Quantum Physics and Spirituality
Quantum Physics and Spirituality
Quantum Physics and Spirituality
Quantum Physics and Spirituality
17/12/2024
17/12/2024
The idea that we are energy underlies the connection between quantum physics and spirituality. At the atomic level, we are made of exactly the same materials as our surroundings. Our nature is our composition, which is identical to the composition of the nature in which we live, enabling a connection with it. Constant cooperation and interaction with a unified universe can be explained using these common elements by examining atomic phenomena.
With the advancement of science, we are able to prove what wise spiritual teachers, natives, and mystics already knew. Classical Newtonian physics claims that the universe consists of objects attracted to each other by gravity. Using the equations of motion for particles, it's possible to measure and calculate their exact state at any moment and even predict their future movement and reactions. According to this view, every state in the universe can be fully predicted.
Are we also subject to these laws of physics, acting and behaving automatically as dictated by equations, without free choice? Most of us intuitively feel that we are independent beings with an inner mental world and free will, not dictated by physical equations of motion.
A fundamental conceptual change occurred when Einstein discovered that at the base of every particle, which can be further divided into sub-particles, there is energy (E=mc²). If all existing things are energy, then we too, as energetic bodies, maintain energetic communication between everything and anything. Einstein's theory brought a new view of space: while Newton spoke of a fixed space that does not interact with the objects within it, Einstein described a dynamic, flexible space that envelops mass and energy able to change the way light and matter move in it. The existence of a field like that explains a universe in which everything is connected.
Here is the scientific proof that reveals what our ancestors knew long ago about energy centres and energy communication inside and outside the body, enabling communication with everything around us and the experience of "oneness."
The reason we perceive ourselves as separate personalities lies in the physiology of our brains, which prevents us from experiencing the universe as it is.
Newtonian physics was expanded when it was discovered that particles, the basic building blocks, are atoms. As scientists began to study their behaviour and , found their mass it became clear that atomic behaviours could not be explained by classical physics. In an attempt to explain and predict atomic phenomena, Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger (each separately) developed quantum theory. With the development of quantum physics, the world's view changed again. This quantum concept, less deterministic and rigid than its predecessor, deals with the nature of a body (particle or wave), probability (the uncertainty factor) instead of precise observation, and the observer as an influential participant in the experiment (the observer of reality who causes it to change).
Its basic features, such as quantum uncertainty and the observer's influence on reality, leave an opening for consciousness to participate in the scenario of existence. Eugene Wigner, a Nobel Prize winner for physics in 1963, suggested that quantum collapse results from the active action of the human mind. This reinforces what our wise ancestors, spiritual teachers and researchers such as Amit Goswami, Fritjof Capra, Raja Ramanna, Sir Roger Penrose, Eugene Wigner and the Dalai Lama, understood about the involvement of consciousness in reality.
The Dalai Lama says we are all connected, and everything comes from the same source. To him, the connection between quantum physics and spirituality is clear. The atoms in our bodies include part of the star dust that made up the universe when it was created and are connected to everything that vibrates with invisible energy. Understanding this type of communication helps us grasp the importance of doing good, as everything we do resonates with the universe and comes back to us.
Quantum physics, which describes atomic and subatomic phenomena, emerged from observations that did not align with classical physics. These phenomena, on a quantum (subatomic) scale, couldn't be explained by the existing scientific model, according to Newtonian physics. Among them are observations that led to surprising, even strange, discoveries. One such understanding was that all matter and energy can be divided into discrete amounts of energy, energy 'packages' of minimal value or quanta.
For example, light with a constant frequency provides energy in quanta called photons. Each photon of this frequency contains the same amount of energy, which cannot be divided into smaller units. Quantum properties have changed our perceptions of the atom. According to the old model, electron particles orbited the nucleus of the atom in orbits. In contrast, quantum physics describes electrons as scattered in orbits, with their dispersion described as the probability of being found in multiple locations in a certain space. At any given moment, if we could look at an atom under a microscope, we would see a vortex, a small tornado of quarks. Essentially, atoms are more void (energy) than substance (particle). They are mostly made of invisible energy rather than actual matter.
The idea that we are energy underlies the connection between quantum physics and spirituality. At the atomic level, we are made of exactly the same materials as our surroundings. Our nature is our composition, which is identical to the composition of the nature in which we live, enabling a connection with it. Constant cooperation and interaction with a unified universe can be explained using these common elements by examining atomic phenomena.
