dEAR ALL
Many of you are or might be confused when YNji writes and I do reply
combining the literatures of India . Many would feel it is too deep to
understand at this age. But time tells everybody let's know about
ourselves. Maybe repetitive reading or even skipping lines would in due
course flash within you the value of our literature. Really we have a
treasure or else will the European fools waste their time and write 1000s
of books? The shameful part of it is we Indians did not do that much
research.mWe do not have in our libraries so many books of europe. But USA
libraries all over have plenty of those to read and understand about us
-about us from a foreign soil. We don't know whether we are born again as
human; if so again we would come across to know about India; and even if to
start only from the scratch. But now we have the time. We try and if added
into the mind in rebirths we may continue. Thank you KR IRS 19825
The Concept of Quantum Entanglement
Quantum entanglement is one of the most counterintuitive phenomena in
quantum mechanics. Initially conceptualized by Albert Einstein, Boris
Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen in their EPR paradox paper in 1935, quantum
entanglement describes how particles become linked in such a way that the
state of one particle instantaneously affects the state of
another—regardless of the distance separating them (Einstein, Podolsky, &
Rosen, 1935).
Erwin Schrödinger expanded upon this idea, describing it as “spooky action
at a distance,” a term still used today to encapsulate the mysterious
nature of the phenomenon (Schrödinger, 1935).
When two particles are entangled, their quantum states, such as spin or
polarization, become interconnected. If the spin of one particle is
measured and found to be up, for example, the other particle, no matter how
far away, will instantly adopt a spin-down state. { if atom on earth is
spinning east to west; it’s entangled similar atom in SATURN SO FAR WAY,
will be spinning west to east.}
Quantum entanglement doesn't inherently mean spins must be opposite;
rather, their spins are correlated, such that if one particle is measured
as "spin up," the other will always be "spin down" when measured along the
same axis, and vice versa. This opposite correlation arises from the
conservation principles during particle creation and results in a single,
unified quantum state for the entangled pair, which is described by a joint
wave function that collapses upon measurement.
quantum spin is an intrinsic angular momentum. It is a property particles
possess because they are that particle. This angular momentum would be
produced if a particle were to physically spin but the measured values are
simply too high. The necessary speed of rotation would be faster than light
*The original Stern-Gerlach experiment* examined the behavior of
silver atoms in magnetic fields <https://brilliant.org/wiki/magnetic-field/>.
Magnetic dipoles couple to magnetic fields; they feel a force F=∇(μ⃗⋅B⃗)*F*=
∇(*μ*⋅*B*) where μ*μ* is the magnetic dipole moment
<https://brilliant.org/wiki/magnetic-moment/> and B*B* is the magnetic
field vector. Since silver atoms only have one valence electron
<https://brilliant.org/wiki/valence-electrons/> with zero orbital angular
momentum <https://brilliant.org/wiki/conservation-of-angular-momentum/>
(a 5s5*s* electron), any coupling of silver atoms to magnetic fields is
due to an *intrinsic magnetic dipole moment* or *spin* of the electron.
Since only the behavior of the valence electron matters, the rest of this
article will refer to electrons where silver atoms were actually used
originally.
In the Stern-Gerlach experiment, the magnetic field gradient ∇B∇*B* is
aligned along the z-axis and set to some constant C*C* so that electrons
are deflected in the magnetic field according to the magnetic dipole
moment: F=Cμ*F*=*Cμ*. *If the electrons are spin-up in the z-direction,
they are deflected upwards, whereas if the electrons are spin-down in the
z-direction, they are deflected downwards*. This experiment provided the
first evidence for the quantization of spin: on a detecting screen behind
the magnets, only two peaks appear rather than a continuous spectrum,
corresponding to the two possible quantized values of spin rather than a
continuous distribution of possible magnetic dipole moments.
CAN IT BE REVERSED? YES, BUT BOTH CANNOT BE MADE TO REVERSE IN THE SAME
DIRECTION; BUT REVERSAL OF OPPOSITE BETWEEN THE TWO MAY BE DINE VIZ UP TO
DOWN AND DOWN TO UP.
