Emphasizing on Reissner's Fiber: A Forgotten Pathway for Exploring Consciousness

Abstract

One of the most remarkable ongoing stories in the history of neuroscience is the nearly universal neglect of what is arguably the most strategically located structure in the central nervous system (CNS), an enigmatic, thread-like aggregation of glycoproteins originating from the center of the brain called Reissner's fiber (RF). It is an anomaly, which, because it lies beyond the grasp of conventional theoretical and technological tools, has been rendered virtually invisible to neuroscientists.  New tools, however, are poised to reveal the secrets of this unique, highly conserved structure which runs through the entire length of the fluid-filled cavities and passageways of the CNS. This paper proposes that an enigmatic, thread-like aggregation of glycoproteins originating from the center of the brain called Reissner's fiber (RF), explored with quantum theoretical tools and seen through the lens of its possible recent evolutionary degeneration, can provide a new intellectual and physical pathway toward a deeper understanding of consciousness.