An introduction to Quantum Activism
Dr. Amit Goswami, Ph.D. – Theoretical Quantum Physicist
Quantum physics, in its experimentally established observer effect: how an observation transforms quantum possibilities into actual experiences, is catapulting us into a radically new understanding of reality. From this understanding a revolution is taking place in science. A movement is emerging which sees science integrating with metaphysics. The matter-based view of reality that has defined (and limited) our worldview is now subsumed within a consciousness-based worldview of creatively expanding possibility. Consciousness, and not matter, is the ground of all being.
Quantum activism is the idea of transforming ourselves and our societies in accordance with the transformative messages of quantum physics. Ordinary activists try to change the world without making any fundamental changes in themselves. The spiritual activist transforms himself believing this to be necessary before effecting change in the world. But the quantum activist undertakes the journey of personal transformation always with the change of the whole in mind. In other words, we change ourselves and society simultaneously.
To change ourselves and our social institutions, quantum activism uses the power of quantum physics. To see this, consider that quantum physics is the physics of possibilities. Quantum thinking gives us back our free will to choose amongst these possibilities. These choices are discontinuous, breaking us from past habits. They come from a cosmic interconnectedness we call quantum non-locality, which is an ability to communicate through space and time without any signals.
In order to understand the importance of recognizing that consciousness is the ground of all being it is worthwhile to take a brief look at the history of consciousness in quantum physics. The idea of a worldview based on the primacy of consciousness is not exactly new, what is new is that today this paradigm is based on solid theory and scientifically verifiable evidence.
In quantum physics, John von Neumann, drawing from the work of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen, made interesting forays into consciousness by positing that consciousness chooses the active event of experience from all the quantum possibilities, which the object represents. But still the problem of dualism remained: how does consciousness, if it is an independent, non-material dual object, interact with a material object?
The solution to this problem, known as the quantum measurement paradox, is solved by the breakthrough idea that consciousness is neither a material brain phenomenon nor a separate object; instead, it is itself the ground of all being in which material objects exist as possibilities. In quantum measurement, consciousness becomes both the subject and the object. In other words, conscious choice is responsible for manifesting both the proverbial falling tree and the you that hears it. No observer, no sound, not even a tree.
Consciousness is non-local. What differentiates quantum physics from many mystical traditions is the scientific evidence of the phenomenon of non-locality, which has been independently verified by Ludwig Bass, Amit Goswami, and Casey Blood.
Therefore, one way the quantum activist can harness the power of quantum physics is by thinking creatively. Quantum thinking consists of choosing the new among the many possibilities of meaning, giving us a new thought discontinuous with all previous thoughts. The virtue of this theory of conscious experience is that it helps us to distinguish between conditioned thought and conscious choice, which is in essence the criteria for a truly creative act.
Ordinary thoughts follow a stream of connected ideas. They are continuous, one more or less causally following the other. A creative thought does no such thing; it follows no cause, no other thought before it. The movement from all previous thought to the new one is discontinuous; and is a fundamentally creative act. A leap from what to what we may ask? Creative ideas come from the archetypal domain of our consciousness. In creativity, we take a quantum leap from ordinary thinking to what is called quantum thinking.
In our ordinary reality, we choose from what we know, that is to say, what is conditioned in us from prior experiences. But when we choose something new, what is unmanifest in our prior experience, we are choosing from this quantum consciousness. Such new choices involve quantum leaps (movement from point A to point B without going through intermediate steps), non-locality (communication without space-time signals), and tangled hierarchy (causal relationships of circularity).
To practice quantum activism one must be aware of three things: right thinking, right living, and right livelihood. Quantum or right thinking we have already discussed. Right livelihood relates to how you make your living, and right living is what you do with it. Right livelihood consists of earning your living with integrity in a way that is respectful to your talent and ability, and that is compatible with a healthy society. Of course, it is important to take on work that is conducive to cultivating the positive archetypes of quantum consciousness, though not every job is ideal. Ask: Is this way of making a living a suitable vehicle for my creativity? Does this way of earning a living give me satisfaction? And the most vital question: Is the practice of my profession or work serving the purpose of evolution?
Right living, simply put, means walking the talk. It means exemplifying the archetypal values of quantum activism in our world and in so doing being an inspiration to others.
The exciting message of quantum physics for the quantum activist is in the evolution of consciousness. The possibilities of creative choice take us toward a greater and greater capacity for processing the meaning of our lives and to positively affect the world around us. The immediate future of evolution promises to take us from our current over-emphasis on the rational mind to a more powerful balance in partnership with the intuitive mind from which come the archetypes of such values as Good, Beauty, Truth, Justice, Freedom, and Love: values that enable us to process the meaning of our lives. These archetypal values are based in the understanding of our inherent non-local interconnectivity as well as the recognition that we are all non-hierarchically entangled. What is done to the least of us is truly done to us all.
The goal of the quantum activist is to explore quantum possibilities, to expand the field of possible choices to include the new; and to take concrete steps to manifest in daily life and in your relationships the archetypal values that can transform the quality and meaning of your life and those whose lives you touch.
Pay attention to the little things, to the repetitive thoughts, be a curious investigator looking with fresh eyes into your own life, be honest in your motivations. Allow some tangled hierarchy, some freedom into your hierarchical relationships. This will help your receptivity to quantum leaps and openness to nonlocal insight.
A tall order, you say? Yes, but you can personally, we can collectively, create a more desirable world for all of us with our new awareness of reality and its possibilities. This is our time! Welcome, Quantum Activist!
