which must be fulfilled such that all these complex processes occur in a controlled way. There must be an intimate coupling of cell-to-cell-communication, which, according to his calculations, can only be possible when the key control processes occur at the speed of light. Any other means of "information" transmission, including biomolecules, chemical messengers, and so forth, would not be sufficient. They would be too slow to guarantee the integrity of the organism. Already, from this simple calculation, it follows that light, or some electromagnetic action operating at the speed of light, must be involved in some form in the organization of living processes.
The first sytematic research into the role of light in living processes was done by the Russian scientist Alexander Gurwitsch, a contemporary of Vernadsky, in the 1920s. Gurwitsch established as a conclusive hypothesis that every living cell emits light, though at a very weak level.
Mitogenetic Radiation
His original experiment was very simple (Figure 1). Gurwitsch mounted an onion root in such a way, that the tip of this first onion root pointed to the side of another onion root, but without direct contact. When the second onion root, after a certain time, was investigated under the microscope, it was shown that at exactly the point of near-contact, there was a significant increase of cell divisions (mitosis) compared to the opposite side.

Figure 1
GURWITSCH'S FAMOUS ONION EXPERIMENT
The roots of two onions are positioned perpendicularly so that the tip of one root points to one side of the other root. Gurwitsch found that there was a significant increase in cell divisions on this side, compared to the opposite, "unirradiated" side. The effect disappeared when a thin piece of window glass was placed between the two roots, and reappeared when the ordinary glass (which is opaque for ultraviolet light) was replaced with quartz glass, which is transparent for ultraviolet light.

Source: A.G. Gurwitsch, Das Problem der Zellteilung (The Problem of Cell Division), 1926.

Alexander Gavrilovich Gurwitsch (1874-1954)

This "mitogenetic effect," as Gurwitsch termed it, continued to appear when a small quartz window, which is specifically transparent to ultraviolet light, was inserted between the two onion roots. However, the effect disappeared when the quartz window was replaced by normal window glass, or other material, which is opaque to ultraviolet light. With several other experiments Gurwitsch was able to definitely prove that the medium of this mitogenetic effect was, in fact, a very weak ultraviolet radiation emanating from the tip of the first onion root. He called this "mitogenetic radiation."
Subsequently, Gurwitsch and his collaborators developed a method to indirectly measure the intensity and spectral distribution of the "mitogenetic radiation." This technique, together with Gurwitsch's other original contributions to biology, including his notion of the biological field and the existence of a long-range effect between cells during mitosis, became one of the main fields of biological research during the 1930s, in the Soviet Union, and elsewhere.
However, increasingly, this approach to biology came under fierce attack by the proponents of genetics and molecular biology, which then, after the war, was made the dominant field of research. The major point of criticism from these circles was, that the mitogenetic radiation did not exist at all, or, if it did exist, it had no biological relevance whatsoever.
Actually, at Gurwitsch's time, it was technically impossible to directly measure the weak light emission from cells. This became possible only in the 1950s, when a group of Italian astronomers developed a very sensitive photo multiplier, which they used to make distant stars visible. When used on biological samples, it was shown that leaves, germs of wheat, corn, beans, and so on, emit a constant, but weak light. These results created a brief uproar in the West, but the affair was then essentially forgotten.
Only in the early 1970s was this basic insight taken up again, when German biophysicist Fritz Popp, in his work on cancer research, found some very peculiar properties of a very strong carcinogenic substance.
Shown in Figure 2 is benzpyrene in two forms: the 3,4 benzpyrene, which is found in coal-tar and in cigarette smoke, and a chemically very similar substance, 1,2 benzpyrene, which is considered harmless. The only major difference between the two substances is that 3,4 benzpyrene has a strong absorption/emission anomaly in the ultraviolet area of the spectrum. Popp asked himself, could these optical properties of the molecule be the direct cause of its carcinogenicity, rather than any assumed chemical (molecular) effect? That idea, of course, went directly against the established position of cancer research.

3,4 benzpyrene

1,2 benzpyrene

Figure 2
TWO FORMS OF BENZPYRENE
The 3,4 benzpyrene, which is found in coal-tar and in cigarette smoke, is chemically very similar to 1,2 benzpyrene, which is considered harmless. The only major difference between them is that 3,4 benzpyrene has a strong absorption/emission anomaly in the ultraviolet area of the spectrum. Popp asked himself, could these optical properties of the molecule be the direct cause of its carcinogenicity?

Figure 3
SCHEMATIC OF POPP'S PHOTOMULTIPLIER
Popp and his colleagues built a high-sensitivity light amplifier, shown here schematically, which can reliably measure the extremely weak light emission of biological experiments. A quartz cuvette is located in the enclosed part of the apparatus before a concave mirror, which also directs the reflected rays to the light detector. A colored filter can select specific wavelengths, and the alternating light and dark ("chopper") plate allows a separation betwen actual signals from the probe and spurious light from the apparatus itself.