With the advancement of science, we are able to prove what wise spiritual teachers, natives, and mystics already knew. Classical Newtonian physics claims that the universe consists of objects attracted to each other by gravity. Using the equations of motion for particles, it's possible to measure and calculate their exact state at any moment and even predict their future movement and reactions. According to this view, every state in the universe can be fully predicted.
Are we also subject to these laws of physics, acting and behaving automatically as dictated by equations, without free choice? Most of us intuitively feel that we are independent beings with an inner mental world and free will, not dictated by physical equations of motion.
A fundamental conceptual change occurred when Einstein discovered that at the base of every particle, which can be further divided into sub-particles, there is energy (E=mc²). If all existing things are energy, then we too, as energetic bodies, maintain energetic communication between everything and anything. Einstein's theory brought a new view of space: while Newton spoke of a fixed space that does not interact with the objects within it, Einstein described a dynamic, flexible space that envelops mass and energy able to change the way light and matter move in it. The existence of a field like that explains a universe in which everything is connected.
Here is the scientific proof that reveals what our ancestors knew long ago about energy centres and energy communication inside and outside the body, enabling communication with everything around us and the experience of "oneness."
The reason we perceive ourselves as separate personalities lies in the physiology of our brains, which prevents us from experiencing the universe as it is.
Newtonian physics was expanded when it was discovered that particles, the basic building blocks, are atoms. As scientists began to study their behaviour and , found their mass it became clear that atomic behaviours could not be explained by classical physics. In an attempt to explain and predict atomic phenomena, Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger (each separately) developed quantum theory. With the development of quantum physics, the world's view changed again. This quantum concept, less deterministic and rigid than its predecessor, deals with the nature of a body (particle or wave), probability (the uncertainty factor) instead of precise observation, and the observer as an influential participant in the experiment (the observer of reality who causes it to change).
Its basic features, such as quantum uncertainty and the observer's influence on reality, leave an opening for consciousness to participate in the scenario of existence. Eugene Wigner, a Nobel Prize winner for physics in 1963, suggested that quantum collapse results from the active action of the human mind. This reinforces what our wise ancestors, spiritual teachers and researchers such as Amit Goswami, Fritjof Capra, Raja Ramanna, Sir Roger Penrose, Eugene Wigner and the Dalai Lama, understood about the involvement of consciousness in reality.
The Dalai Lama says we are all connected, and everything comes from the same source. To him, the connection between quantum physics and spirituality is clear. The atoms in our bodies include part of the star dust that made up the universe when it was created and are connected to everything that vibrates with invisible energy. Understanding this type of communication helps us grasp the importance of doing good, as everything we do resonates with the universe and comes back to us.
Quantum physics, which describes atomic and subatomic phenomena, emerged from observations that did not align with classical physics. These phenomena, on a quantum (subatomic) scale, couldn't be explained by the existing scientific model, according to Newtonian physics. Among them are observations that led to surprising, even strange, discoveries. One such understanding was that all matter and energy can be divided into discrete amounts of energy, energy 'packages' of minimal value or quanta.
For example, light with a constant frequency provides energy in quanta called photons. Each photon of this frequency contains the same amount of energy, which cannot be divided into smaller units. Quantum properties have changed our perceptions of the atom. According to the old model, electron particles orbited the nucleus of the atom in orbits. In contrast, quantum physics describes electrons as scattered in orbits, with their dispersion described as the probability of being found in multiple locations in a certain space. At any given moment, if we could look at an atom under a microscope, we would see a vortex, a small tornado of quarks. Essentially, atoms are more void (energy) than substance (particle). They are mostly made of invisible energy rather than actual matter.
The properties of quantum physics
The properties of quantum physics
The properties of quantum physics
1. Superposition
A quantum system can be found in a state of superposition-a state in which the system is in the 'sum' of several possible states at the same time. When measuring, the system must 'decide' which of the possible states it is in, and this decision is completely random. That is, quantum bodies are in several places at the same time, in fact they do not have any definite location but only a distribution of location that when they are measured, they 'choose' a random location.
While in the world of classical physics there is a definite location for a physical body, in the quantum world a quantum body has a probability of being in any location. For example, when we throw a ball it has a predictable and fixed trajectory, but this is not the case with a quantum particle.
Superposition then is a term describing a quantum body that is in several possible locations at the same time.
