The Physics of Spirituality

There exists an open secret in the heart of Physics, that stands to challenge all sciences of matter. It appears in the form of two theories within quantum physics, that profoundly reorient truths previously held, and shed light on the nature of reality as a whole. These theories have shaken up our understanding of the world and universe in the 20th century. Yet, oddly enough, the news of their implications seems not to have trickled down to the other disciplines as one would have expected. Nonetheless, their congruence with some of the axioms of spiritual doctrines is not to be ignored.

Having abandoned the formal pursuit of the sciences at a young age, there are limitations in my grasp of these Quantum Mechanical theories. Yet, I present here approximations of my understanding, reached through casual self-education, and highlight my perception of their implications. As I understand it, the behaviour of subatomic particles, at the quantum mechanical level, demonstrate many peculiarities that are unaccountable for by the models of mechanistic physics. Two major theories that embody this fact are Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and Bell's Non-Locality Theorem.

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle:
Theory: This principle essentially demonstrates the limitation that exist in knowing the true nature of any particle, by measurements conducted by any experimental observer. More specifically, the Uncertainty Principle says that one can never know the exact location and the velocity of a particle at the same instant. When you get more accurate information of one, it comes at the expense of the accuracy of the other. The theory shows that the very act of observation, which involves bombarding the particle with photons (by shining light), will inevitably effect the observation, thus compromising the accuracy of the measurement.

Implications: What this implies is that there inherently exists uncertainty in all observations of reality. If carried forth to its most conservative conclusion, what it seems to indicate is that the solidity of the material reality that we observe, and take as truth, is thrown into serious doubt. The question arises, does this reality exist at all the way we observe it? Is there any objective reality?

Bell's Non-locality Theorem:
Theory: The theory was essentially responsible to draw a distinct line between mechanistic physics and quantum mechanics. It is often reduced to the following statement: No physical theory of local hidden variables can ever reproduce all of the predictions of quantum mechanics. In simple terms, the theory is saying that there are certain variables associated with mechanistic physics that are localized variables - meaning that they exist in the physical locality of the subject being observed. Meanwhile, these localized variables seem to be insufficient to explain the behavior of particles in quantum mechanics, which necessarily require non-localized variables for their explanation. Non-localized variables indicate variables that can act across great distances, even faster than the speed of light, or more accurately - instantaneously. Furthermore, the theory demonstrates that there seems to exist an exchange of information between non-local systems, causing their behaviour to be related to each other.

Implications: What this implies is that any two particles that have ever been associated with each other in any local system, would continue to be connected to each other despite the distance and time between them. This means, that a change in one particle will cause a resultant change in the other particle, at the same instant. In the broadest sense, since all particles in the universe were in the same localized system during the Big Bang, this implies that all particles in the universe are connected with each other, instantaneously, across infinite distances.

In the vernacular of spirituality, these theorem are speaking directly to two axioms that exist in spiritual traditions around the world:

Firstly, is the assertion that reality is in fact an illusion. Hindu and Buddhist spiritual traditions articulate this with the term Maya or Illusion. The idea is also present in Sufi spiritual traditions. It states that the world is an illusion that we can only perceive through veils of interpretation, and that in the act of seeing the world, we are only able to see the veil itself. While the true nature of reality always eludes us. As one can see, this idea is speaking quite directly to the Uncertainty Principle - our observations of reality are inherently uncertain, inaccurate, and therefore, an illusion.

Secondly, is the idea in spiritual traditions of the 'oneness of all things', also articulated as the connectedness of all beings in the universe. This implied connected nature of all existence in the Universe, persists despite time or distance. In actuality, this concept is also directly resonating Bell's Non-Locality Theorem - that all things in the universe are connected to each other and are, in reality, as one.