Source: Popp, Biologie des Lichts, 1984

In that context, Popp learned about Gurwitsch's work on mitogenetic radiation, and concluded that, if the assumed optical effect of benzpyrene were correct, then there must be some kind of light source in the cell, and very weak photon "signals" would be able to trigger drastic changes in the behavior of cells.
So, Popp and his collaborators started to construct a very sensitive light amplifier appropriate for measuring very weak photon emissions from cells. A schematic view of this machine is shown in Figure 3.
It is a certain irony that Popp, after he had presented his ideas to leading cancer scientists in Germany, was first denied any research money, because he said he wanted to find light inside cells. For these people, this was a completely absurd idea! Only when he pledged to establish that there is no light in cells, did he receive some funding.
With Popp's photomultiplier machine, it was possible to prove beyond any doubt that low-level light emissions are a common property of all living cells. It has different intensities for plant or animal cells, for different cell types, and it can vary from one moment to the next. It is not regular, but comes often as "photon explosion" (spikes), especially when the cells are irritated by outside means.
With Popp's photomultiplier machine, it was possible to prove beyond any doubt that low-level light emissions are a common property of all living cells. It has different intensities for plant or animal cells, for different cell types, and it can vary from one moment to the next. It is not regular, but comes often as "photon explosion" (spikes), especially when the cells are irritated by outside means.

Figure 4
EMISSION PATTERNS OF TWO BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES, WITH AND WITHOUT CONTACT
Fritz Popp developed a system with two independent photo multipliers, and a mechanism by which the two samples under investigation could be optically separated from each other. Here, in an experiment with the tiny dinoflagellate gonyaulax polyedra, the top part of the graph shows the pattern of emissions with the shutter closed; and the bottom graph shows the experiment with the shutter opened, so that the two samples are in optical contact. As can be seen, the random events on the top, become a coordinated, tuned process of increased intensity, with simultaneous spikes of photon emissions.

Listen to the harmony of biophotons

The tones correspond to the correlation of signals of photon emission in two samples of gonyaulax polyedra. In the first part of the audio, the dissonance of the separated samples is heard; in the second part, the harmony of the two samples in optical contact can be heard. The higher the tone, the better the correlation of signals in the two samples.

The Harmony of Biophotons
In fact, one could draw an analogy to music and say, that a disharmonic process turns harmonic. Actually, as Johannes Kepler perceived the relations of the planets as a musical harmony of spheres, we can also, in the case of biophotons, make this harmony audible. Here is how Fritz Popp set the electromagnetic communication between cells to music! Please, don't expect these tones to be as beautiful as those in last night's concert, but creatures such as these dinoflagellates are not human, after all! First, we hear the dissonance of the separated samples, and then the harmony of interacting photon emission. [Audio version of the biophoton tones.] You should note that the tones you will hear do not correspond directly to single photons emitted; they correspond to the degree of correlation of signals in both samples. So, the higher the tone, the better the correlation.

All these findings point to a specific form of electromagnetic coupling, indicating a specific kind of communication between living cells. Even if it is not yet known what the actual source of these photon emissions in cells is—and one should not fall into premature speculation on this point (there may even be outside, astrophysical influences involved)—they have a definite biological effectiveness. And Popp has also shown that this weak radiation must have the quality of a multimodal, multifrequency laser to be effective; that is, to be coherent in space and time.

Coming back to cancer research, it is not surprising that the use of photon emission is able to show a clear distinction between healthy cells and cancer cells.

The graph in Figure 5 shows how normal liver cells (lower curve) have a relatively stable or even falling level of photon counts at increasing cell density, while cancer cells of the same cell type show an increasing photon count at higher cell densities. It can be concluded from that, that populations of cancer cells have lost the harmony and coherence that is typical for healthy tissue.

Figure 5
PHOTON COUNTS OF NORMAL LIVER CELLS VS. CANCEROUS CELLS
Normal liver cells (lower curve) have a relatively stable or even falling level of photon counts at increasing cell density, while cancer cells of the same cell type show an increasing photon count at higher cell densities. From this, it was concluded that populations of cancer cells have lost the harmony and coherence that is typical for healthy tissue.

Figure 6
SCHEMATIC OF BURLAKOV'S EXPERIMENTS WITH FISH EGGS AND MITOGENETIC RADIATION
In these experiments, samples of fertilized fish eggs in different phases of development were brought into optical contact with each other. Burlakov found that if the age difference between the eggs or larvae was not too large, there was a significant acceleration in the development of the younger eggs relative to the older ones. However, if the age difference was large, the younger eggs showed a strong retardation in development; even deformities and higher death rates occurred. When Burlakov used normal window glass as a filter, all these effects disappeared, but with quartz filters, the effects could be observed.

