On Quantum Physics and Being Wrong

"Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes, I just sits."

- Satchel Paige

A friend of mine says this to me often when I comment on his momentary silence in a conversation. Well, the same is true of me. I need time to just sit in silence sometimes, to think...or not. Lately, the topic I keep returning to when I indulge myself in unrestrained thought is that of quantum physics. To be honest, it hurts my head and yet, I keep going back for more. It draws me in with its mind-stretching explanations of the unexplainable. It lures me with tales about unending possibilities and objects being in two places at once. It beckons to me with its promise of a minute, yet vast world so different from the one I know, that I cannot sustain thought of it for more than a moment when I catch a glimpse of its truth. 

I won't pretend to you that I understand quantum physics. In fact, the only science that is a part of my life in any academic sort of way is that of psychology and the science of the human mind. But quantum physics fascinates me and, I think, is an interesting complement to psychology. For how people behave and interpret their world is in part based upon the laws that they understand govern the world they are interpreting. If it turns out that the laws of physics are more comprehensive than we currently understand (and I'm sure they are, by the way...though I could be wrong), once our understanding expands to take in the new knowledge, human perception and behavior will most certainly change. 

We are an arrogant lot. We think we know; we think we understand. I'm pretty sure we don't understand much of anything. I suspect we get about one half of one percent of what there is to know...if that. My opinion is not that we're stupid, but that the body of knowledge to be known is so vast, that it's simply outside of our grasp. But this is not a statement of hopelessness. Quite the opposite in fact! What beauty and hope lie in a universe that offers more than we can ever aspire to realize. 

The practical side to this is, we can't think we know. Our minds must constantly be open to and aware of new potentialities. When we think we know, we're sunk. Don't be the arrogant guy. Don't be the one who digs his heels in the mud during a debate and refuses to entertain the possibility of being wrong. In wrongness lies creation, potential, and growth. Our egos tether us to an opinion and belief. Let go of the ego and soar on a jet stream of possibility. 

Being wrong is a dynamic and open state. Believing you are right all the time is a closed and suffocating state. St. Augustine stated, "Fallor ergo sum," (I err, therefore I am) and defined himself partly in his ability to be wrong. It's great, isn't it? To recognize that you don't know all there is to know and have the hope and belief of possibility? 

Right, back to quantum physics. The thing is, I don't know or understand, but I'm excited about a world where all things are possible. I want to be open to learning in an appropriate and critical manner. I hope you'll share with me in that endeavor, and climb out of the restraint of ego. Enjoy the video below. I hope it tickles your brain as much as it did mine. 

Social Media Incarnate

Imagine for a moment...FaceBook, Twitter, chat rooms, and forums, all come alive before your eyes. Imagine for a moment, trading out the flat one-dimensional plane of cyber-interaction for a three-dimensional environment, rich with a tapestry of textures, body language, cultures, and disparate voices. Imagine for a moment, interacting with people from all over the planet; dancing, chatting, taking a class, and catching up on your professional continuing education requirements for the year.

It's not all in your imagination! Virtual worlds, like Second Life, offer opportunities to engage in all the activities I described, and even more. Considering all there is on offer in Second Life can boggle the mind. Continuously, I'm amazed at the ways virtual worlds are used in efforts that enhance the quality of life for many people.

A few quick examples that come to mind are the EMT programs that use SL to train their employees in protocol for emergencies, the educational institutions that have SL replicas of their real life buildings (along with collections that may be accessed), and architects who have offices in SL for the purpose of building models that may be experienced by clients prior to real life builds. This list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

For those interested in artistic expression, SL has you covered. Live music concerts, a theater company, and expansive galleries showcasing RL (real life) and SL art are at the ready. You can even build your own home or other content by using the building tools provided by the program. Content builders in SL often sell their work and develop businesses. A few have even used their SL business to springboard RL businesses and now work in SL alone. That's certainly not the norm, but it does happen.

