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Consciousness in the Quantum World
by Jeffrey Thornton
As many of you know, my favorite area of interest is the convergence of science and spirituality, looking at how the metaphysical relates to the physical. I have been reading about quantum theory a good bit these days and, as I do with all things scientific, I’ve been trying to understand how consciousness may fit in with the implications of this incredible theory.
First of all, quantum theory is not a new one. It was originally proposed by a German scientist named Max Planck over a hundred years ago. Since then, scientists have found quantum theory to be the most powerful and accurate scientific theory ever developed with unsurpassed success in experimentation. However, most of the scientific world has not wanted to use the theory to describe nature.
Even though they may argue over some of its implications, scientists have no problem in using quantum theory. I thought quantum theory was a part of science that was on the fringe, not something that has directly added to our everyday lives. I was shocked to find out that without quantum mechanics, there would be no laptop computers, no CD players, and no cell phones, all of which I rely upon everyday. In fact, Discovery Magazine states that an estimated 30% of the US gross national product comes from technologies based on quantum theory. Who knew?
So, if quantum mechanics has directly given such defined shape to our modern world… how could scientists not agree on the theory’s implications?
Let me take a moment and run down some of the facts, as I understand them, about quantum theory. Scientists use quantum theory to explain the laws of sub atomic particles, like electrons, while they use the laws set forth by Newton and Einstein to explain the world of large matter. The world of large matter is the world as we know it, objects in our everyday lives - desks, chairs, walls, houses, people, planets, etc. Quantum theory states that an electron, while part of an atom, can jump from one point in space to another without passing the space between. This is referred to as a quantum jump. This would be impossible if the electron were orbiting the nucleus of the atom like one planetary body orbits another. In other words, this would be impossible under Newtonian law.
To further the confusion, scientists have found that it is impossible to detect the position of the electron and the energy state of the atom at the same time. If the position of the electron is pinpointed, the atom no longer has a defined energy state. And, conversely, if the energy state of the atom is detected, the electron appears to be a cloud surrounding the nucleus with no apparent position.
Why is this odd? Well, we live in a relative world where multiple attributes of an object can be observed at the same time. We can look at the path of an object and still know its location. Or, we can pinpoint an object’s location and still know its path. We do this everyday in everything from astronomy to air traffic control. But that is not the case with the electron making quantum jumps. We have no way of predicting the path if we see the location. The path of the electron is not based on cause and effect. It simply jumps to another location without passing any space in between. We have no way of predicting where the electron will show up next. Odd.
One of the theories addressing the peculiarities of the sub atomic world is the Parallel Worlds Theory. Originally introduced by Hugh Everett III in 1957, this mode of thinking states that the electron exists at every possible point around the nucleus at the same time. Each possible point exists in a separate universe and the sum total of all the possible points, or universes, results in the electron cloud. The electron cloud is an energy state. Therefore, the quantum jumps are not really jumps through space, but the effect of the observer seeing the electron in different universes. So the electron isn’t really jumping around at all. The observer is just seeing the electron in a different, parallel world.
While this is an extremely accepted theory, the mainstream of scientific community states that quantum theory only applies to the sub atomic world. They believe that this phenomenon is actually happening, but it is only happening at the sub atomic level. Many scientists have had the same reaction that I had when I first read this line of thinking. And that is this: if all matter is made up of sub atomic particles and sub atomic particles exist in all possible universes, wouldn’t all matter exist in all possible universes? Saying that quantum theory only applies to the sub atomic world is like saying that every drop of water in the ocean contains salt but there is no salt in the ocean itself.
For the sake of the rest of this article, let’s assume that quantum theory applies to the entire universe. If that is truly the case, that means that all possible universes exist within the multiverse.
So I come back to my original question: how does consciousness fit in with this theory of the physical world? Surely if the matter of our universe exists in different states in infinite parallel universes, ours cannot be the only universe in which consciousness resides. So if all possible universes exist, what does that mean about the "me" that is typing this article? Does it mean that there are unlimited Jeff’s out there in the multiverse, each one taking a different path?
It is difficult to contemplate this concept. It’s difficult because on one hand, I can see some real purpose in the soul experiencing all possibilities to understand itself in its fullest. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine that there is a universe for every possibility for every person. I can’t help asking the question: where do you draw the line? Is there a universe where I have chosen to wear a different shirt, a universe for every possible clothing combination I could have worn? Different universes containing Jeff’s that chose a different thing to say at some point during the day? Different universes for all the possible lunch choices I could have had? Different worlds for all the different ways I could have flipped through the television channels?
This seems a bit ridiculous to me. Not the entire theory, just the idea that there is a universe for every possibility for every possible person. But, again, you can’t say that the theory is real but only for certain events. You run into the same problem - how and where do you draw the line? What constitutes something important enough to "sprout" another universe? How do we know what is important and what is trivial? What if, for lunch, I choose a french dip sandwich instead of a turkey sandwich? That doesn’t seem important at all. But, the french dip takes longer to make so I stay at the deli longer only to get hit by a car on the way home, a car I would have never crossed paths with had I ordered the turkey. Now my lunch choice seems a bit more important.
I contemplated this question, this question of what is important enough to "sprout" another universe, while another idea that I have had and wrote a little about in "Blocked by Expectation," came to mind. The idea is that the future is an energetic field of possibilities. Everything exists as possibility and, since it all exists as possibility, everything exists in some sort of energetic state. The possibilities that come into our experience are those possible futures that we align the energy of our thoughts with. Our thoughts are energy and that thought energy attracts the proper "future" event, the future sharing the same energetic state. We become enmeshed with a future based on the thought we have about it.
So back to the question: what constitutes, or necessitates, the existence of parallel universe?
If indeed these parallel universes that quantum theory suggests exist, I believe that our consciousness dictates the "sprouting" of parallel worlds. I believe that when we are in a state of indecision, consciousness splits and explores the possibilities like a wave hitting a wall splits and explores the different shorelines that it meets. One of the ways we do this, this splitting, is by setting expectations. When we set an expectation, that future exists as a possibility. But, the other outcome exists just as well. In some cases, the other outcome exists even more strongly, even more real, because we fear it. That fear can be much stronger than the hope we have for the expectation we have set.
We’ve all done this. We all do it every day. We think, "Man, I hope I make that sale. I really want to make that sale. If I could only make that sale." Well, what’s the first thing that enters your mind through the back door? You can’t contemplate how great it would be to get what you want without contemplating what will happen if you don’t get it. So, the thought coming in the back door is, "What if I don’t make that sale? I won’t make my quota and I’ll probably lose my job."
You know how strong that fear can be. Many times, it can be as strong or stronger than the hope you have for what you want. Both those possibilities now exist and, if matter exists in multiple universes like quantum theory suggests that it does, some part of our macro consciousness may need to understand and learn from each outcome.
The more we have these types of thought patterns, the more our macro consciousness becomes scattered throughout the multiverse. This is going against the flow of life.
But if we focus on our soul level desires and let go of the need to set expectations for our lives, then we don’t give power to multiple states of future events. If we focus on those things we truly want to attract in our lives – love, peace of mind, time with our families, security, freedom – and stop trying to force things to happen for ourselves, we are only giving power to one possible future. And that is a future full of that soul level characteristic.
Maybe that’s the goal: getting your macro conscious all aligned in one single universe without having the need to experience the good and the bad and everything in between.
http://www.jeffreythornton.com
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