I can only summarily report here on recent, impressive work by the Russian scientist A.B. Burlakov. He provided a striking example of the superiority of the biophoton approach over the molecular dogma.

Burlakov brought samples of fertilized fish eggs in different phases of development into optical contact with each other, and observed the mutual effects (see Figure 6). He reported the following results:

Provided the age difference between the eggs or larvae was not too large, there was a significant acceleration in the development of the younger eggs relative to the older ones.
However, if the age difference was large, the younger eggs showed a strong retardation in development; even deformities and higher death rates occurred. (This conforms, by the way, to observations in nature, that fish normally avoid laying their eggs in sites where other eggs have already been deposited.)
When he used normal window glass as a filter, all these effects disappeared, but the effects could be observed by use of quartz filters, confirming clearly Gurwitsch's "mitogenetic effect."
Using filters for different wavelengths and polarizers, Burlakov even succeeded in creating specific alterations intentionally, and subsequently undoing them. In this way, monster larvae with multiple heads, multiple hearts, and so forth, were generated, but could be corrected by the appropriate use of other optical coupling effects.

In fact, this latter case could be the beginning of an era of "biophoton technology," as Burlakov himself stated, with a potential far bigger than today's biotechnology, which has had a hard time keeping up with its far-flung promises. Obviously, in Burlakov's experiments, no changes were induced in the genome at all—the biophoton action works on the level of the living process itself.

Magneto-Biology
Finally, we should include in the list of technologies for the investigation of living processes, the potential of magneto-biology. Research of this type has a long tradition, especially in Russia. For example Alexander L. Chizhevsky [1897-1964] made intensive studies of the correlation between solar-induced changes in the Earth's magnetic field and the occurrence of physical events, such as epidemics, and other things. Also Simon Shnoll and his group in Moscow made extensive studies of the influence of cosmic phenomena on almost all physical processes on the planet. Professor Bruno Brandimarte of Italy has been a pioneer in the field of magneto-biology for many years. He has shown that oscillating magnetic fields of various forms can have striking effects on the healing of wounds and the increase of blood circulation.

In Figure 7, you see on the left a very bad case of diabetes gangrene, which would have been hopeless for traditional surgery. But, after treatment with magnetic fields (right), the foot was almost completely restored.

Figure 7
BRANDIMARTE'S OSCILLATING MAGNETIC FIELD TREATMENT
The Italian scientist Brandimarte has worked with oscillating magnetic fields to increase blood circulation and heal wounds. Here is one example of the positive effect of magnetic field treatment. On the left is a very bad case of diabetes gangrene for which the normal treatment would have been amputation. After treatment with magnetic fields (right), however, the foot was almost completely restored.

In conclusion, it must be stated, that we are only at the beginning of the era of "life technology." Many more approaches like the mitogenetic effect, the biophoton/laser principle, and magneto-biology must be developed. The aim is to develop methods, which allow us to study all those multiple levels, on which the characteristic actions of life occur.

Wolfgang Lillge, a physician, is the editor of the German-language Fusion magazine.

This article was part of a panel discussion on Vernadsky’s Method, at the Schiller Institute conference, The Ecumenical Battle for the Common Good, held in Bad Schwalbach, Germany, May 4-6, 2001. The four panel presentations appear in full in the Summer 2001 issue of 21st Century.

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To: quantumrelativity@yahoogroups.com
From: jack_vanwinkle@yahoo.ca
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:26:15 +0000
Subject: [quantumrelativity] Fwd: Consciousness as Evolutionary Process -Popp

Consciousness as Evolutionary Process based on Coherent States

Fritz-Albert Popp

This paper is not worth to get seriously general attention, (1) since I renounce to add the references of all the contributors of this field who might have had ever similar ideas or even might have published them, (2) since I dare to mention ideas that are neither revolutionary nor complicated, but simply more or less trivial, and (3) since it is essentially a translation of my German paper in the journal "Grenzgebiete der Wissenschaft 51 (2002)3, 195-217: Bewußtsein als Eigenschaft kohärenter Zustände". The only scientists whom I will mention as origins of my thoughts about consciousness are Descartes who will forgive me when I do not try to find the source of his famous wise saying "I am able to have doubts, therefore I am", and Henry Stapp whose papers are widely known enough such that it is not necessary to discuss them here in detail, and some of my thoughts have their origin by personal discussions with him.