Before I begin sounding like a commercial (oops, have I already?), let me put the brakes on a bit. Second Life offers amazing opportunities, true enough. However, there are cautions. The environment functions like a self-contained world in many ways and all the cautions one would implement in RL should be implemented in SL, to a large degree. Being safe is paramount and one should take pains to protect personal information. There is good and evil in SL, just like in RL.

Another concern is that of isolation. It's interesting to me that, while we live in an age of amazing communication tools, we seem to be becoming more and more isolated. Our focus is often on our latest text message instead of the people sharing the room space with us. Because SL is a captivating, immersive environment, there are those who find it easy to trade the uncertainties of RL for the relative safety of SL. Slowly and insidiously, SL begins to function as some sort of anemic replacement for RL and the individual runs the risk of becoming insular and without the necessary RL person-to-person interactions important to sustain positive mental health. This phenomenon is to be guarded against.

My experience in SL has been amazing. I've met a diverse group of intelligent, creative, and thoughtful people who have shared their lives with me as I've shared mine with them. We've become close in RL, in many instances, as well as in SL, and I've had the good fortune to meet many of them in RL (all appropriate precautions taken). Perhaps someday, I'll share some of my adventures. :-)

But the point is, SL offers a mechanism through which we can traverse the globe from the comfort of our own homes and interact with a variety of individuals representing myriad facets of the human experience. What an amazing opportunity! Recently, I spent an evening in an SL club and enjoyed spirited conversation with people from England, The Netherlands, Germany, the US, and France...all at once! We were all talking, listening to the same music at the same time, commenting on world events, dancing, and sharing some laughs. It's a regular experience in SL.

My goal is not to talk you into getting an account, though you may choose to do that. My goal is to share a little of my experience and perhaps cause you to consider the possibilities. I believe that we only open the door for change and growth when we stretch and open ourselves to new experiences. Perhaps SL will be your next adventure!

A friend's island home in Second Life

Taking on new shape in Second Life

One of my favorite homes in Second Life

Aaaaand, We're Back

What a crazy week! Little more than a week, actually. Since my last post, I've not been able to access Blogger to write a post, check out comments, or do any administrative sorts of tasks. Truly frustrating. My plan to post three to five times a week has been soundly shot in the foot. But alas, all is not lost and soon, we'll be back on schedule.

I'm going to take this little blip in time to do a bit more housekeeping.

First off, I'd like to invite you to follow the blog on Facebook.  Click here to go to the Facebook page. Once there, you can "like" the page and become a fan. This means you'll receive any updates as they occur on Facebook.

Secondly, please consider subscribing to the blog. You may do this through various links on the sidebar including subscribing through RSS feeds and through email. You can also subscribe through Networked Blogs, an app on Facebook. Subscribing ensures that you will have immediate new posts as they are published.

Twitter is another way to follow me. I tweet with some regularity about random thoughts, daily happenings, and also use Twitter to announce new posts that have been published. It's a fun way to connect and allows for some communication.

Because of the two recent problems with Blogger, I'm considering moving the blog to WordPress. If I do so, I will publish at both addresses simultaneously for a while to get everyone moved over, but it would be a transition. I'm hesitant to do it, but also hate the frequency of issues I'm having with this platform. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the possibility of a transition. I'll keep you updated as changes occur.

Your comments have been amazing and I love reading what you have to say. Thanks for being interactive in this way and I look forward to more of the same as we move along. Your loyalty has been appreciated.

As today is Memorial Day here in the States, I'd like to take a moment to thank all those who have served, or are currently serving in our armed forces. Your dedication to our freedom and safety is appreciated beyond what words can express. Both of my fathers served in the Air Force. I have friends who served, painfully so, in Vietnam and sadly, returned to a country with no appreciation for their efforts. Even now, I have friends who are serving in the Army and have witnessed firsthand the the struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan. To each of these, I say "Thank You" a hundred times over. May we all be thankful for the men and women who keep our country safe.

