“Matter”: it’s what atoms and molecules are made up
of. On the physical material level, it’s what all physical objects are made up
of; it is everything that surrounds us and anything that has mass and volume.
When scientists attempt to gain a better understanding of the nature of our
reality, matter is what they look to. However, when scientists observe
matter at the smallest possible level, they are left with more questions than
answers. This is thanks to the fact that a tiny piece of matter, like a
photon, or an electron, can exist in multiple possible states (as a “wave”)
even though it is one single particle… which makes absolutely no sense.
“We choose to examine a phenomenon which is
impossible, absolutely impossible, to explain in any classical way, and which
has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality, it contains the only
mystery.” (1) Richard
Feynman, a Nobel laureate of the twentieth century
It is
important to consider the notion that our physical material world might be guided
by non-physical properties, such as consciousness, and this idea
is best illustrated by what is referred to as the double slit-experiment.
In this experiment, tiny bits of matter (photons,
electrons, or any atomic-sized object) are shot towards a screen that has two
slits in it. On the other side of the screen, a high tech video camera records
where each photon lands. When scientists close one slit, the camera will show
us an expected pattern, as seen in the video below. But when both slits are
opened, an “interference pattern” emerges – they begin to act like waves. This
doesn’t mean that atomic objects are observed as a wave, they just act
that way. It means that each photon individually goes through both slits at the
same time and interferes with itself, but it also goes through one slit, and it
goes through the other. Furthermore, it goes through neither of them. The
single piece of matter becomes a “wave” of potentials, expressing itself in the
form of multiple possibilities, and this is why we get the interference
pattern.
How can a single piece of matter exist and express
itself in multiple states? Furthermore, how does it choose which path, out of
multiple possibilities, it will take?
“Do not keep saying to yourself, if you can
possibly avoid it, ‘but how can it be like that?’ Because you will get down the
drain into a blind alley from which nobody has yet escaped. Nobody knows how it
can be like that.” – (1) Richard Feynman
Here’s Where It
Gets More Confusing
When an observer is added, or when scientists
decide to measure and look at which slit the piece of matter goes through, the
“wave” of potential paths collapses into one single path. The particle goes
from becoming, again, a “wave” of potentials into one particle taking a single
route. It’s as if the particle knows it’s being watched. The observer has
some sort of effect on the behaviour of the particle.
The quantum double slit experiment is a very
popular experiment used to examine how consciousness and our physical material
world are intertwined. Again, just to reiterate, when scientists decided
to observe the tiny piece of matter, that act of observation alone “collapsed”
all those potentials into one state…
I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard
matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness.
Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing,
postulating consciousness.” – Max Planck, theoretical physicist who
originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918
“What I am going to tell you about is what we teach
our physics students in the third or fourth year of graduate school… It is my
task to convince you not to turn away because you don’t understand it. You see
my physics students don’t understand it, that is because I don’t understand
it.” – (1) Richard
Feynman
This type of confounding phenomenon has been
repeatedly demonstrated, and examined a number of times by experts from
all over the world. For example, one study published in the journal Physics
Essays explains how factors associated with consciousness “significantly”
correlated in predicted ways with perturbations in the double slit interference
pattern.
“Observation not only disturbs what has to be
measured, they produce it. We compel the electron to assume a definite
position. We ourselves produce the results of the measurement.” – Dean Radin, PhD, Chief
Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (source)
What Does This Mean For US As
Individuals And As One Human Race?
It’s hard to know what exactly this means, but we are
talking about observing what we are all made up of, matter, at the smallest
possible level. If the same rules apply, then does this mean we ourselves are
existing as a wave of possibilities with regards to the direction we take
in our lives? After all, we are all made up of this “matter.” Are there
other versions of our life playing out in some type of alternate reality? What
“collapses” us onto our choice of paths from a wave of potentials? Is there an
observer that does this? Is there someone watching us? Is it our consciousness
that is observing ourselves, and is that dictating the makeup of our reality?
So many questions to be asked, and so few answers to be found.
One thing that resonates with me is the idea that
quantum physics and other discoveries in various fields are simply a pre-curser
to ancient knowledge. A step behind, in the discovery of what was already known
in our ancient world.
“Broadly speaking, although there are some
differences, I think Buddhist philosophy and Quantum Mechanics can shake hands
on their view of the world. We can see in these great examples the fruits of
human thinking. Regardless of the admiration we feel for these great thinkers,
we should not lose sight of the fact that they were human beings just as we
are.” – Dalai
Lama (source)
If you factor in these quantum experiments,
combined with the multitude of studies examining parapsychological phenomenon
(consciousness, power of the mind, distant healing, telepathy, and other
unexplainable but observable phenomenon), as well as all of the evidence
pointing to the fact that we can even influence our own biological systems with
thoughts alone, the picture (to me)
becomes very clear. We exist in a world that does not yet recognize
the importance or the power of thoughts, feelings, and emotions when it
comes to the type of human experience we create for ourselves and the
inner state from which we act and create it. These things do indeed have the
power to change the world, they are what will lead to the correction action,
which is also necessary.
I will leave you with this quote, as I have before:
“A fundamental conclusion of the new physics also
acknowledges that the observer creates the reality. As observers, we are
personally involved with the creation of our own reality. Physicists are being
forced to admit that the universe is a ‘mental’ construction. Pioneering
physicist Sir James Jeans wrote: ‘The stream of knowledge is heading toward a
non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought
than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder
into the realm of matter, we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor
of the realm of matter. Get over it, and accept the inarguable conclusion. The
universe is immaterial-mental and spiritual.'” – R.C. Henry, Professor of Physics
and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, “The Mental Universe”; Nature
(436:29,2005) (source)
This definitely gives you something to think
about.