I try to point out

that at first we need to find a definition of consciousness, irrespective whether it is complete or not, before we can start to speak about it,

that we have to find a turning point between "reality" and "consciousness", irrespective of what we understand by the reality or consciousness, before we enter the no man`s land of consciousness,

that we have to find ways how to quantify "consciousness" rather than only to describe it,
that we have seriously to distinguish between "consciousness" and "consciousness about consciousness", in order to discover the position and role of consciousness in our world.

I am obliged and would like also to thank all the nice and wise colleagues at Princeton University with whom I could discuss these thoughts over many years. I confess that I absorbed a manifold of ideas during these more or less regular meetings. We never published any word about our rather fruitful common sessions. But now, I think, after years of thoughts and afterthoughts, there is a section where a break and a brief summary of the ideas could be published. This will be done now in English, after I started with a first trial in the German journal.

1. How to define "consciousness".

Everybody thinks that he knows what "consciousness" is. It is a similar situation as with the term "energy". Even today this word is used in several meanings like "life-energy", "criminal energy" or - in physics - "potential energy" and "kinetic energy". Only the last two terms are well defined, and one may ask whether it is not possible to make the same with "consciousness". While "energy" describes in general the capacity of doing work against some resistance, consciousness is associated with the capacity of becoming aware about something. The "degree" of awareness could represent a measure of consciousness as like as the amount of possible or actual work got a measure of energy. However, there remains a fundamental difficulty regarding the role of the outside world and the observer. The energy can be defined without demanding a definite interference of the observer. We can say then that we are able to "objectify" the term energy. But it is just the essential characteristic of consciousness that it is completely impossible to objectify it, and we will always fail if we try to remove the role of the observer. At the same time a scientific definition requires at least the involvement of a definite part of the measurable outside world in order to make "inter-subjective" sense at all. The situation reminds a little on some basic questions of quantum physics, where we are faced with the problem of overcoming the uncertainty of the observer by "certain" probability distributions of the "reality" (wave functions). Henry Stapp who recognized the elementary essence of this problem was therefore successful in identifying consciousness in terms of the collapse of the wave function. This traces it back to the condensation of external events onto the frame of the observers detector system, localizing it to the point where it really happens. It seems significant to make these previous remarks before I continue to look for a suitable definition.

2. Quantum Theory and Consciousness (First Approach of a Definition)

In my opinion we can finally not succeed in understanding consciousness if we focus our attention only to biological structuring or - alternatively - to the puzzling properties of quantum theory. At first it seems important to exhaust all the possibilities of finding a satisfying definition of consciousness itself. Consciousness is not a strange property of biological structures and consciousness is not quantum theory, but biological structures enable the function of consciousness and quantum theory is certainly a product of our consciousness. Let us try therefore to find one or more boundaries between consciousness and "external world", as Henry Stapp did it with the collapse of the wave function. One of these boundaries are "virtual particles" or an apparent "cover" of the vacuum state. A striking example is the exchange force between identical particles that comes up simply by our conviction that, by definition, identical particles cannot get distinguished.. This results in the fact that an exchange of identical particles will never lead to a new quantum state. Consequently, within a time interval that is smaller or at least equal to the ratio of the Planck`s constant to the energy associated to these particles, the exchange of these particles has to be assigned to a "real" event. This effect gives rise to a manifold of forces (may be even to all "forces"). An example is the stronger binding force of the hydrogen molecule compared to that of the separated hydrogen atoms. It is well known and quantitatively established that this exchange force is responsible for the stable configuration of the molecule compared to that of the two single atoms (Fig.1). In molecular biology this kind of exchange forces (or virtual forces of the vacuum field) plays a decisive role for the binding energy of molecules, known as van der Waals forces or sometimes Casimir forces, virtual particles etc. The puzzling situation behind these phenomena concerns the imagination that by introducing indistinguishable and most stupid particles (the Demokritos idea of atoms) and assigning ideal localization to them, one creates at the same time a completely non-local highly intelligent net of just the same, but permanently exchanging particles which have to know each other in order to find the right positions of their twins at any instant. Thus, the interaction of the "reality" with our imagination enforces to create an antagonistic world of complementary properties, where it becomes difficult, if not impossible at all, to decide what belongs to the external world and what is simply the product of our imagination. Are the particles really so intelligent in order to substitute themselves at any instant and are we therefore stimulated to imagine that they are completely localized indistinguishable units, or are the particles actually these single and strongly localized units that enforce us to think that they are so intelligent?

Fig. 1 Reality in terms of the transformation between actual and potential information

The higher stability of the hydrogen molecule compared to the single atoms is based on the permanent exchange of the two valence electrons of the atoms. But where do these electrons know from that they are identical, and where do they know from their positions when they substitute each other? See text.

