The Quantum Self & Meditation

tl;dr: Through meditation, we observe our selves. The act of observation changes us.

One of the big, and befuddling, insights about quantum mechanics is that, as Werner Heisenber said,

‘the transition from the ‘possible’ to the ‘actual’ take place during the act of observation”

Before we observe something, the ‘thing’ exists in a state of quantum superposition, encompassing an infinite number of probabilities. It is the very act of observation of the thing that “collapses” the wave of possibilities into a particle of observable fact.

When we meditate, which can take many forms, we are focused on increasing our self-awareness by becoming observers of our “selfs.”

As I understand it, we observe ourselves and practice noticing without judgment.

There is a Buddhist idea that I saw somewhere, though I can’t seem to find it right now, that one of the challenges within meditation is to “find where the thoughts come from.” This process is a never ending loop but, if I get it, is designed to help foster an appreciation for the “emptiness” that can arise and thus a total appreciation (maybe even ‘enlightenment’?) of the interconnectedness of all things.

But here’s where they come together.

If, according to quantum, the mere act of observation changes the possible to the actual, then it stands to reason that the act of observation of the self that comes from meditation also changes the possible to the actual. In essence, it’s self-realization that comes from the ongoing act of self-observation.

In quantum, there is no past or future, there is only the ongoing process of eternal creation as expressed in the present. Which means that each of us is literally re-creating ourselves every single moment as we live, but we have a chance to intentionally re-create ourselves by focusing our attention on things that elevate our self-awareness, thus leading to a more positive evolutionary process.

Now, my head is spinning.

Bottom line…self-observation leads to self-actualization, but not self-centeredness.