Could Quantum Physics, Mindfulness and Compassion Ever Be Connected?
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There's lots of wooo wooo connections made between quantum physics and consciousness that have just been claimed to be absolute truth.
I'm actually a bit disappointed when I see these connections being made by pseudo scientists.
But....I've been researching articles published in well respected science journals and would like to make some possible connections and share some new theories of mine!
Famous Experiments with Weird Results
First of all, there is a very famous experiment in physics called the double slit experiment, that clearly shows that when a conscious being measures how a small particle or beam of light travels, it totally changes the way it behaves. See this video for an explanation.
Next, more recently, a well respected physicist suffered from severe depression for two years. The only thing that saved him was antidepressants. But when he researched more closely, he found that the lithium in antidepressants is not clear as to how it works. Through years of research and experimentation, he's found a possible explanation of how it works, but it would require the human brain to work on a quantum level. This starts to make another possible connection between quantum physics and consciousness. You can read about this on the BBC site and The Atlantic. And wikipedia outlines the theory of Quantum Mind too.
Mindfulness meets Quantum?
Now, what I'm going to suggest next is pure speculation, but I'd be interested in your thoughts!
In mindfulness, you're encouraged to observe the difficult emotions you experience, without judgement and with care, using conscious awareness. And anyone who's tried mindfulness finds, if you get the attitude right and are truly accepting of the experience in your body, the sensation either gradually reduces or sometimes instant collapses.
So the mindful, conscious observation creates transformation.
If we pretend or assume that the negative emotional experience in your body is a set of quantum 'particles', then according to physics this makes perfect sense.
Observation causes transformation.
Quantum Could Transform Your Past
Now I'm going to make an even bigger jump and connection.
Physics has found in the double slit experiment, even if you allow the light beam or electrons to pass through the slit and then observe their behaviour afterwards, they seem to know that you've observed them and as if 'go back in time' and go through a different slit. It's a shocking result even for the scientists!
“It’s a shocking result even for the scientists!”
Let's pretend we can translate this to mindfulness. This means, when you non judgmentally observe a negative emotion in your body, not only does the emotion 'collapse', but perhaps the emotion was no longer there originally either! Or in the case of a negative experience like an accident, the mindfulness perhaps goes back in time in a way, and the accident didn't happen.
I'm not saying it feels like the accident didn't happen. I'm saying the mindfulness in the present moment actually changed the past!
We are assuming here that consciousness can change the past, just like it seems to do in world of quantum physics.
Possible conclusion: Your mindfulness in the present can transform not only your memory but the actual experience you had in the past. Presence transforms all experiences throughout time.
Could Quantum Entanglement Mean We Are One?
I'd like to share another mysterious finding of quantum physics. A phenomenon called quantum entanglement. Entanglement is so strange, Einstein famously called it spooky action at a distance.
“Entanglement is so strange, Einstein famously called it spooky action at a distance. ”
This is not just a theory - experiments prove it!
It's possible to get two tiny particles and 'entangle' them. They then have opposite 'spins'.
When you entangle two particles, you can separate them out as far as you wish - let's say we separate them a billion billion light years apart.
The amazing thing is this...if I change the spin of one of the particles, the spin of the other particle billions and billions of light years away, changes INSTANTANEOUSLY!
Not at the speed of light, but instantly.
This is an incredible finding. Up to this time, science thought nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.
Here’s a cartoon video that explains quantum entanglement simply, and pushes the theory a bit further too.
How We Could Be Connected To Everyone...including Aliens!
Now we are going into the world of pure guessing and extrapolation.
This means, for me, there is some kind of underlying way in which the whole universe can be connected. In some way, everything is connected to everything else and able to influence each other instantly.
So, if quantum phenomena is connected to consciousness, our consciousness could have an immediate effect on another person on the planet, or even on an alien on the other side of the universe, immediately.
This means, if you are 'entangled' or have a connection with someone else on the planet, and you send them compassion and loving kindness in your mind and heart, you could have an immediate positive effect on that person. They effortlessly transform in that moment.
I admit, this is a very wild extrapolation of quantum physics, but it does nicely explain some of the observations from my experience of mindfulness and compassion practice.
Do let me know your thoughts...I’m genuinely interested in how you feel about this.
Peace and Love. 🙏🏽 <3
Shamash
