Bridging Qualia and Quantum Spacetime: Non-Invasive Microtubule Mapping and Orch-OR Testing in Amputees and Astronauts

Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR) theory posits that consciousness arises from quantum computations in neuronal (and potentially extra-neuronal) microtubules, terminated by gravitational self-energy differences that induce objective wave-function collapse according to the Diósi–Penrose criterion. Despite two decades of theoretical refinement and indirect experimental support, no direct human empirical test has linked measurable subjective experience (qualia) to microtubular network (MTN) states and spacetime geometry at the scale predicted by the theory. Here we present a complete, falsifiable, multi-phase research program that exploits two natural perturbations of bodily spacetime volume - acquired limb/organ loss (excluding transplants) and long-duration exposure to microgravity/radiation in orbital, lunar, or Martian missions - to quantify qualia shifts as proxies for altered conscious processing. These shifts are correlated with non-invasive whole-body MTN maps obtained via [¹¹C]MPC-6827 dynamic PET-MRI fusion. Minimal MTN clusters predictive of qualia change define empirical “units of consciousness,” which are then assigned to corresponding spacetime curvature volumes via exact Diósi–Penrose gravitational self-energy calculations. Finally, MTN topological organisation metrics are regressed against predicted objective-reduction (OR) timescales and perceptual acuity to test whether maximal MT alignment produces OR events at the 10–100 ms scale required for unified conscious moments. The protocol is longitudinal, within-subject, ethically feasible (radiation <5 mSv/scan, tablet-based testing), statistically powered, and machine-learning enhanced. Successful execution would constitute the first direct empirical bridge between human phenomenology and fundamental spacetime geometry, with profound implications for quantum biology, artificial consciousness substrates, and the physical basis of mind.