My Favorite Game

There aren't many games I'm great at. I love Backgammon, and Scrabble, and a rousing game of Canasta, but I'm not really very good at any of them. There is, however, one game I'm a hands-down champion at; the game of "What If?" Now that is a game I can really sink my teeth into and get some traction at.

Generally a one-player game, the psychic rush of "What If?"  may be ramped up by the inclusion of a close friend who wordlessly adheres to the understood credo that, while it's OK to dispute a little, too much can be akin to friendship heresy. If no friends are around to take on this role, however, a drama-filled game may be played alone.

"What if I get fired from my job?"

"What if I never meet anyone and end up dying alone?"

"What if I don't make enough money this year?"

"What if I get cancer?"

"What if the bank forecloses on the house?"

"What if my daughter is killed in a car accident?"

The game of "What If?" unleashes our imaginations and projects us into a future rife with imagined problems and ills. How many of us ever really play the game with a positive spin? "What if everything goes well for me in the next two weeks?" Be honest. We never play that way.

This game, this view into the future through a distorted lens, isn't a view at all, but a horribly twisted fantasy. It robs us of energy and more importantly, it robs us of the present. So much of our time is spent reliving what has happened in the past, or considering what the future may hold, even as our present is slipping away without so much as the recognition of the gift it offers.

Think for a moment. How do you spend your time in the shower? Doing all the basic tasks of getting clean, I know. But where is your mind while you're scrubbing? Does it visit the past? Does it indulge in fantasies of the future? While processing the past is important, and reminding ourselves of what is to come in our day is equally important, the present should take center stage. I challenge you to be in the moment, to practice being in the moment, the next time you're in the shower. Close your eyes and savor the water on your body. Savor the peace, and safety, and solitude of those few moments alone. Recognize the treasure of the present.

When I feel myself ramping up to a game of "What If?" I bring myself back to the present by reminding myself of a few simple truths. Whatever the future may hold, for this moment, I am safe. For this moment, I have food to eat, shelter over my head, and I am physically safe. For this moment, I am okay.

I challenge you to be present in the present in the coming days. Be open to each moment and resist the urge to borrow unrealized troubles from the future. I'm working on it too, right alongside you.

Exceptional Gain through Loss

A little over eight months ago, I did something radical. I got rid of stuff. Doesn't sound so earth-shattering perhaps, but for me, it was more than just filling a few boxes for a garage sale.  Instead, it was renewal and a rebirth of sorts.

Clutter breeds chaos, and chaos breeds inertia. Who can think, or plan, or even just effectively function when a world of goods is virtually tumbling down around our feet? No, I'm not a hoarder. Material goods were not actually cluttering the floors of my home. But the truth is, though my life is simple in many ways, I had collected far too much.

How many cookbooks does one really need? And that stack of old magazines with all those clever suggestions for home organization? Yes, well...we see how far that went. Truth is, I had taken a hard look around my home and was disgusted by the collection of useless items I had accumulated. I mean, really, what is the point?

I suspect the point is diversion. Though we don't admit it to ourselves easily, we often try to find diversion from the empty and cloaked corners of our lives; the dark shadows we'd prefer to ignore. We cover those spaces up, preferring instead to focus on the bright, new, shiny bits we stack up in front of them. Trouble is, the shiny bits lose their luster with time and we work to replace them, faster and faster, to avoid the reality of what lies just behind.

Failing marriage? New piece of jewelry might divert our attention for a while. Eating too much? Perhaps some new drapes for the house before the gigantic T.V. is installed. Lonely? The newest tech gadget lures with the promise of connectedness.

We need things to live in this world, that's true. But we need far less than we imagine we do. The stuff of our lives can come to rule us and nearly stop us in our tracks when it comes to forward movement. Sometimes, we resort to surrounding ourselves with toys just to assure ourselves, and others, that we're okay. Diversion.

Perhaps it's time to cast a few things off and take a peek into those dark corners. When we lose "stuff," we gain focus, and often find energy. Energy to pour into personal growth, into relationships, and into the things that really matter.