WHY SPOOKY? BECAUSE TERE IS NO ANSWER IN SCIENCE AS TO WHY IT IS SO
HAPPENNING. AND NON-ENTANGLED? FREEDOM OF CHOICE BUT ONCE MOVVING OR
MOMENT STARTED, ENTANGLEMENT HAS TO TAKE PLACE; AND THAT MAKESS TRAVEL OF
BOTH FASTER THAN LIGHT; HENCE BOTH ARE SO MUCH DISTANCE APART IN NEXT THOU
SECOND. HENCE BOTH CANNOT BE SEEN TOGETHER IN EXPERIMENT BUT BY ONLY ONE BY
ONE OR BY TWO PERSONS. IN MY OPINION THE POTENTIAAL ENERGY OF THE TWO SIVAM
AND SAKTI AS 2 ATOMS OR 2 NEUTRONS AND PROTONS , STARTS A MOVEMENT KINECTIC
BY CHURNING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, SO THAT SPIN DOES OCCUR AND MOVE
FASTER THAN LIGHT.
This occurs faster than the speed of light, seemingly violating the
classical view of locality. However, this does not mean that information is
transferred faster than light since entanglement does not involve
communication in the conventional sense (Bell, 1987).[bell’s theorem]
Experimental confirmation of entanglement came in the 1970s through work by
physicists such as John Clauser and Alain Aspect, whose studies showed that
the predictions of quantum mechanics—rather than classical physics—were
correct in describing entangled particles (Aspect, 1999).
Entanglement is now recognized as a foundational principle in quantum
computing and quantum cryptography, with potential applications that could
revolutionize technology.
Human Connection: Psychological and Biological Foundations
Human connection, in contrast to quantum entanglement, is well explored
within the fields of psychology and biology. Humans are inherently social
beings; connection is essential for survival, emotional well-being, and
societal development. Neuroscientific studies have shown that interpersonal
relationships activate key areas in the brain associated with empathy,
trust, and reward (Lieberman, 2013).
Neurochemicals such as oxytocin play a pivotal role in fostering social
bonding and emotional closeness. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the
"love hormone" due to its significant influence on maternal behaviors,
romantic attachment, and overall social bonding (Young & Wang, 2004).
The psychology of human connection is similarly complex. John Bowlby’s
attachment theory posits that early relationships between infants and
caregivers shape one’s capacity to form healthy relationships throughout
life (Bowlby, 1988).
Secure attachment is associated with emotional stability and the ability to
form meaningful connections, while insecure attachment can result in
difficulties with intimacy and trust in adulthood.
Additionally, Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious suggests
that humans share a deep, instinctive bond that transcends individual
experience. According to Jung, this collective unconscious is made up of
shared symbols, archetypes, and experiences that connect all humans
subconsciously (Jung, 1969).
In this sense, human connection may extend beyond the personal and into the
collective psyche, hinting at parallels with the non-local phenomena of
quantum entanglement.
Metaphorical Connections: Quantum Entanglement and Human Relationships
While quantum entanglement belongs to the realm of physics, some scholars
and theorists have explored its potential metaphorical connection to human
relationships. These parallels are speculative but intriguing, especially
in discussions of synchronicity, empathy, and intuition.
Synchronicity, a term coined by Carl Jung, describes meaningful
coincidences that seem connected despite lacking a direct causal
relationship. Jung believed these events might reflect a deeper level of
reality, in which all things are interconnected (Jung, 1969).
While quantum entanglement does not directly cause such coincidences, the
idea of distant particles influencing each other instantaneously mirrors
the kind of inexplicable connections many people experience in
relationships—such as thinking of a loved one just before they call or
feeling an inexplicable emotional connection to someone far away.
Furthermore, empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of
others—could be viewed through the lens of entanglement. Studies in
neuroscience suggest that humans are wired to “mirror” the emotional states
of those around them through mirror neurons, brain cells that activate both
when we perform an action and when we observe others performing the same
action (Iacoboni, 2008).
In this sense, one might draw a metaphorical parallel to quantum
entanglement, as empathy involves a form of interconnectedness that
transcends physical space.
Scientific Speculation: Can Quantum Entanglement Explain Consciousness?
A more controversial area of speculation considers whether quantum
entanglement might offer a literal explanation for human consciousness and
interpersonal connection. Some researchers in the field of quantum biology
have suggested that certain processes within the brain may operate at the
quantum level. For example, physicist Roger Penrose and anesthesiologist
Stuart Hameroff developed the Orch-OR theory, which proposes that consciousness
arises from quantum processes within microtubules—structures found in
neurons (Hameroff & Penrose, 2014).