A quantum body or particle can be found in several locations at the same time and in several states at the same time as demonstrated in the famous two-slit experiment in which an electron, a quantum particle, passes through two slits and surprisingly creates an interference pattern suitable for wave behavior. The electron is in all possible places at the same time , i.e. in a state of superposition, behaves as a wave and passes through both slits at the same time.
2. Measurement
Measurement itself changes the state of a quantum body. Simply measuring a property of a quantum particle causes its state to change. When a quantum body is measured, it "chooses" or "collapses" into one of its inherent possibilities, reducing the state of superposition.
When measuring the location of the particle, it will be found in a specific place, as if "choosing" its location. Since the particle has no will to choose, it is said that the particle "collapses" into one of its potential positions. The superposition disappears with the measurement, and its disappearance causes reality to be perceived as one of the existing possibilities of the location. By looking at the particle's location, you make it collapse into one of its possible positions - and there it is for sure.
Some say that the reality of the particle collapses into one of its location options, while others claim that at the moment of measurement, reality splits into different branches (parallel universes theory). When a particle collapses, it is impossible to know where it will collapse; it is only possible to know the probability of collapsing to any point. Thus, the quantum world is not deterministic. Einstein was disturbed by this feature and said, "God does not play dice."
What is measurement?
Measurement is an interaction between two bodies, for example, a person looking at the particle, light rays shining on it, or a detector sensing the heat it emits. After this interaction, the person, light rays, or detector have information about the other body.
The behaviour of quantum bodies changes according to what the observer does. When observed, their behavior changes or collapses from wave behavior to particle behavior. The observer cannot be separated from the observed event. Only when the observer turns attention to the position of the electron is the electron revealed or embodied as a particle. An electron does not become embodied as a particle in reality until it is observed, and only then do all its possible locations in space and time "collapse" to a certain location. At the subatomic level, energy responds to our attention and becomes matter.
If the very act of measurement changes the state of the particle, it is impossible to observe the world passively. Viewing the world changes its state so that what we observe is actually a product of the act of viewing itself and not the original state we intended to check. From here, it is no longer possible to separate mind and matter because the subjective mind creates changes in the objective physical world.
Such a phenomenon is known in psychology, where investigating a mental state or dormant memory affects and changes the state or memory, making it impossible to know what they were before the investigation. Hence, some researchers hypothesize that the human will can influence the physical world at this point.
While Newton's classical physics claims that everything is matter (body) and we are limited and subject to its laws of motion, quantum theory innovates by allowing the observer's mind to change reality and cause a wave function (i.e. a combination of several possible states) to collapse into a particle (i.e. a defined state). If through quantum collapse we can influence objective physical reality, is it possible to direct the 'observer effect' to a desired reality and change the world according to our free will? How does directing our attention to the field containing all possibilities (a wave) cause them to collapse into a single material form possibility (a particle)?
3. The Uncertainty Principle
Quantum particles exist in infinite possibilities or probabilities within the field. A particle has some probability associated with its location, and when you perform a measurement, you change this probability, thereby altering the particle's state. When you measure the particle's location, you change its location probability, reducing uncertainty in that respect.
A particle has dual complementary properties, meaning that such properties cannot be uniquely known at a given time. In fact, in the quantum space a particle has its probability (i.e. wave function) to be in a certain position and to have a certain speed (better called as momentum). Measurement changes oppositely the probabilities of the particle's position and speed. In fact, when you measure one property and reduce its uncertainty, you increase the uncertainty of the other dual property.
This is Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle: we can never know both the position and momentum (mass times velocity) of a particle with great accuracy. It is impossible to measure both the position and momentum of a quantum body precisely. The more accurately we measure one, the less accurately we can measure the other. This isn't due to inadequate equipment but is a fundamental fact of nature. When you confine the particle's position to a small range, its speed becomes less confined and can spread over a large range. In any case, we won't know where it will be in a moment , even if we specify the location, we increase the uncertainty of its speed.
Mathematically, this relationship, between the uncertainty in position (Δx) and the uncertainty in momentum (Δp) of a particle, is expressed as:
Δx ˑ Δp ≥ ħ/2
Where Δx is the uncertainty in position, Δp is the uncertainty in momentum, and ħ (called h-bar) is the reduced Planck's constant (it is a very small number, approximately 1.05 x 10-34 joule-seconds).
