6 10.1.4 Research Paper

Quantum Mysticism and Its Grasp on Today’s World 

Physics is one of the many important sciences that sheds light into the arrangement of the universe around us. By describing phenomena with strong mathematic theories, physicists help us make sense of the world. As humans, we have always craved a sense of understanding and knowledge. Starting from the early Egyptians, Greek, and Romans, humans have always tried to explain the oddities in the world. With the progression of science and technology, the list of obvious oddities becomes narrower and narrower. However, there are many occureneces that science has yet to mechanistically explain. Such phenomena lie below the obvious and includes thoughts and feelings among other things. In addition to the desire to explain and understand, humans have an innate need to feel different while fitting in. This explains why a lot of us express our individuality with any chance we get in a very much consuming world. An example of humans desiring to explain odd phenomena while also differentiating themselves from the masses is Quantum Mysticism.

Identified as a pseudoscience, more specifically pseudo-theory promotion, Quantum Mysticism fits the whole criteria state in “Science Denial as a Form of Pseudoscience”(Hansson, 2017, p. 40). Quantum Mysticism fulfils the criterion of scientific domain in the sense that it does indeed pertain to an issue in a very broad and applied science — such as physics. Additionally, it also satisfies the criterion of unreliability, because most of the data supporting Quantum Mysticism is anecdotal evidence or vague descriptions. Finally, it fulfills the criterion of deviant doctrine where people claim that Quantum Mechanics and physics, in general supports, the claims of Quantum Mysticism. Although it mostly fits the definition of pseudo-theory promotion, Quantum Mysticism also has some features of science denialism. A prominent characteristic is the conspiratorial idea that the government, or some sort of “they”, are monitoring our sources – working to ensure that we are unable to find out “the truth” about raising our vibrations and finally reaching some sort of enlightenment. This is especially prominent in social media (such as TikTok).

Another interesting characteristic of Quantum Mysticism is the use of some form of concept creep. Concept creep is the gradual expansion of harm-related topics over time. It relates to Quantum Mysticism in the sense that despite the fact that concepts like energy, vibrational frequency, etc., have very defined and applied meanings in physics, they are distorted and applied to Quantum Mysticism ideas. However, despite many tries to understand underlying phenomena such as thoughts and attempts at making sense of our origins and the universe using Quantum Mysticism, there is no physics-based evidence supporting much of the spiritual acts that have gained traction in the last few years.

Quantum Mechanics Lens 

Quantum Mechanics is a relatively new subfield of physics developed in the first half of the 20th centry. The father of quantum physics is Max Planck, a German theoretical physicist, who first began to work in the quantum world and introduced h, Planck’s constant — which widely used today in a multitude of different disciplines. At the same time, Niels Bohr also made ground breaking discoveries in the structure of atom and quantum theory.

Today, Quantum Mechanics has discovered fundamental applications in medicine (MRI), molecular biology and biochemistry (NMR and Spectroscopy), and of course physics — where it is studied to understand its underlying principles. Despite the continuous strides of progress in our understanding of Quantum Mechanics, there are still many occurences left uncovered, and as a Theory of Everything has yet to be introduced. The complexity surrounding Quantum Mechanics has allowed for its sub-par interpretation. The media has taken bits and pieces about this vast topic and has applied it to theories that are often untrue. This has given rise to a pseudo-theory of Quantum Mechanics, its ugly twin, and the Hyde to its Jekyll –Quantum Mysticism.

Quantum Mysticism encompasses all attempts at society using Quantum Mechanics to describe vague metaphysical theories. Deepak Chopra is a guru and writer of the very famous books “Quantum Healing” and “Agless Body, Timeless Mind”. Chopra talks about training your mind to not stress because it is the beacon of aging. Him and many other new age self-help gurus throw around the word “quantum vibrations” and tell you to raise them without describing what they are or how to do so exactly. Vibrations are mechanical movements of particles in oscillating periodic intervals. They are a response of a system when it is disrupted from the equilibrium (vibration | physics | Britannica n.d.). Vibrational energy corresponds to the Infra-Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. When a molecule interacts with a photon whose wavelength is in the Infra-red region, the molecules change their vibrational level from ground state to an exited state, until they eventually emit that photon and fall back to ground state (Atkins et al., (2017)). This simple explanation of vibrational energies shows their volatile nature. We are constantly exposed to radiation as our vibrational frequency is not in a single wavelength but a range of such. So, is it ridiculous to make claims of using thought to raise said vibrations, when they are constantly shifting themselves.

Chopra, like other gurus, misuses science to back up personal beliefs. Many have written about and identified Chopra’s teachings as pure pseudoscience, for they are not based on quantum physics but simply an idealized version of Quantum Mysticism (Book Review n.d., The wow and the woo 2018). Many physicists, such as Victor J. Stenger, have commented on Quantum Mysticism and added that nothing in quantum physics requires the addition of supernatural qualities (Has Science Found God? 2014).