According to this theory, quantum entanglement could play a role in
unifying the experiences of individual neurons to create a coherent
conscious experience.
While this theory remains highly speculative and lacks empirical validation,
it opens up a potential avenue for exploring how quantum phenomena might
intersect with human cognition. If quantum processes are indeed involved in
consciousness, it is possible that quantum entanglement could also
influence interpersonal experiences, though there is no direct evidence
supporting this claim.
Challenges and Criticisms
The primary challenge of linking quantum entanglement with human connection
lies in the speculative nature of the claims. Quantum mechanics operates at
the subatomic level, while human relationships and consciousness occur at
the macro level. [micro macro levels raise a doubt] There is currently no
empirical evidence that quantum entanglement plays a role in human
experiences such as empathy, intuition, or synchronicity. Furthermore,
experts in quantum physics caution against stretching the concept of
entanglement beyond its scientific boundaries. As physicist Sean Carroll
notes, “Quantum mechanics is a mathematical framework that describes how
particles behave. Applying it metaphorically to human experience risks
oversimplifying both physics and psychology” (Carroll, 2016). The
temptation to bridge these two realms is understandable, given their shared
themes of interconnectedness. Still, any direct application of quantum
entanglement to human relationships remains in the realm of philosophy
rather than science.
THUS, WHAT INDIAN RISHIS EXPLAINED IN THE Vedas for foresight and
Gnana Drishti, Para kaya pravesam etc. is being explored after 10000 years,
the modern scientists under the quantum Mechanics as Quantum entanglement
which can do the same; and the surprise element is, while our scriptures
were quoted as a mere verses and myth, the modern science having found the
happenings , cannot attribute the reasons scientifically, but named it as
SPOOKY.
A simplified version of this thought experiment, attributed to
David Bohm, considers the decay of a particle called the pi meson. When
this particle decays, it produces an electron and a positron that have
opposite spin and are moving away from each other. Therefore, if the
electron spin is measured to be up, then the measured spin of the positron
could only be down, and vice versa. This is true even if the particles are
billions of miles apart.
This would be fine if the measurement of the electron spin were always
up and the measured spin of the positron were always down. But because of
quantum mechanics, the spin of each particle is both part up and part down
until it is measured. Only when the measurement occurs does the quantum
state of the spin “collapse” into either up or down – instantaneously
collapsing the other particle into the opposite spin. This seems to suggest
that the particles communicate with each other through some means that
moves faster than the speed of light. But according to the laws of physics,
nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Surely the measured
state of one particle cannot instantaneously determine the state of another
particle at the far end of the universe?
Interconnectedness:
Entangled particles are not separate entities but rather parts of a single,
unified system described by a joint quantum wave function.
Instantaneous Correlation:
Measuring a property of one entangled particle instantly determines the
corresponding property of its entangled partner(s), seemingly violating
classical notions of locality.
Applications:
Quantum Computing: Entanglement is a crucial resource for building quantum
computers, which leverage quantum phenomena like superposition and
entanglement to perform computations beyond the reach of classical
computers.
Quantum Cryptography: Entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD)
allows for secure communication by using the shared quantum state of
entangled particles to generate cryptographic keys, which can be used to
encrypt and decrypt messages.
Quantum Communication: Entanglement can be used to enable new forms of
quantum communication, including quantum teleportation, where the quantum
state of a particle
The quantum information perspective illuminates some of the
most profound questions in physics. For example, quantum information is the
key to understanding the mystery of black holes and perhaps the entire
universe. It also leads us to new quantum technologies that quickly and
automatically encode and process quantum information.
