Summary: A revolutionary, cross-disciplinary study will attempt to decode how intense human emotions distort and reshape our memory. The pioneering project, titled Quantum Emotions, marks a bold scientific leap into the emerging field of Quantum Cognition.
By integrating psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and mathematical modeling traditionally reserved for quantum physics, researchers aim to discover why some emotional milestones retain sharp precision while others suffer severe temporal distortion and slip completely out of sequential order.
Key Facts
- The Quantum Order Parallel: Traditional psychology frameworks struggle to predict or explain why emotions warp the sequential order of stored experiences. Quantum mechanics is uniquely mathematically suited for this challenge because it relies on non-commutative principles where the precise order of operations fundamentally changes the final outcome.
- Decoding Life’s Narrative: Temporal order provides the structural foundation for human memory and creates a coherent narrative of our lives. The project will explore the specific behavioral patterns and underlying neural systems that fire when emotional distress or euphoria causes memories to misalign.
- Global Scientific Alliance: Driven by project lead Dr. Barbara-Anne Robertson, the Newcastle team will collaborate with world-leading quantum cognition experts in Japan and Sweden to develop novel, real-world cognitive models.
- Cross-Sector Clinical Applications: Unlocking the mathematical pathways of emotional memory sequencing yields powerful, transformative tools for cognitive aging research, psychiatric mental health diagnostics, and eyewitness testimony validation within the criminal justice system.
- Building a National Research Infrastructure: Beyond laboratory mapping, the £1.2M UKRI grant will fund localized workshops and academic events to train new scientists, establish a national network of researchers, and spearhead future large-scale funding bids in Quantum Cognition.
Source: Newcastle University
Emotions can reshape and distort our memories, and scientists are now using psychology, neuroscience, and even quantum maths to understand how our sense of timing and accuracy shifts.
Experts at Newcastle University have received £1.2 million from a UK Research and Innovation Cross‑Council grant to explore how emotional events influence the order and precision of what we remember.
The project, Quantum Emotions, will investigate a core puzzle of everyday life, such as when we look back on emotional experiences, why do some moments feel sharp while others slip out of place?
Understanding emotional memory
Temporal order is what gives our memories structure and creates the narrative of our lives. Yet emotions can change how we store and retrieve that order, leading to distortions that are often difficult to predict or explain.
Dr Jonte Hance, Head of the Quantum Group at Newcastle University, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to use ideas from quantum theory to model systems outside of physics, like emotional memory, where the order of events really matters.”
Newcastle University researchers will apply mathematical tools normally used in quantum physics. Quantum formalism is uniquely suited to situations where the order of events affects the outcome – a feature shared with human memory.
By using these methods, the team aims to model complex memory behaviours that traditional psychological frameworks cannot easily capture.
Their work will explore both the behavioural patterns and the neural systems involved when emotions alter how memories are formed, retrieved, and sequenced.
As part of the grant, the experts will host workshops and events to build a national network of researchers in Quantum Cognition. These activities aim to spark collaborations, train new researchers in this emerging field, and support future large‑scale funding bids.
The team will combine insights from multiple fields such as psychology, cognitive neuroscience, quantum theory, and memory science.
Advancing memory science
Dr Barbara-Anne Robertson, Lecturer in Newcastle University’s School of Psychology, and leading the Quantum Emotions project, said: “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious UKRI grant, which places Newcastle University at the heart of the rapidly growing field of Quantum Cognition.
“Through collaborations with world‑leading experts in Japan and Sweden, we will develop quantum models to explore how emotions shape the organisation of our memories.
“This funding will allow us to create new tools for understanding emotional memory, with potential applications in ageing, mental health, and the criminal justice system.
“The project will also push the boundaries of physics by applying quantum formalism to complex, real‑world cognitive processes in ways that have never been done before.”
Key Questions Answered:
A: Not necessarily. The Quantum Emotions project isn’t trying to prove that your brain tissue contains physical quantum particles. Instead, it is exploiting the genius of quantum mathematics. In classical physics, the order in which things happen doesn’t change the baseline facts, but in quantum physics, and in human memory, changing the sequence completely alters the reality. Scientists are using physics equations as a superior mathematical mirror to capture complex, irregular human thoughts that standard logic cannot compute.
A: That is the exact million-dollar puzzle this grant was designed to solve. When you go through an intense emotional event, your survival-driven brain chemistry floods your storage systems, altering how precision and timing are recorded. While classical tracking can tell us that a memory is distorted, the Newcastle team is using quantum models to predict exactly how and why specific moments stay beautifully crisp while the surrounding timeline slides completely out of place.
A: Human memory is currently the most fragile piece of evidence in the criminal justice system, especially during high-stress, emotional crimes. A witness might perfectly remember a weapon (sharp precision) but completely scramble the timeline of who entered a room first (warped temporal order). By building tools that mathematically map how trauma reshapes chronological recall, this project can help forensic psychologists accurately assess the reliability of eyewitness statements, ensuring trials are guided by objective cognitive science.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this memory and quantum neuroscience research news
Author: Helen Rae
Source: Newcastle University
Contact: Helen Rae – Newcastle University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
