In my teens and early twenties, I was quite interested in quantum physics and especially it’s connection with spirituality. I read just about any book published on it at the time – by Fritjof Capra and others. Most writers seem to present the connection between quantum physics and spirituality (typically Taoism and Buddhism) in a more theoretical way. And it can also be presented in the context of inquiry.
For instance, in some quantum physics experiments, time and space doesn’t seem to function the way we are used to in conventional experience. This suggests that time and space may not “really” be as we typically perceive it. It’s perhaps not inherent in the world as we perceive it. I can find the same by exploring the sense fields, and notice how time and space only appears due to my overlay of images of time and space on my sense fields. There is no time or space found outside of these images. There is no evidence for time or space existing “out there” or being inherent in the world or reality.
The same is the case with causality. Some quantum physics experiments throws our conventional ideas of causality into question. The way we typically experience causality may not be inherent in the world “all the way down and all the way up”. Exploring my everyday experience of causality through the sense fields, I find the same.
So referring to quantum physics in this context may invite or inspire to own investigation, and this may be very helpful. It may inspire more scientifically minded folks to investigate their own immediate experience of reality.
The potential drawback is that it makes it all sound more abstract and foreign that it needs to be. And it’s also likely that our current understanding of quantum physics and it’s experiments will change over time, and we don’t know how, so it may be a bit unfortunate to create too strong of a mental connection between quantum physics and spirituality (as Ken Wilber has pointed out).
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– different examples from quantum physics, used as invitation for inquiry
– and yet, can use everyday life examples just as well, don’t need to make it very exotic
– causality
– time, space
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In my teens and early twenties, I was quite interested in quantum physics and especially it’s connection with spirituality. I read just about any book published on it at the time (by Fritjof Capra and others), and then my interest faded. I have since then listened to a couple of talks on this connection, and what strikes me is that the points made through quantum physics as easily can be made through inquiry into our everyday experience. When it’s made through quantum physics, it can be a bit abstract and foreign, and made through inquiry into our own everyday experience, it’s more alive and immediate.
Since it’s been a while since I delved into this topic, I don’t remember all the typical examples now, but can take a couple that comes to mind:
In some quantum physics experiments, time and space doesn’t seem to function the way we are used to in conventional experience. This suggests that time and space may not “really” be as we typically perceive it. It’s perhaps not inherent in the world as we perceive it. I can find the same by exploring the sense fields, and notice how time and space only appears due to my overlay of images of time and space on my sense fields. There is no time or space found outside of these images. There is no evidence for time or space existing “out there” or being inherent in the world or reality.
The same is the case with causality. Some quantum physics experiments throws our conventional ideas of causality into question. The way we typically experience causality may not be inherent in the world “all the way down and all the way up”. Exploring my everyday experience of causality through the sense fields, I find the same.
So referring to quantum physics in this context may invite or inspire to own investigation. And yet, it may also make it sound more abstract and foreign that it needs to be.
Also, it’s very likely that our current understanding and interpretation of quantum physics and it’s experiments will change as we discover more, so it may be somewhat unfortunate to create too strong of a mental connection between quantum physics and spirituality (as Ken Wilber has pointed out).