Conceitos Básicos
The quantum level of reality, with its holistic and nonlocal properties, should be considered the fundamental "master" of physical reality, while the classical level, governed by left-brain analytical modes, acts as a secondary "emissary" or "user interface" for our limited perception.
Resumo
This article presents a philosophical exploration of the relationship between quantum mechanics, consciousness, and the nature of reality, drawing parallels to Iain McGilchrist's work on the divided brain.
The Dichotomy of Quantum and Classical
- The author posits that quantum physics, describing the microscopic world, aligns with right-brain holistic thinking, while classical physics, describing the macroscopic world, aligns with left-brain analytical thinking.
- Classical physics, characterized by local realism and nominalism, struggles to accommodate the nonlocal and holistic features of quantum mechanics, such as the Uncertainty Principle and entanglement.
- The article argues that the dominance of left-brain thinking in Western science has led to the mischaracterization of the classical level as "true" reality, hindering a proper understanding of the more fundamental quantum level.
The Unmanifest and the Manifest
- The author invokes Carl Jung's concept of an underlying unity beneath the empirical world, suggesting that the quantum level represents this unseen reality.
- This unseen reality is characterized as a realm of potentiality (Yin) from which the actuality of the classical world (Yang) emerges.
- The article emphasizes the importance of recognizing the active role of Yin, often overlooked in Western thought, in shaping reality.
The Transactional Interpretation and the Role of Yin
- The author introduces the Transactional Interpretation (TI) of quantum mechanics, which incorporates the often-neglected "absorber theory" and emphasizes the mutual, relational nature of quantum interactions.
- TI, by including both Yang (offer) and Yin (response) aspects in its description of field interactions, offers a resolution to the Measurement Problem that plagues conventional quantum theory.
- The article highlights how TI's emphasis on mutual, nonlocal interactions aligns with the holistic nature of the quantum realm and the right-brain's mode of perception.
Whitehead's Process Philosophy and Prehension
- The article draws parallels between TI and Alfred North Whitehead's process philosophy, particularly the concept of "prehension" – a Yin-like process of "grasping" or "taking into account."
- Prehension, as a fundamental aspect of Whitehead's process of becoming, resonates with TI's description of quantum interactions as involving both an offer and a response (prehension).
- The author suggests that the neglect of Whitehead's ideas in mainstream science stems from an entrenched Cartesian worldview that prioritizes "dead matter" over a dynamic, prehensive reality.
Conclusion: Embracing the Quantum Master
- The article concludes by advocating for a shift in perspective where the quantum level, characterized by Yin-like qualities and resonating with right-brain perception, is recognized as the fundamental "master" of reality.
- The classical level, governed by Yang-like processes and left-brain analysis, is relegated to the role of "emissary," a limited representation of a more profound, interconnected reality.
- The author suggests that embracing this quantum worldview, with its emphasis on holism, potentiality, and the active role of Yin, is crucial for a more complete understanding of ourselves and the universe.
Citações
“The multiplicity of the empirical world rests on an underlying unity…everything divided and different belongs to one and the same world, which is not the world of sense.” –Carl Jung, Mysterium Coniunctioni (1977).
“Know the Yang, but keep to the Yin." - Tao Te Ching, Verse 28
"The Tao is like a well; used but never used up. It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities. It is hidden but always present." - Tao Te Ching, Verse 4