The Cosmological Foundations of Consciousness explores the cosmological foundations of subjective consciousness in the biological brain, from cosmic-symmetry-breaking, through biogenesis, evolutionary diversification and the emergence of metazoa, to humans, presenting a new evolutionary perspective on the potentialities of quantum interactions in consciousness, and the ultimate relationship of consciousness with cosmology.

Cosmic symmetry-breaking and its interactive fractal and chaotic effects leading to biogenesis.

(a) Life portrayed as the consummation of interactive complexity (Σ) resulting from symmetry-breaking of the fundamental force of nature in the big-bang (α), whatever ultimate fate is in store (Ω). Inset (i) possible fractal inflation , (ii) the distribution of dark energy and matter and the matter of stars and planets. (b) Logarithmic time scale of cosmological events showing life on earth existing for a third of the universe’s current lifetime. (c) Symmetry-breaking of the forces of nature results in the color and weak forces generating 100 atomic nuclei, while gravity and electromagnetism govern long-range structure determining biogenesis, from fractal chemical bonding, to solar systems capable of photosynthetic life in the goldilocks zone of liquid water. (d) Interactive effects of cosmic symmetry-breaking lead to hierarchical interaction of the forces, generating hadrons, atomic nuclei and molecules (i). Non-linear energetics of chemical bonding lead to a cascade of cooperative weak-bonding effects, which generate fractal molecular complexity, from the molecular orbitals of simple molecules (ii), through the 3D structures of complex proteins and nucleic acids (iii) to supra-molecular cell organelles (iv), cells (v), and tissues (vi) and organisms. (e) These fractal effects are complemented by the chaotic effects of gravity as a non-linear force, resulting in extreme variation of the planets, generating a diversity of potential conditions for biogenesis, similar to the dynamic variations surrounding the Mandelbrot set.