This equation means that the product of the uncertainties in position and momentum must be greater than or equal to a certain minimum value, which is determined by the reduced Planck's constant. This implies that as we try to measure the position of a particle more precisely, the uncertainty in its momentum will increase, and vice versa.
Why is the Uncertainty Principle significant for light bodies but not for heavier ones?
Why don't we experience this uncertainty in our everyday world?
The key to understanding this lies in the relationship between the reduced Planck's constant and the mass of the particle.
Because the reduced Planck's constant ħ is very small, its effect is significant only for very light bodies. For heavier bodies, the uncertainty is so minuscule that it is beyond our ability to sense.
The momentum p is defined as
p (momentum) =m (mass) ˑ v (velocity)
therefore, we can also write:
Δx ˑ mΔv ≥ ħ/2
For heavier objects: The mass of a heavier object is much larger than the reduced Planck's constant. This means that even if the uncertainty in position or momentum is relatively large, the overall uncertainty in the object's state (as determined by the product of position and momentum uncertainty) will still be very small. This is because a large mass multiplied by a small uncertainty still results in a small product.
For lighter objects: The mass of a lighter object is closer in magnitude to the reduced Planck's constant. This means that even a small uncertainty in position or momentum can result in a significant overall uncertainty in the object's state. This is because a small mass multiplied by a small uncertainty can still result in a relatively large product.
In essence:
Heavier objects: Due to their larger mass, the uncertainty in their position and momentum is so small that it's practically negligible in our everyday experience.
Lighter objects: Their smaller mass makes the uncertainty principle more noticeable. This is why quantum effects, like those described by Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, are more significant for particles like electrons and photons than for larger objects.
The Uncertainty Principle becomes more pronounced for lighter objects because the product of their mass and uncertainty is more significant compared to reduced Planck's constant. For heavier objects, this product is so small that the uncertainty is practically undetectable in our macroscopic world.
The uncertainty of position and speed (momentum), reflects nothing else than the uncertainty of the energy that a particle has at a given time. Therefore, time and energy are also dual properties. The more precise in time you know about a particle’s state, the less precise you know about its energy, and vice versa. This principle allows particles to accumulate energy from seemingly nowhere in short periods, a phenomenon known as quantum tunneling. Quantum tunneling allows a particle to pass through an energy barrier, something not possible under classical physics. In other words, the more you try to trap a particle in given time or space, the more the particle accumulates energy and chances to escape faraway.
4. Wave-Particle Duality
Experiments have shown that light and matter exhibit both particle and wave properties, depending on how they are measured. Today, we understand these are different forms of energy – neither purely particles nor purely waves – but distinct quantum objects.
In quantum theory, we don't talk about the exact location of a particle but rather the probability of its location. This probability can change due to interactions with other elements in the environment. A particle's properties have a probability function: the particle remains a particle, but the probability of its position (and speed, etc.) resembles the intensity of a wave.
Waves are described mathematically by wave equations, which describes oscillatory changes over space and time. What oscillates or variates can be for example the height of water over its resting position (steady flat state), a vibration in space (like sound waves), or the strength of an electromagnetic field (like light). We can't see electromagnetic waves with our eyes because their wavelengths are very short, but they move through space.
In 1905, Einstein proposed that light behaves as waves in certain states and as particles in others. De Broglie extended this idea to matter, suggesting that particles also have wave-like properties. If so, then there should be a wave equation for such waves of matter as well. Schrödinger later formulated the wave function, which describes the probability of finding a particle at a specific location (x) at a specific time (t) and is different from the normal wave equation. Solution to the wave function will give the probability of finding the particle in the position.
Unlike a classical particle with a defined path, a quantum particle's path is probabilistic. When we measure it, we find it at a specific point, but we cannot predict this point in advance. Hence the quantum world is not as certain as the world of classical physics.
If we don't measure the particle, it exists simultaneously in all possible locations where we might find it upon measurement (superposition). The act of measuring collapses this superposition into one specific outcome. In our macroscopic world, we never observe objects in multiple places or moves at two different speeds simultaneously, but in the quantum world, these are plausible possibilities.
A quantum body possesses both particle properties (mass, charge, energy) and wave properties (wavelength, frequency). For example, light sometimes behaves as a particle (photon) and sometimes as a wave. When light passes through a prism, it refracts according to its colour= wavelength (a wave property). In the eye, receptors sensitive to different wavelengths (colours) detect light, and this is possible thanks to the particle property of light.