Our scriptures discussed mainly about the atman and the body as
different things. Also says atman travelled. Atman is unseen. Entangled
atoms are also unseen by the same person or by that person, where exactly
it is travelling then. So we have been describing the ashtama siddhi as the
highest levels of the neurons and its photons. Neuron capability are well
written in our scriptures. And NASA did experiment communications between
siddhas at a distant place but were perplexed SPOOKY. Nothing can travel
without any medium. So thoughts cannot travel without the neurons, a kind
of atom. So, atoms can travel was long ago established in the verses of the
Rig vedam. And followed up by the Rishi Kanada in the Mimamsa. Yet we are
branded as myth fellows! As 2 atoms can be at places parted by planetary
distances and yet carry the same characteristics, so too, Krishna can be
anywhere. Rishis may travel in mano veha vayu veha to any places. Atoms
may enter any body. Neurons thoughts can be exchanged. SAN DIEGO RESEARCH
STATIONS HAD WRITTEN ABOUT IT AND NASA ACCEPTED IT. BUT YET UNABLE TO
RECONCILE WITH THE VEDAS. Atma and the body are different; so body can be
shirked in one place; and travel as atom quanta in another position, place
or, body. SIRANJEEVINESS IS FEASIBLE. SIDDHAS ARE ALIVE. HIGHEST LEVEL OF
CONSCIOUSNESS WAS EXPOSED 10000 YEARS BACK BY OUR SCIENTISTS.
Understanding the Concept in Sanskrit Philosophy
While a specific term isn't available, the phenomenon of quantum
entanglement can be understood in the context of ancient Indian thought by
focusing on the interconnectedness of all things.
Tadātmyata (तदात्म्यता): This term, meaning "becoming one with," can be
used to describe the inseparable nature of entangled particles, where their
states are linked regardless of distance, similar to how different aspects
of the universe are considered to be integrated in some philosophical
traditions.
Anyonyasambandha (अन्योन्यसंबन्ध): This phrase, meaning "mutual
relationship," highlights the interconnectedness between entangled
particles, where the state of one instantly influences the state of the
other.
Interconnectedness in the Vedas: Ancient Indian texts like the Upanishads
suggest that energy and matter at fundamental levels are interconnected and
can influence one another over vast distances. This concept resonates with
the principle of non-locality in quantum entanglement.
Conceptual Parallels
The idea of quantum entanglement is sometimes compared to certain concepts
in Indian philosophy:
The concept of the entangled universe: The idea that the entire universe
belongs to one family, with particles deeply connected from their origin,
is explored in Puranic stories and philosophy.
The interconnected nature of reality: The Upanishads and other Vedic texts
speak about how the observer and the observed are not separate, suggesting
a deeper unity that mirrors the interconnectedness of entangled particles.
Quantum physics is one of the most remarkable developments of
the 20th century. Until the early 1900s or so, Isaac Newton’s laws of
motion dominated the study of the physical universe. They were later
‘upgraded’, for the most part, by Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity,
and together, they could satisfactorily explain almost all physical
phenomena. These classical theories formed the bedrock on which the entire
superstructure of physics rested.
Quantum physics took shape through several counterintuitive discoveries
regarding the inconsistent behaviour of light. James Maxwell showed in 1865
that light could be modelled as electromagnetic waves. In 1905, Albert
Einstein published his paper on the photoelectric effect, where he proposed
that light is composed of tiny massless particles called photons. Louis de
Broglie, a French aristocrat, unified these views in 1924 with a bold
suggestion that all matter exhibits wave-like behaviour. This proposition,
known as the wave-particle duality, opened up a Pandora’s box of arguments
that challenge the nature of reality, even its very existence.
According to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, observing
an object causes it to lose its quantum nature and collapse into the
classical form we’re used to. This collapse of the wave function implies
that the reality we see exists only when we are there to observe it. And an
observer does not merely observe reality; she creates it.
If left to themselves, things would remain as waves until somebody observed
them. Einstein, who could not reconcile himself with this, summed up the
strangeness of quantum physics when he asked a friend, “Do you believe the
Moon exists only when I look at it?”
Subjective reality of the Upanishads
Schrödinger was first exposed to Indian philosophy around 1918, through the
writings of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. An ardent student
of the Upanishads, Schopenhauer had declared, “In the whole world there is
no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has
been the solace of my life. It will be the solace of my death.”
The Upanishads describe the relationship between the Brahman and the Atman.
Brahman is the universal self or the ultimate singular reality. The Atman
is the individual’s inner self, the soul. A central tenet of the Upanishads
is tat tvam asi, which means the Brahman and the Atman are identical. There
is only one universal self, and we are all one with it.
The Isha Upanishad states, “the Brahman forms everything that is living or
non-living … the wise man knows that all beings are identical with his
self, and his self is the self of all beings.”