Is here a turning point where reality and consciousness are mutually exchanging their role? I think this example invites us to find a possibility of defining what we call "consciousness" in the following way. The essential point is the dialogue between the "actual" world and the "virtual" world, this is a permanent and active transformation from the "world of events" into the "world of imagination", from actual into potential information, and vice versa. Up to a point (where it has possibly to get corrected) I suggest to define consciousness then as an active process where actual and potential information are mutually transformed into each other.

3. Throwing a Coin

Actually, throwing a coin would be an information-less event, if not necessarily (1) the question whether it will fall onto heads of tails is asked at all, and (2) the actual event of head or tail is registered. If the question were not asked, the event would be irrelevant. If only the question were asked without throwing the coin, one would speak of a fruitless speculation. In other words: The process of transforming potential into actual information and vice versa requires both, the world of possibilities and the world of actual events in order to fulfil the most necessary condition of a "relevant" information.

From Shannon we know that both, the potential and the actual information of throwing a coin will always display one bit, but "consciousness", as I defined it now, is necessary in order to register it. It is the consciousness that has to take up both parts of the information, for that the information can become relevant at all and complete.

Since Shannon´s definition of information satisfies the "scientific" conditions of reproducibility and unambiguity, it may work as the first valuable approach of developing measures of consciousness. Of course, the consciousness of Shannon´s information is empty, since in the interaction of the real world and the imagination, represented by the actual frequency and the known (!) probability field W of all possible events, respectively, there is no real "surprise". The reason, why there remains no real gain of information, is that the system is closed. However, as soon as there is a gap between the actual and the potential information, just this difference provides a measure of what we call "consciousness". In most general terms we may therefore formulate

Bº B(lnWp-lnWa) = B(ln (Wp/Wa)) (1)

where B(...) as a measure of consciousness is a definite function that has still to be determined. The arguments Wp and Wa are the potential and the actual probabilities (better: probability fields) of the "imagination" of the observer and the "real events", just in terms of Shannon´s approach, as far as this is measurable. Since the problem will arise to measure the probability field in an open system instead of a closed one, this task can be solved. The way to do that is well known in thermodynamics, i.e. dividing the system into quasi-stationary elements that can be looked upon as quasi-closed parts of the whole. We provide also that B(0)= 0 in order to set the Shannon`s information as a reference system with B = 0.

From equ.(1) we can deduce that consciousness gets the meaning of a process with evolutionary significance. Actually, the gain of information in terms of equ.(1) provides the survival of the observer. The better he is able to suck up knowledge by the interaction with the external world in transforming actual into potential information, and the better he is able to change the actual world by creativity in transforming potential into actual information, the higher is his evolutionary power and his survival chance. This is valid, for instance, for producers as well as for consumers, i.e. cultivating and absorbing optimal food, or for scientists who analyze natural laws in order to apply them to the building of instruments.

However, in order to arrive at an optimum of B, B involves an active process where Wp and Wa become mutually dependent. It is evident that the end of any of those processes of interaction between the world of facts and the world of possibilities is determined by the equality of Wp and Wa in Shannon´s sense, simply because of the boundary conditions. The activity of the consciousness process concerns the trial to reach this state. On the way to the final adjustment with Wp = Wa there are many possibilities of arriving at the same end, and it is obvious that there are optimal ways. Consequently, one has to find am optimization procedure for B. I suggest one that is similar or identical to the Hamilton principle, where a Lagrange function L(Wp,Wa) will fulfil the optimization rule

Bmax for d ò L(Wp,Wa)dt = 0 (2)

From equ.(1) we may conclude that L(Wp,Wa) = L(Wp/Wa) which means that the ratio of potential to actual information is a significant parameter of the optimum consciousness. This might mean that it is an evolutionary advantage to draw out highest amount of "possibilities" from "real" events.

Or it might be better to discover highest amount of realizations in only a few possibilities, or to come always suddenly to a state where Wp/Wa approaches the value 1.

4. Some simple examples

The simplest system where actual and potential information are mutually transformed are cavity resonators. Actually, the potential information (in bit) is identical to the Q-value of the resonator. The actual information reflects the distribution of the coded sequence on the emitted wave. The actual information cannot exceed there the potential one. It corresponds to the maximum number of switch-on/off processes of a wave that is reflected N times within the resonator. Then exactly N bit can be modulated on this beam if it is used for communication. The number N of reflections is equal to the life-time T of the beam within the resonator per time t´ of one travel from one wall to the other. t´ is equal to d/c, where d is the distance between the walls and c the velocity of light. Consequently we have N = T/t´ = Tc/d. The Q-value of a resonator can be defined as the ratio of energy content to loss rate (Ne /((dN/dt)e ) = T) times collision frequency F = c/d of the stored photons under consideration. Consequently we have Q = Tc/d which means that the potential information of a cavity resonator is identical to its Q-value (in units of bit). Take the case that the resonator works as a "consciousness"-system which stores potential information in terms of, say, N stored photons. Every photon shall represent one unit of potential information P in the way that it is able to switch on and off the information process. The actual information A, on the other hand, has to be assigned to the photon emission from the resonator in the way that A µ dN/dt, where t is the running time. Let us take the simplest case of a linear resonator without any active absorber or memory effect. This means that N follows a law like

N = N(0) exp (-l t), (3)

where N(0) and l are the number of stored photons at t = 0 and the decay constant, respectively.