The term "quantum physics" derives from the concept of "quanta" – discrete energy packets. A photon of light carries a quantum of energy, different photons (various wavelengths) carrying different amounts of energy. The receptors in the eye absorb varying amounts of these quanta, allowing us to distinguish colours.
The double-slit experiment demonstrates wave-particle duality. In 1801, Thomas Young showed that light passing through two slits creates an interference pattern, a wave behavior. But a wave of what? probability waves.
In 1927, Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer conducted the same experiment with electrons, previously thought to be particles. The electrons created a similar interference pattern, demonstrating wave-like behavior. However, when only one slit is open, electrons behave as particles.
In 1998, Prof. Moty Heiblum from the Weizmann Institute repeated the electron experiment with a sensor in one slit. The sensor detected electrons passing through that slit, causing the electrons to collapse into particle behavior. Thus, measurement changes the wave behavior of electrons into particle behavior.
The act of observation changes the behavior of quantum particles. When we observe, we collapse the wave function, turning probabilities into specific outcomes. Could this suggests that our consciousness influences reality? Just as in psychology, where investigating a mental state can change it, observing quantum particles changes their state. , is this the crack through which the human soul can sneak into the physical theory ?
The existence of the observer changes the behavior of the particles. Nature seems to change its behavior when we observe it. The act of observation in itself causes reality to change. Observation is when we involve our consciousness and learn about the result.
The idea extends to our daily lives: the role of consciousness in creating the reality of our lives, what do we transmit consciously and unconsciously? our thoughts and feelings (forms of energy) influence the external world. Beliefs and perceptions rooted in the subconscious shape our experiences. Many limiting beliefs lead to suffering, but by identifying and changing these beliefs, we can create positive changes. Hence it is important work to identify and understand those subconscious limiting beliefs.
At the subatomic level, energy responds to our attention and becomes matter. If we can direct our observation to collapse the infinite possibilities of the quantum field into a desired reality, we might manifest positive outcomes. Imagining a future event means this reality already exists as a possibility in the quantum field, waiting for our observation to bring it into being.
5. Entanglement
Quantum particles can affect each other instantaneously, even when they are far apart. The wave function can describe a system of many particles, and sometimes it cannot be decomposed into individual particles. When this happens, the particles become inextricably linked, even when they are separated from each other, so that when something happens to one, the same thing happens to its distant 'partner.' This phenomenon is known as entanglement.
Einstein famously described this phenomenon as "spooky action at a distance." Entanglement occurs when two or more quantum bodies are connected in one system, even if they are separated by great distances and cannot communicate through space and time. Information about one particle automatically describes information about the other particle at the same time.
The probability function of the entangled particles is shared, meaning an action on one particle immediately affects the other, no matter the distance. When one particle is measured, the other particle also collapses into a specific state at the same moment. Since the communication between entangled particles is instantaneous, it suggests the universe is non-local. This implies that the quantum wave weaves distant particles together instantly, making the universe described by quantum theory a non-local and interconnected one.
This concept of non-locality means that any change in one part of the universe can immediately affect another part, even if they are very far apart. This contradicts one of the central principles of special relativity, which states that the maximum speed for transmitting information is the speed of light. Unlike classical physics, where nothing can move faster than light, quantum entanglement shows that energy does not need to move because it is already connected.
Does this have psychological and philosophical implications? When we form an emotional connection with someone, is it possible that the atoms between us and them are intertwined? While most physicists would say it is not possible to sense this field, this "spooky" connection, as Einstein called it, we might not need proof if we consider feelings like love or a mother’s intuition about her children.
For now, we might rely on our senses and hints from the quantum world. Just as there are no proofs of the relationship between the physical world and consciousness, because consciousness cannot be quantified or formulated with physical tools, it is the way we perceive the world and is not objectively measurable.
What is your perspective, and what kind of reality does it create? What particle collapse does it cause, and how does it shape your reality? Perhaps quantum physics reveals that everything in the universe is interconnected, and we are active participants in its creation, even if we cannot perceive it with our senses. Yet.
1. Superposition
A quantum system can be found in a state of superposition-a state in which the system is in the 'sum' of several possible states at the same time. When measuring, the system must 'decide' which of the possible states it is in, and this decision is completely random. That is, quantum bodies are in several places at the same time, in fact they do not have any definite location but only a distribution of location that when they are measured, they 'choose' a random location.