Schrödinger was fascinated by this thought. According to Subhash Kak’s book
The Wishing Tree (2008), Schrödinger named his dog Atman, and his
conference talks would, by one account, often end with the statement
‘Atman=Brahman’, that he would call – somewhat self-aggrandizing – the
second Schrödinger’s equation. When his affair with the Irish artist Sheila
May ended, she wrote him a letter that alluded to this fascination: “I
looked into your eyes and found all life there, that spirit which you said
was no more you or me, but us, one mind, one being … you can love me all
your life, but we are two now, not one.”
Quantum physics eliminates the gap between the observer and the observed.
The Upanishads say that the observer and the observed are the same things.
In his 1944 book What is Life? Schrödinger took on a peculiar line of
thought. If the world is indeed created by our act of observation, there
should be billions of such worlds, one for each of us. How come your world
and my world are the same? If something happens in my world, does it happen
in your world, too? What causes all these worlds to synchronise with each
other?
We only know the space as the observer and the observed. I look at this
microphone as an observer, and there is the object which is the microphone.
There is a space between the observer and the observed. This space is
distance, distance being time. There is the observer and the distance
between him and a star or mountain. You are asking what the other space is,
which is not this. I cannot tell you; I can only tell you that as long as
this space as the observer and the observed exists, the other is not. There
is a way of freeing the observer who creates the space as the observer and
the observed. However much you may extend that space, it will always exist.
There is an airplane overhead. You, as an observer, as a listener, listen
to that sound. You are the listener, and the sound is there – there is a
gap. The gap is a time interval. There is the observer and there is the
observed
Are you your thoughts, or the observer behind them? The Bhagavad Gita
unravels this profound question, guiding us through self-awareness,
detachment, and the nature of identity. Krishna’s teachings explain that we
are not our fleeting emotions or mental chatter but the eternal self beyond
them. This article explores what the Gita says about identity, how to
detach from thoughts and emotions, and Krishna’s wisdom on
self-realization. Discover how understanding the observer and the observed
philosophy can lead to inner peace and clarity in daily life.
"उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥"
(Lift yourself by yourself; do not let yourself fall. The mind alone is the
friend, and the mind alone is the enemy of the self. – Bhagavad Gita 6.5)
Ever had one of those moments where you catch yourself overthinking
everything? One minute, you're hyped about a new opportunity, and the next,
you're doubting if you're even good enough.
We all have that little voice in our head—sometimes it lifts us up, other
times it drags us down. But here’s the real question: If you can observe
your thoughts, then are you really just your thoughts?
The Bhagavad Gita cuts straight to the point: No, you are not. You are
something far greater.
And this isn’t just ancient wisdom—it’s something we feel every day. The
frustration when our mind won’t stop racing. The peace we feel in rare
moments of stillness. The realization that no matter how much our thoughts
change, something within us remains steady.
So, what does Krishna say about this? And how can it change the way we see
ourselves? Let’s dive in.
1. You Are Not Your Thoughts—You Are the Witness
"मानसं तु परं चित्तं चित्तादपि हि बोधिकम्। बोधिकोऽपि परो जीवस्तं न तं वेत्ति
कश्चन।।"
(The mind is higher than the senses, intelligence higher than the mind, but
beyond intelligence is the true self—yet few realize this.)
Our bodies age. Our cells regenerate. We are physically not the same person
we were ten years ago, yet something within us remains unchanged. What is
that constant presence?
Krishna explains:
"वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि।"
(Just as one discards old clothes and wears new ones, the soul sheds the
body and takes another – Bhagavad Gita 2.22)
Your body is just an instrument, like a vehicle. The real 'you' is the
driver, not the car. But somewhere along the way, we start mistaking the
car for the driver.
We are taught to look at our world with judging, assessing, criticizing,
idealistic, skeptical, imaginative, and fearful or hopeful eyes — not
physical eyes, but the metaphorical eyes of perception or thought. We look
at other people and size them up or we look at something natural such as a
tree and automatically think of its parts — leaves, branches, bark, and so
on.
We have been trained to observe everything in this way. Instead of taking
in the whole of our world we fragment everything and reduce every object,
person, and event to mental talking points. While this sort of
piece-by-piece thinking is helpful for driving, learning a language, or
putting together a book shelf, it is stifling when we apply it to what we
are and when we are trying to figure out why our suffering exists.
