Quantum Physics to Change Your Life
… But like the subatomic particles that form the foundation of the universe, the real elements of a quantum life are usually the unseen things we take for granted or don’t think about at all. Things like our seemingly insignificant everyday choices and decisions, our thoughts and feelings and our attitudes and beliefs. Yet it is these foundational elements working together that allow us to create those things much greater than the sum of their parts.
Once we understand the power of this truth, we can begin to create a life of happiness and profound satisfaction no matter what our current circumstances. And as we begin to master these principles, we will better be able to bring into our world those larger things that may now seem so far out of our reach.
One of the biggest blocks to realizing a quantum life is the past. We tend to think our past is set in stone and determined to shape our future. If only this or that had or hadn’t happened, things would be better. While there may be elements of truth to that world view, understanding the scientific principles of the quantum can inspire us to look at time, past events, and our future, in a whole new way.
In a world governed by conventional physics, time marches forward. Say, for instance, at the end of a series of events, there is an explosion. As we all know, there is no way to run those events in reverse, that is, from the explosion backwards to the combustible materials before they collide. But time does not work the same way in the quantum world.
In fact, in the quantum, processes are generally reversible. “Particles can in fact move backward in
time and do so continuously,” says Kenneth Ford in The Quantum World. If quantum theory proves that linear time is no longer an absolute, can we too go backwards and forwards? Actually, we do this in our minds every day, and by so doing, we keep the past—what has already unfolded—alive. We can even rewrite our history, through meditation, making it the way we wish it had been and thus healing whatever emotional damage has been done. And by returning to the past to heal old damage, we will, in effect, alter our future.
For example, a man I’ll call Joseph had an incident in his childhood in which his father told him that he would never succeed in life. It was just after the state championship softball game when Joseph was a junior in high school. Joseph failed to catch a ball—it should have been the third out that would have won the game. Afterwards, his father was very angry and told him, “You’ll never amount to anything. You’re lazy, you’re clumsy, and you never pay attention.”
Joseph had taken in those words and he believed them. As an adult, he thought his father had been right, in fact, because he never had been successful at anything. His marriage had failed and he and his wife divorced acrimoniously. Joseph had hopped from job to job, searching for, but never finding, a career that could sustain his interest, where he could do well.
As you might expect, in response to what happened in his life, Joseph was most unhappy. He said he was willing to deal with his thoughts and feelings if it could help him. (His exact words were, “Hey, I’ll dance naked in the streets if it will make me more successful.”) He followed a meditation to deal with his father’s harsh words. In this meditation he visualized his father at the ballpark that day. The adult Joseph confronted him and said how hurtful and damaging those nasty comments were. As a result of that meditation, which Joseph repeated a number of times, he began to change his feelings about himself. Soon afterwards, things began looking up. He landed a professional position with opportunities for advancement, and what was most remarkable about this job was that his superiors and coworkers showed him the kind of respect he had not experienced before. Not long after he settled in with the new company, he met an attractive woman and they began dating. Joseph is on the road to having what he wants.
The ability to move back and forth through time is just one of the mysteries of the quantum that helps account for the validity of non-physical techniques and explain why mind-body exercises work so well. We can take our cue from this microcosmic world in other ways to inspire us to realize that we are far more influential in shaping the course of our lives than we could ever imagine. And we can use our understanding of this new science to help change the fabric of our spiritual reality.
Previously Published in Wholife Journal
What The Secret Misses—and What Quantum Physics Knows
(Originally published in Horizons Magazine)
If you’re like most people interested in self-improvement, it’s probably been a year or more since you first heard of The Secret—the runaway best-selling program that explains how to use the law of attraction to create the life you want. If you’ve seen the movie or read the book, you’re probably still vividly inspired by the people who shared their stories of how they magnetized large sums of money, physical healing, and other wonderful miracles by focusing on what they wanted and thinking positive thoughts.Yet if you’ve tried applying the principles in your own life, they may not have worked out quite as neatly—or consistently—as they did for those featured in the program. “Am I not concentrating hard enough?” you may have thought. “Am I doing it wrong?”
More likely than not, the answer to both questions is no. It’s not that the principles of The Secret don’t work—they do. In fact, they’re actually supported by our understanding of quantum physics: the miniature world of subatomic particles that make up the essence of the physical universe. Scientists have proven that we cannot observe the quantum world without disturbing it. For instance, if you do an experiment involving the quantum and don’t watch the process, you get one result. If you do watch it, you get a completely different one. In other words, subatomic particles actually respond to the people watching them. That means wherever you put your attention, you create change at the subatomic level—the very foundation of the world.
According to the quantum—and The Secret—it’s up to you to select what you observe and where you place your attention. Once you make that choice, the very act of your observation changes what happens in your physical reality. So why haven’t you manifested the life you want? Why aren’t you perfectly healthy, financially free, blissfully in love with your ideal partner? I believe the biggest reason is the beliefs you hold in your subconscious mind.
The truth is, whatever exists in our subconscious will play out in the physical circumstances of our lives. The Secret acknowledges this and recommends mastering our thoughts and feelings by keeping them focused on what we want. This is excellent advice—although accomplishing that kind of control is trickier than it sounds. How do you prevent negative thoughts and fears from coming up, especially if you’re conditioned by years of experience to expect the worst? And how do you stop new messages of negativity from entering your subconscious every day?
Try telling yourself not to think about a black cat—you’ll think of one instantly.
One way to deal with old thought patterns and incoming ones is to speak directly to the subconscious. You can actually instruct it not to accept a thought by saying, “Cancel, cancel.” The subconscious is like a compulsively obedient child—it follows instructions literally. That’s why it’s so important to make sure the messages you give it align with what you actually want. We can also uncover and transform hidden, unproductive beliefs using techniques that help rewire the subconscious—and those inner changes will reflect in our outer lives. But what happens when things go wrong?
Say you’re deep in debt, trying to manifest abundance. You tell yourself everything is fine, but then you get a $100 speeding ticket. You get home, realize you’ve lost your Visa card, and your stress sparks a fight with your spouse. How do you keep from spiraling into old patterns?In reality, nobody is perfect. You can’t think positive thoughts 100% of the time. Believing you must stay optimistic at all times just creates pressure—and when you fail, it makes you feel worse. It’s okay to experience your true feelings. The key is not to dwell, judge, or augment them. Just stay honest and objective. Maybe you attracted that ticket to remind you to slow down. Maybe losing your card prompts a closer look at your spending. Maybe the fight brings you and your partner to deeper understanding. Here’s a vital point: do not try to convince yourself everything is positive if it’s not. The subconscious is extremely literal. If you say, “I am healthy and strong,” when you’re sick, it may register your illness as “health.” If you affirm, “I have all the money I need,” while in debt, it may accept scarcity as your new baseline. Instead, use phrases like:
“I am getting healthier and stronger.”
“I am receiving more and more money.”
These inform your subconscious that you want to improve, not stay stuck.
And remember—the subconscious doesn’t understand sarcasm. Say, “Oh great, just what I needed: a speeding ticket,” and it might take you literally. If humor is part of your personality, that’s fine—but mentally “cancel” the joke afterward. With the insight that we’re not victims in a world of random chance, but creators shaping reality through attention and belief, comes responsibility. Once we begin clearing and reprogramming our subconscious, the principles of The Secret—and quantum physics—work better than ever.