While in the world of classical physics there is a definite location for a physical body, in the quantum world a quantum body has a probability of being in any location. For example, when we throw a ball it has a predictable and fixed trajectory, but this is not the case with a quantum particle.
Superposition then is a term describing a quantum body that is in several possible locations at the same time.
A quantum body or particle can be found in several locations at the same time and in several states at the same time as demonstrated in the famous two-slit experiment in which an electron, a quantum particle, passes through two slits and surprisingly creates an interference pattern suitable for wave behavior. The electron is in all possible places at the same time , i.e. in a state of superposition, behaves as a wave and passes through both slits at the same time.
2. Measurement
Measurement itself changes the state of a quantum body. Simply measuring a property of a quantum particle causes its state to change. When a quantum body is measured, it "chooses" or "collapses" into one of its inherent possibilities, reducing the state of superposition.
When measuring the location of the particle, it will be found in a specific place, as if "choosing" its location. Since the particle has no will to choose, it is said that the particle "collapses" into one of its potential positions. The superposition disappears with the measurement, and its disappearance causes reality to be perceived as one of the existing possibilities of the location. By looking at the particle's location, you make it collapse into one of its possible positions - and there it is for sure.
Some say that the reality of the particle collapses into one of its location options, while others claim that at the moment of measurement, reality splits into different branches (parallel universes theory). When a particle collapses, it is impossible to know where it will collapse; it is only possible to know the probability of collapsing to any point. Thus, the quantum world is not deterministic. Einstein was disturbed by this feature and said, "God does not play dice."
What is measurement?
Measurement is an interaction between two bodies, for example, a person looking at the particle, light rays shining on it, or a detector sensing the heat it emits. After this interaction, the person, light rays, or detector have information about the other body.
The behaviour of quantum bodies changes according to what the observer does. When observed, their behavior changes or collapses from wave behavior to particle behavior. The observer cannot be separated from the observed event. Only when the observer turns attention to the position of the electron is the electron revealed or embodied as a particle. An electron does not become embodied as a particle in reality until it is observed, and only then do all its possible locations in space and time "collapse" to a certain location. At the subatomic level, energy responds to our attention and becomes matter.
If the very act of measurement changes the state of the particle, it is impossible to observe the world passively. Viewing the world changes its state so that what we observe is actually a product of the act of viewing itself and not the original state we intended to check. From here, it is no longer possible to separate mind and matter because the subjective mind creates changes in the objective physical world.
Such a phenomenon is known in psychology, where investigating a mental state or dormant memory affects and changes the state or memory, making it impossible to know what they were before the investigation. Hence, some researchers hypothesize that the human will can influence the physical world at this point.
While Newton's classical physics claims that everything is matter (body) and we are limited and subject to its laws of motion, quantum theory innovates by allowing the observer's mind to change reality and cause a wave function (i.e. a combination of several possible states) to collapse into a particle (i.e. a defined state). If through quantum collapse we can influence objective physical reality, is it possible to direct the 'observer effect' to a desired reality and change the world according to our free will? How does directing our attention to the field containing all possibilities (a wave) cause them to collapse into a single material form possibility (a particle)?
3. The Uncertainty Principle
Quantum particles exist in infinite possibilities or probabilities within the field. A particle has some probability associated with its location, and when you perform a measurement, you change this probability, thereby altering the particle's state. When you measure the particle's location, you change its location probability, reducing uncertainty in that respect.
A particle has dual complementary properties, meaning that such properties cannot be uniquely known at a given time. In fact, in the quantum space a particle has its probability (i.e. wave function) to be in a certain position and to have a certain speed (better called as momentum). Measurement changes oppositely the probabilities of the particle's position and speed. In fact, when you measure one property and reduce its uncertainty, you increase the uncertainty of the other dual property.
This is Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle: we can never know both the position and momentum (mass times velocity) of a particle with great accuracy. It is impossible to measure both the position and momentum of a quantum body precisely. The more accurately we measure one, the less accurately we can measure the other. This isn't due to inadequate equipment but is a fundamental fact of nature. When you confine the particle's position to a small range, its speed becomes less confined and can spread over a large range. In any case, we won't know where it will be in a moment , even if we specify the location, we increase the uncertainty of its speed.