We can look at the observer-observed dynamic in several ways. It is true
atomically, because all of reality is made of atoms, and in this respect we
are all physically made of the same basic dynamic, complex, fundamental
parts. Or we can consider that when we break anything and everything down
to its most fundamental state, all we are left with is space; and we are
all this same space. And we can say that there is only one singular
movement of existence, which is consciousness, and we are all
consciousness. We can also consider that each one of us is the wide-open
capacity for the entire reality that is within this capacity — each of us
contains the world and one another. My wife likes to use the analogy that
we are all like individual cameras seeing the goings-on of life, and each
camera is hooked up to a single broadcasting or recording device.
He Schrodinger, found his answer, again, in the Upanishads. “There is
obviously only one alternative,” he wrote, “namely the unification of minds
or consciousnesses. Their multiplicity is only apparent; in truth there is
only one mind. This is the doctrine of the Upanishads.”
According to the Upanishads, Brahman alone exists. Everything we see around
us is Maya, a distortion of the Brahman caused due to our ignorance and
imperfect senses. The Chāndogya Upanishad says, “All this is Brahman.
Everything comes from Brahman, everything goes back to Brahman, and
everything is sustained by Brahman.”
On this, Schrödinger wrote, “… there is only one thing and that what seems
to be a plurality is merely a series of different aspects of this one
thing, produced by a deception (the Indian Maya); the same illusion is
produced in a gallery of mirrors, and in the same way Gaurisankar and Mt
Everest turned out to be the same peak seen from different valleys.”
It is easy to see why such a concept would have appealed to Schrödinger.
Quantum physics insists that reality exists as waves, and wave-particle
duality arises due to our observation. Because we cannot perceive the true
wave nature of reality, our observation reduces it to the incomplete
reality we see. This reduction is what we know as the collapse of the wave
function. The emergence of Maya thus neatly maps to the collapse.
Schrödinger was not making passing references to the Upanishads; instead,
he had wholly internalized their core message. “Myriads of suns, surrounded
by possibly inhabited planets, multiplicity of galaxies, each one with its
myriads of suns… According to me, all these things are Maya.”
In quantum physics, the phrase "the observer is the observed"
is a philosophical interpretation stemming from the observer effect, where
the act of measurement, or observation, fundamentally changes the system being
observed, but it is not a statement that a conscious person's mind creates
quantum reality. Rather, in quantum mechanics, an "observer" is any
physical apparatus or detector that interacts with a quantum system,
forcing it to behave like a particle instead of a wave and thereby changing
its properties. This interaction is the "observation," and the system being
measured is the "observed".
The Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics
Measurement as Interaction: In the quantum realm, "observation" means a
physical interaction that measures a quantum system's properties. This
interaction inevitably alters the quantum system.
Quantum-Wave Duality: For example, particles like electrons can exhibit
wave-like behavior, spreading out and passing through multiple openings at
once (interference).
Consequence of Observation: When an observer (a detector) interacts with
these particles, it forces them to behave like particles. The mere
detection at one point "collapses" the wave function, and interference
patterns disappear.
Not About Consciousness: The "observer" doesn't need to be a conscious
human; it can be a simple electronic detector or a magnetic trap. The
effect is due to the unavoidable physical interaction between the
measurement apparatus and the quantum system being measured.
The "Observer is the Observed" Philosophy
Intertwined System: The phrase suggests that in quantum mechanics, the
distinction between the observer (the measurement apparatus) and the
observed (the quantum system) can become blurred.
Modified Reality: The act of measuring the observed system inherently
alters it, leading to the conclusion that the process of observation is
intertwined with the outcome observed.
The Role of the Measurement Apparatus: The "observer" and the "observed"
are distinct but linked, where the interaction between them transforms the
observed system into a state corresponding to the measurement's outcome.
The Upanishads describe how reality arises out of consciousness. But
consciousness cannot be found inside our bodies as a substance or an organ.
In that case, how can a non-material consciousness interact with and
control our material bodies? Exactly where does the mind interact with
matter? This question is known as the mind-body problem and has vexed
philosophers for a long time.
Since we haven’t been able to locate or explain this interaction, we’re
left with a deceptively simple choice: either consciousness or reality
doesn’t exist.
