Discussing Quantum Physics

"We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing" - George Bernard Shaw

Thank you for visiting Spirituality and Science! I realize the title of today's post might sound as exciting as watching grass grow to some, but please bear with me. It's actually a jumping off point for future posts about the nature of the mind/body connection and implications in healing. Yes, I will go over very basic components of the science of quantum physics but you can find much more in-depth information(such as Bohr's atomic model and the electron cloud model) elsewhere if you are so inclined. Then we will relate how this science relates to spirituality. So...

What is Quantum Physics?

Basically, it is a branch of science that deals with discrete units of energy called quanta. Quantum physics seeks to understand the fundamental principles of matter, specifically subatomic particles. One tenet of quantum physics involves wave/particle duality. Just as with light, electrons may sometimes behave as a particle and sometimes as a wave. Even more interesting is that studies have found that electrons seem to exist in different places at different times, without moving. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle also states that a particle's exact position and velocity cannot be known at the same time. The more accurately you can define one or the other, the more the other variable blurs and becomes unknowable. Most interesting to me is that at a fundamental level, these particles are not really individual at all. The energy waves permeate everything around them, creating interactive relationships amongst all particles.

So who cares and how does this impact me?

Great question. Well, we know that the human body is composed of atoms. Science tells us that every atom is more than 99.99 percent empty space, and as noted above, the subatomic particles moving through this space are actually bundles of vibrating energy. Relatively speaking, the atoms in your body have as much space between them as the stars in the galaxy. Despite this, the human cells have an uncanny ability to transcend the "known" limits of time and space. In a study mentioned in Deepak Chopra's book, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (a great book that blends quantum physics with the mind/body connection), cells were scraped from human subjects mouths and taken to a different lab room. The human volunteer was then subjected to a polygraph (which measures the body's arousal by their skin response) where they were shown pictures intended to cause arousal (either disturbing or sensual pictures). The subjects' skin cells were hooked up to a polygraph in another room (in one case, 7 miles away!) Amazingly, the subjects' skin cells reacted in the same way and at the same time as the human subjects. The cells of the body were somehow still in contact with their body, despite being in a different location!

The nature of energy is quite mind-blowing when you think about it, but this also ties in with the practice of energy work (such as Reiki). I did an experiment with my brother to test the strength of energy sent at a distance. I live in Colorado and my brother lives in North Carolina. I told him beforehand that I would be "sending" him energy (Reiki) at one point over the following 3 days, and for him to notice the time and date that he thought I sent it. I waited until the following evening, and he called within about 5 minutes of my sending it, and told me that he knew I had just sent it then because he could actually feel the energy. Obviously, this is by no means a "valid scientific study" but there are many, many stories out there of healing by distance and I honestly don't think it's as mysterious as it may seem. If energy permeates everything and if we ourselves are not even composed of individual particles; it stands to reason that we are all connected on an energetic level in some way. In the world we live in today, I think it's easy to lose our sense of that connection, but once you look for it, you find it everywhere.

Just some food for thought. I'll go more into the mind/body connection next time and for your reading pleasure, I highly recommend the book, Quantum Healing, also by Deepak Chopra. Practice awareness of your energy field and see if you can feel the surges at times (it's pretty cool). Until next time.....