The Intelligent Void
‘I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.’
Max Planck, The Observer, 1935
In the course of our history, there have been several waves of intertwining science and art. Discoveries in mathematics and rumours about the existence of the fourth dimension at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries inspired artists to new formal solutions, including Cubism. Marcel Duchamp was also among those fascinated by mathematics. He pursued a sophisticated artistic program, though at times difficult to understand. However, he placed considerable hope in science as a portal to new dimensions.
Quite recently, with the popularisation of quantum physics, new threads have emerged regarding the nature of reality and how to understand it. A kind of introduction to the topic was the movie The Matrix (1999), which captured the mass imagination. Today, in esoteric circles, the phrase ‘break free from the Matrix’ describes the moment of awakening, that is, going beyond the paradigm of reality. Neo’s adventures fit into the ethos of the hero[1], showing above all that self-transcendence reveals agency. And just as in Neo’s case, it points to the unlimited possibilities of a liberated human being who, if they so desire, can peek behind the curtain and discover what was previously hidden.
The achievements and popularisation of quantum mechanics have brought new possibilities for understanding the world. The difficulty in relating to it lies in the fact that, as physicists themselves attest, certain contents have not yet been well researched, that is, calculated; that is, they do not fully exist. And if they do not exist, how is it possible that it is gaining such popularity, becoming a promise of encountering the transcendent and penetrating structures that were previously undreamed of?
Thinking about this new and enigmatic field of physics, it dawns on me, though not immediately, that matter and antimatter combine the paradox of simultaneously being and not being. On the one hand, this reveals new cognitive perspectives, and on the other, it expands the realm of the unknown. Quantum physics is simultaneously impenetrable and complex, and yet relatively popular, even fashionable in certain circles. In a word, it combines opposites, transcending the is-not is.
Invisible Trails
Carl Jung’s depth psychology, Joseph Campbell’s comparative mythology, Bruce Lipton’s biology of belief, Rupert Sheldrake’s morphic field theory, intuitions, but also Planck’s achievements that became the foundation of quantum mechanics, and less obvious experiences of mystics such as St. Hildegard and St. Faustyna[2], all point to the existence of a supersensory reality that exists beyond time and space.
Hildegarda z Bingen otrzymuje boską inspirację i przekazuje ją do zapisania, miniatura z Kodeksu Scivias (Poznaj drogi Pana)
Carl Jung described the invisible aspects of reality as libido, that is, a psychic energy that remains a determining yet unconscious aspect of ourselves, existing both at the level of individual forces governing the psyche and in group beliefs shaping the collective unconscious. Joseph Campbell pointed to the power of magical thinking, that is, the intentional creation of objects and related rituals that exist beyond time, binding specific patterns and content into a coherent structure of convictions and beliefs. Both Jung’s and Campbell’s conceptions outline a broad framework of the invisible world. Biologists, including Bruce Lipton and Rupert Sheldrake, observed in their research that even the smallest structure, i.e., a cell, vibrates in a specific rhythm and is influenced by its surroundings. Mystics, in moments of spiritual rapture, felt these invisible registers as an uplifting experience of the absolute, that is, a connection with the creator.
In the Vedic tradition, this structure is referred to as the knowing void (akasha). For a long time, I have been pondering what form or structure it might have. I like to imagine it as a network connecting everything to everything else. Events, situations, and even thoughts or feelings set this network in motion. Information flows from what is visible (sensory, here and now) to what is invisible (extrasensory, timeless). In a word, we exist in a constant vibration and pulsation with what does not exist for the senses.
The Role of Intuition
It is rarely mentioned, but Planck, Kant, Leibniz, and Einstein, in addition to analytical thinking, relied in their work on imagination and intuition, which enabled, nomen omen, quantum leaps in their considerations [3]. It can therefore be said that intuition, or a broader perspective of perception, is a part of quantum mechanics, but although so significant, it does not lend itself to scientific analysis. Just like the world of quarks and antiquarks.
Love your neighbour as yourself
The invisible realm is therefore quite large and is characterised by permanent tremor, that is, movement and change. Additionally, physicists have observed that the observer influences what is observed (entanglement). Jung and Campbell drew attention to this, discoveries in epigenetics have confirmed it, and even earlier, the teachings of Christ pointed to it. And if so, the question arises: how do we depend on each other, how do we influence each other, and can this be controlled in any way?
According to Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, the concentration of attention generates a specific energetic charge, which affects not only objects but also situations. In other words, one can stir with their attention in timelines, that is, in the invisible narrative ducts of reality. Once, the Moires, or the primordial spider wove them, and today, theoretically, anyone can do it. This is eagerly used by trainers, coaches, and psychologists, proclaiming the influence of the concentration of attention on the achievement of dreams.
Speculations regarding intuition and the nature of reality overflowed the banks of religion, psychology, or culture the moment they were recognised by science. Moreover, it is no coincidence that in an extremely rationalised world dominated by the mind, it is science that opens the gateway to higher dimensions.
1 Joseph Campbell, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Hero journey is “the standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation — initiation — return: which might be named the nuclear unit of the monomyth.”, New World Library, Novato, 2008, p. 23.
2. Św. Faustyna Kowalska, Diary. Mercy in My Soul, Promic 2014.
3. Michał Heller, God and Geometry, Copernicus Centre Press, Kraków 2021.