Mathematically, this relationship, between the uncertainty in position (Δx) and the uncertainty in momentum (Δp) of a particle, is expressed as:
Δx ˑ Δp ≥ ħ/2
Where Δx is the uncertainty in position, Δp is the uncertainty in momentum, and ħ (called h-bar) is the reduced Planck's constant (it is a very small number, approximately 1.05 x 10-34 joule-seconds).
This equation means that the product of the uncertainties in position and momentum must be greater than or equal to a certain minimum value, which is determined by the reduced Planck's constant. This implies that as we try to measure the position of a particle more precisely, the uncertainty in its momentum will increase, and vice versa.
Why is the Uncertainty Principle significant for light bodies but not for heavier ones?
Why don't we experience this uncertainty in our everyday world?
The key to understanding this lies in the relationship between the reduced Planck's constant and the mass of the particle.
Because the reduced Planck's constant ħ is very small, its effect is significant only for very light bodies. For heavier bodies, the uncertainty is so minuscule that it is beyond our ability to sense.
The momentum p is defined as
p (momentum) =m (mass) ˑ v (velocity)
therefore, we can also write:
Δx ˑ mΔv ≥ ħ/2
For heavier objects: The mass of a heavier object is much larger than the reduced Planck's constant. This means that even if the uncertainty in position or momentum is relatively large, the overall uncertainty in the object's state (as determined by the product of position and momentum uncertainty) will still be very small. This is because a large mass multiplied by a small uncertainty still results in a small product.
For lighter objects: The mass of a lighter object is closer in magnitude to the reduced Planck's constant. This means that even a small uncertainty in position or momentum can result in a significant overall uncertainty in the object's state. This is because a small mass multiplied by a small uncertainty can still result in a relatively large product.
In essence:
Heavier objects: Due to their larger mass, the uncertainty in their position and momentum is so small that it's practically negligible in our everyday experience.
Lighter objects: Their smaller mass makes the uncertainty principle more noticeable. This is why quantum effects, like those described by Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, are more significant for particles like electrons and photons than for larger objects.
The Uncertainty Principle becomes more pronounced for lighter objects because the product of their mass and uncertainty is more significant compared to reduced Planck's constant. For heavier objects, this product is so small that the uncertainty is practically undetectable in our macroscopic world.
The uncertainty of position and speed (momentum), reflects nothing else than the uncertainty of the energy that a particle has at a given time. Therefore, time and energy are also dual properties. The more precise in time you know about a particle’s state, the less precise you know about its energy, and vice versa. This principle allows particles to accumulate energy from seemingly nowhere in short periods, a phenomenon known as quantum tunneling. Quantum tunneling allows a particle to pass through an energy barrier, something not possible under classical physics. In other words, the more you try to trap a particle in given time or space, the more the particle accumulates energy and chances to escape faraway.
4. Wave-Particle Duality
Experiments have shown that light and matter exhibit both particle and wave properties, depending on how they are measured. Today, we understand these are different forms of energy – neither purely particles nor purely waves – but distinct quantum objects.
In quantum theory, we don't talk about the exact location of a particle but rather the probability of its location. This probability can change due to interactions with other elements in the environment. A particle's properties have a probability function: the particle remains a particle, but the probability of its position (and speed, etc.) resembles the intensity of a wave.
Waves are described mathematically by wave equations, which describes oscillatory changes over space and time. What oscillates or variates can be for example the height of water over its resting position (steady flat state), a vibration in space (like sound waves), or the strength of an electromagnetic field (like light). We can't see electromagnetic waves with our eyes because their wavelengths are very short, but they move through space.
In 1905, Einstein proposed that light behaves as waves in certain states and as particles in others. De Broglie extended this idea to matter, suggesting that particles also have wave-like properties. If so, then there should be a wave equation for such waves of matter as well. Schrödinger later formulated the wave function, which describes the probability of finding a particle at a specific location (x) at a specific time (t) and is different from the normal wave equation. Solution to the wave function will give the probability of finding the particle in the position.
Unlike a classical particle with a defined path, a quantum particle's path is probabilistic. When we measure it, we find it at a specific point, but we cannot predict this point in advance. Hence the quantum world is not as certain as the world of classical physics.
If we don't measure the particle, it exists simultaneously in all possible locations where we might find it upon measurement (superposition). The act of measuring collapses this superposition into one specific outcome. In our macroscopic world, we never observe objects in multiple places or moves at two different speeds simultaneously, but in the quantum world, these are plausible possibilities.
