Friday, April 20, 2007

More quantum mechanics. . .



Ulrich Mohrhoff, author of the Pondicherry interpretation of quantum mechanics has written a fascinating essay describing his interpretation of what quantum theory tells us about reality. I've excerpted from his essay below:




[M]atter, which we can now define only as that which satisfies the laws of physics, may be spirit insofar as... the spirit conforms to the mental operations of distinguishing and objectifying. We can explain causally... precisely to the degree to which spiritual reality can be objectified; in this objectified form it is called... matter.

[I]n the history of philosophy this identity has been variously expressed by asserting that the final reality is spiritual; what... we call matter is the mode in which this final reality is perceived by itself as alienated from itself.


--C.F. von Weizsäcker

In the 1999 Hollywood blockbuster film The Matrix, an enigmatic character called Morpheus tells Neo, a computer programmer and night-time hacker: "The world has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." Adi Shankara could have said that. To bring home his point, Morpheus asks Neo: "Have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream. How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"


How indeed would we know that this world is not a virtual reality created by something or someone beyond it, by whatever means, for whatever purpose? There are two ways to find out. One is a spiritual awakening to "That which being known all is known", yasmin vijñāte sarvam vijñātam. The other is to take a close look at this dream world, this world that has been pulled over our eyes.



Mohrhoff goes on to describe the findings of quantum mechanics and why he believes they indicate that reality is an indivisible whole. Certainly some will disagree with his interpretations, but it's interesting reading nonetheless. Go check it out.

Those interested in the non-dual implications of Mohrhoff's interpretation of quantum mechanics (or who enjoy landscape photography) might enjoy my other blog. . .

No comments: