“CONCEPT OF REALITY: Understanding through Quantum physics and Consciousness.”
“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, It will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence“- Mark twain.
“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulating consciousness.” -Max plank, Nobel prize in 1918.
From time immemorial when consciousness began on this planet it remains a mystery to know,” what this universe is ?” From time immemorial a conscious stimulus touched the revealed wonder of it. Every soul endeavored to realise its own nature and origin, and for that sake this conscious living entity tried to fathom every aspect of this universe be it be material or spiritual.
If we ponder different ancient wisdoms of self realization then we come to the juncture that we should know ourself first in order to deduce the mysteries of this giant model.
Hinduism is said to be the oldest wisdom of self realisation and it preaches that every human being should know himself in order to know this universe.
Islam, says, “one who knows himself, he knows God” But this philosophy contradicts with the reality as consciousness is an incorporeal entity while physical world has its own notion of reality. Physics understand this universe with its material nature. For it, reality is something which can be perceived by senses, which can be detected by devices, which can be measured or inspected through various channels.
This understanding of reality remained prevailed for thousands of years as studied under applied physics but the recent development in the Quantum physics suggests that notions of reality changes with the relative change at macro and micro level of the material. In simple words it is not prudent to say that what we perceive through senses are the only physical real things in the universe.
Material world behave differently at micro level. This reasoning of ours that reality is what we see or perceive through senses is the only real thing, is no more a truth.
Latest emergence in the field of science i.e. Quantum physics suggests that If we go through the Quantum aspect of material then it can be infered that matter behave wizarly contrary to our understanding of universe. Double slit experiment suggests that when we emit one electron in a double slit at a time then it behaves differently as expected, at macro world.
Experiment shows that single electron is observed at two position at the same time. Putting it in simple words imagine there are two goal post in a football ground and you have one football. Now you have a free kick and you hit the ball towards the goal post. Our understanding says that ball will be hit in one goal post but in micro world it would be at both goal post at the same time. Which seems impossible and contradicts with our notions of reality but in quantum world material behave in this wizare way. This experiment questions our understanding of material world and its reality.
Further heisenberg wave front theory suggests and proves through mathematical precison there is nothing called reality in this world, whole material energy in the universe is in the from of wavefront and we observe a thing at a position because there is maximum probability of that thing at that position.
It’s like definite uncertainity of a material to be in a position when observer notice it. Puting simply, there are chances that your Chair would not be in the room or it may go all around in the universe in your absence and it comes back to you when you observe it. ( Hyothetical Example given at macro level).
This theory was further checked by cat schrodinger experiment. Sir Schrodinger changed the whole perception of reality by giving this paradoxical and hypothetical experiment to the world.
He put a cat into a box and attached it with two wire at both ends and sends a electron in it (simple electron in it). Generally by the flow of electron cat would die but as the behaviour of Quantum particle (keep in mind the football example) question is whether the cat would die or would be alive because a single electron will be in two position at the same time.
Now it is time paradox and one can’t tell whether the cat is alive or dead? Untill and unless we observe the cat, it would remain a mystery that whether the cat is dead or alive. So reality always depends upon the observation which give acknowledgment to heisenberg theory of wavefront.
Further string theory says ‘that all materials world has smallest unit of material beyond atom, electron, proton and quark. Quark in a nucleus behave against our perception of reality. Quark appears for a nano – second in the nucleus and disappear and then appears at another place. This behavior of material particle at micro level today change our perception of so called reality.
Laws of applied physics are no more consistent with the discoveries of Quantum physics. Science is still progressing and understanding the different behaviour of physical world. It gets clear that there are very real things in the universe which we can’t understand through our senses and it would be sheer ignorance to deny the existence of incorporeal things.
Caveat- don’t justify superstitious non physical things through these scientific understand. The point I am trying to made is , consciousness is real though it is incorporeal but what we perceive through senses are not only the actual things.
Consciousness may be some dimensions which is only real and more scientific and precise understanding may be built about it in near future. May be our whole endeavor to know universe will come to our consciousness, may be what we are searching outside in the physical world is within us.
May be the seeker and the things been sought are the same. May be we realise the the very source of this universe through understanding ourselves.
It would be prudent to shift our understanding of universe from physical macro world to Quantum level. Like we humans restricted our understanding to what we see and percieve through senses and not endeavoring to know through consciousness.
Like Maula Ali ( One who fathom consciousness like no one else) says, ” You are the whole universe“. Indeed human being in itself is a complete universe and we should ponder the various dimensions of our existence through our efforts to remain conscious.
Markaze Tasawwuf is a place for such understanding and our head bow down for the master who enlightened us. Who ignited this fire in us. Nothing can be done in leu of his mercies and favour on us.
May this universe witness more such masters and platform like Markaz-e-Tasawwuf.
Shukria
