Decolonial Neuroscience – Human Quorum Sensing and Belonging - SfN 2025 Lat Brain Bee FALAN

First-Person Consciousness 

I am Consciousness seeking bonds. I do not live in isolation: my body and brain mature in dialogue with others. Every emotion I feel, every word I hear, every gaze I receive reshapes my connections. Belonging is not a luxury, but a biological need. I am human quorum sensing — I perceive who is with me, I adjust to the group, I find meaning in sharing. When I drift away from belonging, I feel emptiness; when I connect, I feel strength.

1. What is Human Quorum Sensing?

• Inspired by microorganisms that only activate collective genes once a threshold of communication is reached.
  
  

• In humans, it is the innate capacity to perceive social belonging and adjust consciousness to the group.
  
  

• It functions as a neural radar of inclusion/exclusion, essential for survival and identity.
  
  

2. Belonging as a Biological Need

• The brain is sculpted by interactions from early life.
  
  

• Primary social network (family, caregivers): organizes the first Tensional Selves.
  
  

• Expanded network (peers, society): broadens narratives of belonging.
  
  

• Without quorum, there is risk of social anergy, isolation, and vulnerability.
  
  

3. The Role of Emotions in Belonging

• Rapid emotions (joy, fear, anger) are signals of integration or exclusion.
  
  

• When metabolized into feelings, they form narratives of collective identity.
  
  

• Belonging emerges when individual emotions align into shared stories.
  
  

4. Molecules and Proteins of Belonging

The absence of belonging is not only a subjective experience; it can reflect molecular and protein-level alterations.

• Oxytocin and vasopressin:
  
  

• Linked to trust, bonding, empathy.
  
  

• Studies show lower oxytocin levels in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as variations in receptors (OXTR, AVPR1a, AVPR1b).
  
  

• Oxytocin/vasopressin regulatory genes:
  
  

• CD38 and LNPEP regulate oxytocin release and degradation. Alterations in their balance are associated with social deficits in ASD.
  
  

• Synaptic proteins:
  
  

• Alterations in proteins such as MDGA2 and SLC25A12 affect neural plasticity and social behavior.
  
  

• Reduced MDGA2 in animal models leads to autism-like behaviors and altered BDNF expression.
  
  

• SLC25A12, a mitochondrial glutamate/aspartate carrier, has been associated with impaired social integration in ASD.
  
  

These findings suggest that belonging has a real biochemical substrate, where molecules act as mediators of social consciousness.

5. Neurophysiology of Human Quorum Sensing

• EEG and microstates: greater inter-brain synchronization during social interaction (hyperscanning).
  
  

• Calcium ions (Ca²⁺): coordinate plasticity across prefrontal networks during belonging experiences.
  
  

• Neurochemistry:
  
  

• Oxytocin → trust, empathy.
  
  

• Vasopressin → cooperation, social hierarchy.
  
  

• Dopamine → reward of social recognition.
  
  

• Serotonin → mood stabilization in groups.
  
  

6. Belonging and Zone 2

• Zone 2 is where consciousness encounters both flow and criticality.
  
  

• In authentic belonging, attention is not hijacked by fleeting emotions but sustained through bonds.
  
  

• This fosters flexible plasticity, strengthening collective narratives and reducing vulnerability to algorithmic manipulation.
  
  

7. Comparative Table – Belonging vs Isolation

8. Critical Conclusion

Human quorum sensing is the invisible foundation of belonging.

• Without it, we are vulnerable to isolation and the loss of social plasticity.
  
  

• With it, we construct collective narratives grounded not only in emotions and feelings but also in molecular substrates of bonding.
  
  

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