A quantum body possesses both particle properties (mass, charge, energy) and wave properties (wavelength, frequency). For example, light sometimes behaves as a particle (photon) and sometimes as a wave. When light passes through a prism, it refracts according to its colour= wavelength (a wave property). In the eye, receptors sensitive to different wavelengths (colours) detect light, and this is possible thanks to the particle property of light.
The term "quantum physics" derives from the concept of "quanta" – discrete energy packets. A photon of light carries a quantum of energy, different photons (various wavelengths) carrying different amounts of energy. The receptors in the eye absorb varying amounts of these quanta, allowing us to distinguish colours.
The double-slit experiment demonstrates wave-particle duality. In 1801, Thomas Young showed that light passing through two slits creates an interference pattern, a wave behavior. But a wave of what? probability waves.
In 1927, Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer conducted the same experiment with electrons, previously thought to be particles. The electrons created a similar interference pattern, demonstrating wave-like behavior. However, when only one slit is open, electrons behave as particles.
In 1998, Prof. Moty Heiblum from the Weizmann Institute repeated the electron experiment with a sensor in one slit. The sensor detected electrons passing through that slit, causing the electrons to collapse into particle behavior. Thus, measurement changes the wave behavior of electrons into particle behavior.
The act of observation changes the behavior of quantum particles. When we observe, we collapse the wave function, turning probabilities into specific outcomes. Could this suggests that our consciousness influences reality? Just as in psychology, where investigating a mental state can change it, observing quantum particles changes their state. , is this the crack through which the human soul can sneak into the physical theory ?
The existence of the observer changes the behavior of the particles. Nature seems to change its behavior when we observe it. The act of observation in itself causes reality to change. Observation is when we involve our consciousness and learn about the result.
The idea extends to our daily lives: the role of consciousness in creating the reality of our lives, what do we transmit consciously and unconsciously? our thoughts and feelings (forms of energy) influence the external world. Beliefs and perceptions rooted in the subconscious shape our experiences. Many limiting beliefs lead to suffering, but by identifying and changing these beliefs, we can create positive changes. Hence it is important work to identify and understand those subconscious limiting beliefs.
At the subatomic level, energy responds to our attention and becomes matter. If we can direct our observation to collapse the infinite possibilities of the quantum field into a desired reality, we might manifest positive outcomes. Imagining a future event means this reality already exists as a possibility in the quantum field, waiting for our observation to bring it into being.
5. Entanglement
Quantum particles can affect each other instantaneously, even when they are far apart. The wave function can describe a system of many particles, and sometimes it cannot be decomposed into individual particles. When this happens, the particles become inextricably linked, even when they are separated from each other, so that when something happens to one, the same thing happens to its distant 'partner.' This phenomenon is known as entanglement.
Einstein famously described this phenomenon as "spooky action at a distance." Entanglement occurs when two or more quantum bodies are connected in one system, even if they are separated by great distances and cannot communicate through space and time. Information about one particle automatically describes information about the other particle at the same time.
The probability function of the entangled particles is shared, meaning an action on one particle immediately affects the other, no matter the distance. When one particle is measured, the other particle also collapses into a specific state at the same moment. Since the communication between entangled particles is instantaneous, it suggests the universe is non-local. This implies that the quantum wave weaves distant particles together instantly, making the universe described by quantum theory a non-local and interconnected one.
This concept of non-locality means that any change in one part of the universe can immediately affect another part, even if they are very far apart. This contradicts one of the central principles of special relativity, which states that the maximum speed for transmitting information is the speed of light. Unlike classical physics, where nothing can move faster than light, quantum entanglement shows that energy does not need to move because it is already connected.
Does this have psychological and philosophical implications? When we form an emotional connection with someone, is it possible that the atoms between us and them are intertwined? While most physicists would say it is not possible to sense this field, this "spooky" connection, as Einstein called it, we might not need proof if we consider feelings like love or a mother’s intuition about her children.
For now, we might rely on our senses and hints from the quantum world. Just as there are no proofs of the relationship between the physical world and consciousness, because consciousness cannot be quantified or formulated with physical tools, it is the way we perceive the world and is not objectively measurable.
What is your perspective, and what kind of reality does it create? What particle collapse does it cause, and how does it shape your reality? Perhaps quantum physics reveals that everything in the universe is interconnected, and we are active participants in its creation, even if we cannot perceive it with our senses. Yet.