Consequently, according to he optimization principle of equ (2) we obtain

Bmax: d ò N/(dN/dt) dt = 0 (4)

It results just in the solution of equ.(4). e.g. N = N(0)exp (-l t). The Lagrange function is then 1/l and we have therefore L(Wp,Wa) µ Q.

A decisive value of the "consciousness" function B is the Q-value that is a measure of the storage time of the energy content.

On other words: In case of a completely chaotic system, the "consciousness" function follows an exponential relaxation with a "memory"-time proportionate to the Q-value (potential information). This time T = t =1/l is called life time or coherence time, since in case of stored electromagnetic waves the originally interfering waves do not loose their phase information during this time T = 1/l .

Our derivations show at least that for an optimization of the consciousness process according to equ. (2) the potential information may get maximized.

However, it is evident that we cannot assign a consciousness to a simple cavity resonator irrespective of the fact that it is able to store potential information. The essential point is that it is unable to develop "active" processes in order to overcome thermal equilibrium and to enfold then an open system. This problem could be solved by looking for ways of further improvements in fulfilling equ. (2).

The next possible step is the increase of the potential information with N² instead of N:

Bmax: d ò N²/(dN/dt)dt = 0 (5)

The solution of this equation takes the form

N(t) = N(0)/(1+m t), (6)

where m is a constant.

It is well known that a photon store based on N² instead of N works with coherent fields. The interactions include then phase relations of the waves. Every point of the system is connected to every other point by phase correlation. The system works in a holistic way. Its feature is a hyperbolic-like relaxation according to (6). Actually, we showed in a manifold of papers that biological systems are constructed just according to equs.(5) and (6) . Typical examples are the "mitotic figures" (Fig.2) or "hyperbolic light oscillations" in tissues.

Fig. 2 Holistic communication system in biological tissues.

The communication system of biological systems is based on cavity resonator waves and light pipes. This example shows the identity of mitotic figures with the force pattern of cavity resonator waves within the cells. These forces regulate the migration of the molecules in such a way that no error takes place. At the same time such a pattern represents in the average one coherent biophoton. They are the origin of consciousness. See bibliography of Biophotonics.

The advantage of a consciousness that is based on equ.(5) instead of equ.(4) is the development of a memory, since this system is now able to register the time t. In contrast to an exponential relaxation, where the coherence (memory) time t =1/l is a constant, for a coherent field we have to assign the corresponding memory time t = N(0)/m . The system is able to keep the initial state permanently in mind.

Generally speaking: the establishment of a coherent field is a necessary condition of the development of what we call consciousness. It optimizes the capacity of

differentiation of spatial and temporal patterns in a system, working also for the translation of syntactic into semantic information,
intra- and intercellular communication, growth control and pattern formation ("Gestaltbildung"),
realization of a "time" and "space",
what we call health.

Before we remind onto the approaches of possible mechanisms of creating coherent states (i.e. exciplex system of DNA), let us go into more detail about the connections between consciousness, entropy and time.

5. Consciousness and Entropy

It is a rather interesting question whether the second law of Thermodynamics has its natural origin in the observer´s properties, or whether it may at least become traced back to them. It is worthwhile to mention here that the microreversibility of electric interactions seems to contradict the second law of Thermodynamics which is the only law in nature that determines the direction of the time-arrow. One may ask whether the mechanism of the aging or the change of the spatio-temporal structure of the consciousness is not the "real" source of the second law of Thermodynamics. The close relation between entropy and information is well known and should not be discussed her again. However, let us simply remind on the probability distributions of the particles in the phase space which are necessary for evaluating the entropy. They require the active work of the consciousness of the observer and cannot be separated of the "reality" in order to understand the second law of Thermodynamics. Roughly speaking, the second law of Thermodynamics tells us that the arrow of time is running in a direction where the observer looses more and more information about the original space-time pattern of the system under study. In case that there is no further interaction with the system under observation , the arrow of time is the way of forgetting. Provided that