It's Spring just now, right before the heat of summer sets in. Maybe it's a good time to test the theory. I challenge you to empty your life of some useless "stuff" and breathe in renewed energy as light floods all the corners once again. Let me know how it works for you!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a closet to sort out...

The Meaning of Life

A good friend of mine keeps urging me to write a post on the meaning of life. Let me go back and rephrase that, or at least part of it...MEANING OF LIFE. Doesn't it just feel like those words should be in capital letters? I mean, when I encounter them, I immediately sense their weight and implied significance. Do we ever really feel like we have the meaning of life figured out? Are we even supposed to have it figured out?

If we are, then I suspect I'm totally behind the eight ball on that one. I am simply nowhere close to being able to profess that I know the meaning of life. I do, however, have some thoughts on the subject, as you might expect.

There is meaning to life; of that, I am certain. There is a point and purpose to human existence on this planet. Because of the sheer number of us and our social nature, I'm inclined to believe that meaning is found somewhere in the intricate web of human interaction. Aristotle said, "What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good." Pablo Casals put a further point on it when he stated, "I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance." I think they were on to something.

We were created for meaning and purpose. Another point of which I am certain, and which is slightly different than the first. I believe in God. Higher power, supreme being, the universe; however you wish to state it is OK by me. I'm not here to force feed anyone my spiritual beliefs. But I believe in God. Inherent in that belief is the notion that we were created to be something other than robots or puppets, and that worship of the Creator is part of my meaning and purpose. We were created for meaning and purpose. There is a point to our existence. The craving for "something more" that we each recognize along the way is evidence of it.

At some point or the other, we all contemplate meaning. Some consider it for fleeting moments and then hastily work to bury it beneath the stuff of everyday living in an attempt to ease the vague feeling of uncertainty the pondering can cause. Others spend their whole lives chasing its promise of fulfillment, and in doing so, miss key moments along the way which might contribute to its understanding. There is, surely, a balance to be found.

I think contemplation on the meaning of life, the meaning of our life, can be exceptionally elucidating by spurring us on towards conscious living. That is to say, moving us toward a life lived with purpose, awake, and within the framework of a belief system. When we seek to peek below the surface of the mechanics of daily living, we open ourselves up to fulfillment and peace. We open ourselves to possibility.

I don't have it all wrapped up and I'm still seeking to understand the meaning of life. But I do know, that for me, living consciously is a piece of it. I know, that for me, I find meaning in relationship with God. I know, that for me, I find meaning in caring for my neighbor and relationship with others. My hope is that I remain open to the ever-evolving nature of the meaning of my life. How about you?

Does your Cell Phone Affect What you Think about Others?

A few posts back, I shared a couple of videos by Dr. Bruce Lipton Click Here for the Post. In those videos, he made mention of the fields that we all live in. He specifically mentioned the magnetic and radio fields and how those fields may alter our realities, experiences, and behaviors. His information is based upon his previous work cloning stem cells. Through his work, he discovered that it is the environment of the cell that determines the pattern and purpose of growth, not only the genetics of the cell. His findings disputed the central dogma of molecular biology, but have since contributed to the field of epigenetics.

Today, I'm sharing with you a video in which Rebecca Saxe shares her work at MIT. In the lab, they have learned that the application of magnetic pulses to a particular region of the brain alters the moral judgments that people make regarding the actions of others. It's a fascinating video and well worth the time it takes to watch.

My question is this: If, in fact, we know that focused application of electromagnetic energy can alter brain perception, function, or conclusion, and we know that we live in an environment increasingly flooded by electromagnetic signals, (due to the increase of technology which uses such signals) is there a link between our increasingly electromagnetized environment and our perceived increase in behaviorally manifested disorders of the brain?

Perhaps a stretch, but a question that lingered in my mind after watching both videos and another regarding further work at MIT on the application of magnetic signal to the brain. What are your thoughts?