How can meditation even be associated with physics? I am sure this is something you ask yourself every day, right? I would say “NOT” but my children remind me daily that no one says that anymore. If you are a scientific minded person and need to know how things work from the inside out like I do then this might be something that could spark a little enjoyment in your day. Side note: I tried to spark some joy in my life the other day by Marie Kondoing my closet while my husband was out of town. BIG MISTAKE! Do not try to follow any type of spiritual cleansing path while drinking vodka at two in the morning. You will wake up in a mess and reminisce about the “NO RAGRETS” (a personal favorite tattoo misspelling but that’s for another blog) thoughts you may be currently experiencing while falling over the pile of clothes in your floor. INSERT FACEPALM
Philosophy and the nature of conscious reality are all parts of this machine we call life. We all subscribe to different beliefs and mindsets that rule our own existence based on personal life experiences. That is why it is important to be broadly general when discussing how I think things work. I have spent most of my working life trying to assure that everyone I encounter clearly understands what I am trying to teach or discuss to cut down on confusion.
So on to quantum physics! It isn’t confusing at all (that’s what she said-doesn’t quite fit here but I love saying it anyway)! The Quantum Theory was proposed by Max Planck in 1900. To cut to the chase, he discussed in his theory that energy exists in individual units in the way that matter does and that it can be quantifiable. This means that the duality of particles and wave energy (what all matter is made of) can exist simultaneously and can be measured. Now what the heck does that have to do with meditation?
Whatever type of contemplative practice you choose to do can change the way you feel and relatively exist. We each have our own realities. No one knows what your personal reality is like except for you. When we engage in things like meditation (or everyday processes) there are electrical impulses coursing through the matter that makes up our physical brain. So basically no matter where we are in life we can be anywhere we want to be by tapping into that energy. The energy produced is just as physically real and measurable as the chemicals and matter that makes up the actual brain itself.
Did you know that our minds (the actual relative self that you think you are) can’t tell the difference in an act we are thinking about versus an act we are actually carrying out? Cue the 1970s bow chicka bow wow music! That’s why pornography and virtual reality are so popular! You are making your own reality every time you follow a dream or try to tap into your own needs. It is just that simple.
Have you ever been aroused by the thought of that special someone? Butterflies in your tummy over Mr. or Mrs Right? Thinking about pleasurable experiences can encourage our physical body to want more of the same chemicals. We then begin to search for those things that can reproduce those feelings. This transaction of needs can sometimes lead us down a dark path that can include things like alcoholism, sexual addictions, or drug addiction.
Einstein said, “…the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one.” Keep this quote in mind because we are going to circle back to it!
If you haven’t read the study by Dr.Leonard Leibovici, MD about prayer and intention you really should. Dr Leibovici was interested about the outcome of prayer on affected patients. He conducted a double-blind, randomized trial of 3393 (according to my husband that is a good sample size) hospitalized patients with a sepsis infection. After dividing half who were prayed for and half not being prayed for. Dr. Leibovici collected data on the length of illness, length of stay in the hospital, and the number of deaths caused by their illness. The prayed for patients had an earlier reduction in fever and shorter hospital stays. The death rates for both groups were not statistically different. The awesome thing about the study is that participants praying in 2000 were praying for patients who were hospitalized in the years 1990 to 1996. The conclusion was that patients who were prayed for in 2000, actually got better in the 1990s. CONTEMPLATE ON THAT
When Einstein made his comment about the separation between the past, present, and future he was certainly onto something.
I am going to end with this amazing quote from renowned physicist David Bohm “Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends on what we think. What we think depends on what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality”.