Thermodynamics Lens  

In addition to misinterpreting Quantum Physics, there has been a new age embracing  of ideas from ancient cultures like Egyptians and Greeks (History of Crystals and Healing n.d.). However, with the evolution of science and our understanding of the world, these ideas began to fade. Now, they are resurfacing significantly, especially in social media, which is often frequented by younger, more mailable generations. Examples of society using crystals to improve the quality of their personal lives is all over internet. An example lays with Sadie Kadlec, who got a raise because she was wearing crystals when she asked for it (Can Crystals Heal? Separating Facets from Facts n.d.). While some might attribute this success to one’s hard work and persistence, Kadlec vouches that it was her crystals that gave her the raise. Having acheived success once, Kadlec meditates daily on her crystals and even teaches classes on how to use them for a better life. However, legitimate studies, such as the one done by psychologist Christopher French, have shown that crystals’ effects are much more likely to be placebo effects (Can Crystals Heal? Separating Facets from Facts n.d.):

“He gave 80 volunteers booklets explaining the sensations they might have while holding crystals, including tingling limbs, increased concentration, and heightened energy. Then he gave half of the participants genuine gemstones and the other half fakes made of cheap plastic. Those holding a fake were just as likely to respond physically as those holding the real thing. French’s conclusion: The power of suggestion — not flowing energy — was to credit.”

Despite the fact that crystals are not truly healing us, Ted Kaptchuk, PhD shows that placebo effects can release endorphins and help people deal with their day-to-day struggles (Placebo Effects in Medicine | NEJM n.d.). So are these alternative methods, even though not real, as bad as we may think?

In addition to there being scientific evidence that holding a crystal does not truly cause any change to someone’s life, there is also physics-based evidence that does not support these theories. If asking a question, whether crystals poses energy, the answer is an obvious yes. Every resting body has energy, E=mc2 , but does that energy interact with us? There is absolutely no scientific evidence that there is such a thing — such as positive energy being channeled into crystals. There is a lot of potential energy stored in atomic and molecular bonds, but that energy remains there until those bonds come undone (Kapustinskii 1956).

Psychology Lens 

There are many psychological reasons one might turn their back on science and seek out relief in pseudosciences such as Quantum Mysticism, crystals, and other metaphysical phenomena. One of them is the need for uniqueness, abbreviated as NfU. NfU is a psychological identified phenomenon that describes humans desire to be different from the peers. It emphasizes a sense of individuality, rebellion, anti-conformity, and the craving to “swim against the current” (8). The need for uniqueness is inherently a very positive trait, as it can lead to increased self-esteem, and even a higher drive for inventions. However, it can also lead down a dark path, where people can fall in rabbit holes as they go above and beyond to look for their individuality — not realizing that simply being themselves, is unique enough.

Other psychological phenomena that are important to mention have also potentially given traction to a lot of today’s metaphysical trends: helplessness, a feeling of losing control, and isolation. The pandemic harmed and built us all in different ways, but what it showed our entire society, is how easy it is for life as we know it, to collapse. Humans are social creatures, and we crave interaction. When trapped in four wall cages, people began looking for ways to cope. Feelings of helplessness and loss of control dominated society everywhere, and people looked for ways to regain that control.

Stuart Vyse, author of “Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition”, claims that using crystals to take control over your destiny, can brighten moods, uplift mindsets, bring hope and happiness into someone’s life. But these positive effects are surely placebos and work because simply the act of regaining some control can change a person’s mood and how they view their lives (5,9).

Conclusion

There is no real, peer-reviewed scientific evidence that supports the metaphysical theories that have gained traction during the pandemic. Most of the evidence obtained is anecdotal or produced by those who capitalize on people’s vulnerabilities. A lot of metaphysical practices gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic due to feelings of depression, loss of control, and the desire to express individuality in different ways. There is no physics-based evidence, however, supporting any of these practices. That being said, a lot of them can provide comfort as the placebo effect can help people cope with different issues.

The rise in metaphysical practices can be compared to a lucky shirt/socks/heirlooms. We all have that one article of clothing we put on when we have a big test day, or a lucky seat we always take. Whether it helps or not is not the point, we do it because we are comfortable, and that sense of comfort can make or break our performance. This is why these metaphysical practices are not necessarily harmful if treated with care. They become detrimental, however, when people capitalize on other’s struggles, or when science is completely ignored and misinterpreted to give legitimacy to bogus claims.

References

“Book Review: Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra.” Summit Ministries. https://www.summit.org/resources/articles/book-review-ageless-body-timeless-mind/ (April 25, 2022).

“The Wow and the Woo.” 2018. Physics World. https://physicsworld.com/a/the-wow-and-the-woo/ (April 25, 2022).

“Has Science Found God?” 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141019071755/http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Found.html (April 25, 2022).

“History of Crystals and Healing.” https://www.crystalage.com/crystal_information/crystal_history/ (April 25, 2022).

“Can Crystals Heal? Separating Facets from Facts.” https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20180116/can-crystals-heal-separating-facets-from-facts (April 25, 2022).

“Placebo Effects in Medicine | NEJM.” https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1504023 (April 25, 2022).

Kapustinskii, A. F. 1956. “Lattice Energy of Ionic Crystals.” Quarterly Reviews, Chemical Society 10(3): 283–94.

Snyder, C. R., & Fromkin, H. L. (1977). Abnormality as a positive characteristic: Development and validation of a scale measuring need for uniqueness. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 86(5), 518-527.doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.86.5.518

Vyse, Stuart A. 2013. Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition – Updated Edition. Oxford University Press.

“Vibration | Physics | Britannica.” https://www.britannica.com/science/vibration (April 25, 2022).

Atkins, P., De Paula, J., & Keeler, J. (2017). Atkins’ physical chemistry (11th ed.). Oxford University Press.