"consciousness" takes place in a closed system, more and more information will get lost. Consequently, consciousness could never have developed in a closed system. This supports our proposal of a definition according the that of section 2. and 3. It excludes at the same time a value of consciousness for the Shannon´s observer. In order to get a deeper insight let me mention the following "Gedankenexperiment" which is similar to that of the Maxwell´s demon but takes another form. Imagine a completely random distribution of particles in the phase space. From the point of view of the second law of Thermodynamics one would assign to that a maximum entropy. More correctly: The consciousness of the observer would come to the conclusion that this ensemble has the highest possible value of the entropy, and an objective measurement of the particle distribution would come to the same result. Let us denote by A the set of actual information (as a result of measurements) and by P the set of potential information (as a result of imaging the possibilities). P and A would get in that case identical as like as in a Shannon´s case. Now imagine, that a highly intelligent observer has put this completely random ensemble in just the same spatial and temporal order by knowing how to prepare a completely random ensemble. His consciousness interfered actively with the whole process. The entropy of the system is now completely different, namely 0, since the probabilities of finding the particles in possible states get all the ideal values 1. Actually, the real world does not change there, but the potential information changes dramatically as like the entropy does it. Consequently, provided this Gedankenexperiment leads to the right results, the "real world" is much better reflected here in the "consciousness" of the observer rather than in the results of our detector system. Even if we correct this model by applying quantum description which does not allow to prepare a system of entropy 0, we have a situation where P is deviating from A. The observer interferes there traceless with the system under study. His consciousness is actively involved in this process that does not belong any more to a closed, but to an open system. As a result, "consciousness" lives from the difference of actual and potential information, and this difference is a measure of the degree of consciousness. The transformation of actual into potential information and vice versa has to overcome informational gradients in order to justify the term "consciousness". At the same time this provides a possibility of distinguishing artificial from real intelligence, or men from robots.

It is worthwhile to discuss here the entropy maximum principle regarding how biological systems arrive at a state of consciousness.

I come back here to our experimental work on biophotons that does not only show evidence that the biophotons do originate from a coherent field which is likely produced in the DNA, but that the different modes of the biophoton field are coupled in a way that the mean occupation probabilities f(n )of the energy states of the phase space follow the rule

f(n ) = constant, (7)

where n is the frequency of the mode under study.

It is obvious from elementary Thermodynamics that equ. (7) provides the absolute maximum of entropy at all. Even in a closed system the entropy will be smaller since it follows a Boltzmann distribution which displays in contrast to (7) a pattern in the phase space. The reason is the boundary condition of energy conservation law that is not necessary for an "ideal" open system. One may ask: Are biological systems more "disordered" than heat baths?

A careful experimental analysis shows that the modes are coupled. This means that by mode-coupling the maximum of entropy according to equ.(7) may take even a value around 0 as soon as the number of degrees of freedom approaches the value 1:

S = -k S _n f(n)lnf(n) ® 0 for n® 1, (8)

where k is the Boltzmann constant and n the mode number, representing here the frequency of the modes.

In order to develop "consciousness", nature seems to use the possibility of a strict maximization of the entropy as a time average, in order to arrive at highest stability, and of coupling the informational carriers (coherent photons of different modes) to one degree of freedom, in order to arrive at highest sensitivity and holistic formation of the body. There are some models based on exciplex systems of the DNA that could explain the mechanism of this process. However, we will not go into detail in this preliminary state of considerations about the definition and biophysical basis of consciousness.

6. Consciousness and "time"

Without time there is no consciousness, and one may ask whether without consciousness there is a time. One has to distinguish between a time that is defined in the actual world, registered by any kind of clocks, and a biological time, registered by the consciousness. These times are not identical but could become synchronized to some extent. Since the second law of Thermodynamics is responsible for the direction of the arrow of time it is evident that it is also responsible for the "biological time". On the basis of our definition of consciousness it has to be assigned to the change of probability distributions in the transformation of actual to potential information and vice versa. These processes are always subjects of relaxation functions like those of equs. (4) and (5). An observer who follows equ.(4) will never be able to consider dynamical events that take longer time than T=1/l , but one who is subjected to equ. (5) may have theoretically an infinite memory time. The time feeling my get adjusted to the ratio of an amplitude of a signal at time t₁= 0 to that at time t. It may be based on photon stores within the body, i.e.cytochromes or DNA, RNA or whatever. The biological time may then get a function g (N(0)/N(t)) which is according to equ.(6) g(N(0)/(N(0)/(1+m t)) = g(1+m t), where t is the actual physical time. Let us therefore postulate

t (biol.) = g(1+m t) (9)

where g is an unknown function, in the simplest case g(1+m t) = m t.

