Quantum Reality and the Sacred F

Institute for the Study of Conscious Systems (ISOCOSM)

Dedicated to the exploration of the potential contribution of quantum mechanics to our understanding of conscious systems

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The popularization of the sacred feminine in the DaVinci Code novel and movie makes it seem as if it is only found in a holy blood line. Yet the traditional interpretations of the sacred feminine—such as the biblical Shekhina and Holy Spirit, the Cabalistic Ayn Soph, the Tao of Chinese philosophy, and the Mother or Shaki of Hinduism—all point to a subtler level of reality that animates life and enables its conscious experience and spiritual transformation. Remarkably, quantum mechanics also points to a subtler level of reality that suggests a modern way of talking about the sacred feminine or invisible basis for the creativity and meaning of life. One aspect of this subtle quantum reality is the quantum vacuum or plenum, which is filled with “virtual” or temporary particles (often called “zero-point energy”) that continually appear and disappear. A second aspect of the subtle quantum realm is the “wavefunctions” that mathematically describe the changing probabilities of particle behavior and enable distant particles to behave in instantaneously correlated ways when wavefunctions “collapse.” Virtual particles and wavefunctions work together to enable atoms and molecules to balance the stable and variable aspects of their structures while interacting physically and chemically to form the basis for life. In this lecture we postulate that life is configured to engage both aspects of quantum reality in its creative behavior. In the case of humans, we consider how the quantum vacuum and wavefunctions could work together as a subtle “gateway” or interface between the electromagnetic activity of our brains and our conscious consideration of alternative directions for our perceptions, imagination, feelings, thoughts, values, and behavior. Anticipating the results of future research, we conclude that the sacred feminine is alive and well—providing the interface between the spiritual and material aspects of creative life.