Most exponents of modern science today lean towards the materialist view –
that consciousness is a byproduct of the neurochemical processes occurring
in our brain. It depends on these processes and cannot exist without them.
On the other hand, the Upanishads uphold an idealist view – that
consciousness exists by itself, and that the physical world depends on it.
There is no objective reality that exists independently of the observer.
Schrödinger supported this view and lamented the aversion for it: “it must
be said that to Western thought this doctrine has little appeal, it is
unpalatable, it is dubbed fantastic, unscientific. Well, so it is because
our science – Greek science – is based on objectivation, whereby it has cut
itself off from an adequate understanding of the subject of cognizance, of
the mind.”
So the mind-body problem, he wrote, “is our fruitless quest for the place
where mind acts on matter or vice-versa … The material world has only been
constructed at the price of taking the self, that is, mind, out of it,
removing it; mind is not part of it; obviously, therefore, it can neither
act on it nor be acted on by any of its parts.”
Physicists and Upanishads
Schrödinger was moved by the Upanishads. He discussed it with everyone he
met and made determined efforts to incorporate it in his life. The epitaph
on his tombstone reads, “… So all Being is an one and only Being; And that
it continues to be when someone dies; [this] tells you, that he did not
cease to be.”
And he wasn’t alone. Niels Bohr had famously said, “I go to the Upanishad
to ask questions.” In The Tao of Physics (1975), Fritjof Capra wrote of the
time Heisenberg met Rabindranath Tagore, and that the “introduction to
Indian thought brought Heisenberg great comfort.”
Niels Bohr, also a founder of the Copenhagen interpretation, wrote:
all unambiguous information concerning atomic objects is derived from the
permanent marks such as a spot on a photographic plate, caused by the
impact of an electron left on the bodies which define the experimental
conditions. Far from involving any special intricacy, the irreversible
amplification effects on which the recording of the presence of atomic
objects rests rather remind us of the essential irreversibility inherent in
the very concept of observation. The description of atomic phenomena has in
these respects a perfectly objective character, in the sense that no
explicit reference is made to any individual observer and that therefore,
with proper regard to relativistic exigencies, no ambiguity is involved in
the communication of information
J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the Manhattan Project to develop the world’s
first nuclear weapons, learned Sanskrit so he could read the Bhagavad Gita
in its original form. When he witnessed the first atom bomb explode, he
famously recalled a verse from the Gita, where Krishna shows Arjuna his
true form. He translated the verse into English thus: “Now I am become
death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The Upanishads provided solace – a conception of reality and the universe
based on observation and reasoning. In the precepts of these texts, the
physicists found moral comfort, intellectual courage and spiritual guidance.
Nothing attests to the importance of these philosophical edifices less than
absurd claims that Schrödinger and other scientists merely baked the
lessons of the Upanishads into quantum theory. Such statements are
misleading through and through. Schrödinger was, foremost, a physicist
deeply entrenched in the methods of science. Indian philosophy soothed his
soul but it is unlikely that it helped him frame mathematical equations.
Indeed, Schrödinger was often critical of many Indian ideas and pointed out
that they were prone to superstition. Modern science, according to him,
represented the zenith of human thought. He sought Indian philosophy not to
replace the methods of science but to be inspired. He was aware that mixing
two systems of thought separated by thousands of years was not easy. He
believed Western thought needed to borrow ideas from Indian philosophy –
with great care. As he wrote,
“I do believe that this is precisely the point where our present way of
thinking does need to be amended, perhaps by a bit of blood-transfusion
from Eastern thought. That will not be easy, we must beware of blunders —
blood-transfusion always needs great precaution to prevent clotting. We do
not wish to lose the logical precision that our scientific thought has
reached, and that is unparalleled anywhere at any epoch.”
Apart from philosophy, Indian thinkers have made vital scientific
contributions to astronomy, mathematics, literature, law, biology,
psychology and most other realms of human endeavour, if not all of them.
They often do not receive the recognition due them. However, these
instances of overlooking – no matter how severe – can never be corrected by
attributing dubious achievements to these or other Indians.
The Upanishads themselves preach a message of unity and are opposed to any
form of discrimination. To adapt the words of the Isha Upanishad, “Who sees
all beings in their own self and their own self in all beings, loses all
hatred and fear.”
K RAJARAM IRS 19825
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