For m ® 0 the biological time rests, and for growing m the biological time runs faster and faster. This makes sense. m is a measure of the relaxation time of an excited coherent state. In case that it does not decay, the system cannot develop the feeling for time, and the capacity of becoming aware of time depends on m . Since with increasing age the biological time runs faster, one may assume that the responsible coherent states of our consciousness get lower and lower relaxation time during aging. Denote our physical age under natural conditions ta, and provide that we feel this age as tb = m ta. On the other hand, ta follows a law like N(ta) » N(0)/(m ta). Consequently, under these assumptions everybody feels at the same loss-rate of his photon stores also the same biological age, irrespective how old he "really" is.

In this respect I would like to add an idea about time and relativity theory. Again one may ask whether the results of the relativity theory are based on a "real world" or on the consciousness in its interactions with this real world. This would have some consequences for the fact that the velocity of light is considered as a fixed natural constant. What would happen, for instance, if the distances between the base pairs of the DNA would change? Would this have also impact onto the velocity of light? May be that the velocity of light is constant because light is the governing factor for determining the processes of our consciousness? Does this hold also for the Planck constant and others? Is it not even necessary to accept these values as constant ones, simply because a biological system as the only observer of the physical world has definite and constant limited resolution?

7. Consciousness and Evolution

Fig. 3 displays the pre-steps of the development of cooperation and consciousness during the universal evolution. From a threshold on, e.g. the "self-organization" of open systems, the most essential capacities of consciousness could come up. Living systems are characteristic for this process. They can even be defined as the systems that by optimizing the negentropy of sun rays on the earth were able to establish coherent states. By increasing the dimensions of their antennae systems they developed higher and higher degrees of potential information, just parallel to the way of their consciousness.

Fig. 3 Development of Cooperation and Consciousness in the course of universal evolution.

As soon as the systems started to get open systems (from cells on), the most necessary condition of consciousness could be fulfilled. The point of Descartes is the turning point between consiousness and consiousness about consciousness.

Insofar, the evolution itself can be understood in terms of enfolding consciousness. Most remarkable steps in this development were the capacity of a system to take up information ( for instance food or other signals) in order to decrease locally the entropy, i.e. by mode coupling. This process is rather necessary for establishing gradients between actual and potential information and to provide transitions between these zones of reality. A further optimization condition is the capacity of using sunlight in a way that its thermal dissipation on the earth becomes more and more delayed. What we call cultivation of food up to development of an ethics works just for this purpose. A most essential turning point in this process was the explicit interaction between actual and potential information in terms of self reflections. I would like to call this state the point of Descartes. His statement "I am, because I am able to doubt" demonstrates clearly this existence of a reference point of consciousness. In the mutual transition between the possibility of developing a world of potential information (here in terms of doubts) and its connection to a world of actual information (his physical evidence), he concluded the evidence of his existence at all. These interactions between actual and potential information, based on this reference point of Descartes, opens the way for understanding the basis of the human consciousness and probably also the steps of further developments into "global" forms of consciousness. We may distinguish 4 different basic forms:

(1) Self confidence according to the reference point of Descartes: I am, resulting from the transformation of the physical existence of the body into "doubts" and back to the control, and so on.. The end of this process is the adjustment of actual and potential information.

(2) Identification (awareness) according to the transformation of the actual information of the physical existence of matter or radiation into "doubts" and back to the control, and so on. This leads after adjusting actual and potential information to the confirmation of You are or It is.

(3) Prediction: Repeated transformations of the actual information of the physical existence of different objects into the possibility field of the potential information under adjustment of the potential information of the memory which provide boundary conditions in the control processes. The transformations are again finished as soon as there is an equality of actual and potential information. The result is a statement: It will be.

(4) Memory and Inspiration. Repeated transformation and re-transformation of potential information of the past and the presence. After adjustment of these probability distributions the statement will follow: It could have been or It could become.

Step (1) is very basic for the reference system of consciousness itself, step (2) allows social interactions, step (3) is the basis of scientific development and step (4) is most necessary for creativity and responsibility within a society. The consciousness develops under natural conditions from step (1) to step (4), and it involves more and more non-local actual information into this process. Insofar, evolution is the development of coherent (probably even squeezed) states into an increasing framework of a global ethics. To some extent it seems that this contradicts the Darwin principle. However both principles, Darwin´s and consciousness evolution, work for the "survival of the fittest". While these "fittest men" are not known in Darwinism, before they have died, a clear picture of them is known in this approach of consciousness development.

References see bibliography of this homepage, in particular:

H.P.Dürr, F.A.Popp and W.Schommers (2002): What is Life? World Scientific, New Jersey-London-Singapore-Hongkong.

F.A.Popp and L.Beloussov (2003): Integrative Biophysics - Biophotonics. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht-Boston-London..

F.A.Popp and Y.Yan: Delayed luminescence of biological systems in terms of coherent states. Physics Letters A 293 (2002), 93-97.

International Institute of Biophysics
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