A
distinguishing aspect of this book, among the many proffering to teach the LOA,
is that the author makes a serious attempt to tie Quantum Physics into the otherwise
metaphysical principles. Understand, this is a tall order, and I was originally
skeptical. I tend to cast a jaded eye toward the many pseudo-scientific abuses
heaped upon scientific terminology by many avid new-age teachers. Not that I
see any inherent conflict between science and spirituality, but I insist that
the two should not be casually mixed without at least some solid evidence and
methodical thinking.
To his
credit, Mr. Baksa passed mustard with my standards. He doesn’t claim a
scientific background, but displays enough respect for actual the actual science
of Quantum Mechanics to engage in a fascinating and rewarding discussion. He demonstrates
a better-than-average layman’s understanding of quantum theory, and takes pains
to educate the reader on the basics.
Most people
are already aware that “spooky” things are known to happen at the quantum
level. Particles act like waves, and exist in bands of probability rather than in
determinate state. “Entanglement” means that particles can act in complete
synchronization, even when separated by vast distance, and apparently share
information over a distance. “Virtual” particles pop in and out of existence, seemingly at random. It's difficult to pin down exactly what is going on inside of an atom at a given moment.
The most
profound ramification of quantum phenomena is the relationship between
subatomic reality and the observer. This is the “spooky” behavior that disturbed
Einstein and has made its imprint into mass consciousness – the understanding that
events at this most fundamental level of reality do not take place in a linear
and predictable manner.
Many
metaphysical and spiritual teachers have jumped on the concept of the observer
influencing reality, as if this somehow proves the premise that thought can
really change physical reality. While I have long suspected as much, it’s a
huge leap to claim that science somehow proves it. In particular, research in
quantum mechanics only involves reality at the subatomic level. There is a huge
order of magnitude between the subatomic scale and the macro scale that we
inhabit. To my knowledge, no one has found any scientific link between the
behavior of particles at the quantum level and the solid objects that make up
our world.
All my
disclaimers and hedging aside, Peter
Baksa has made a case for quantum effects on the macro level. A couple of new insights
struck me while reading his book.
The first
involves entanglement. While scientific experiments regarding entanglement deal
with individual or small numbers of particles, on a philosophical level it
makes sense to assume that every atom in the universe is entangled if
everything originated in the Big Bang. And as Bernard Haisch postulates in The God Theory, it makes philosophical and mathematical sense to conclude that a
single, unitary consciousness pervades the universe. Spiritual teaching holds
that human souls are split off from the “God” entity, but remain connected (or “entangled”).
The second
insight involves the observer phenomenon. Quantum particles remain in
indistinct or wave pattern state until they are measured by an observer.
However, it’s not the laboratory equipment doing the measurement that
constitutes the observer – it’s the human mind that is observing the
measurement. For agnostic science, which believes that human consciousness is
merely chemical and electrical activity in the brain, this represents sort of a
philosophical dead end. What would be so special about the human biological “machine”
observing, as opposed to a sophisticated computer?
Applying the
Hermetic concept of the human soul being part of the field of universal
consciousness, it follows that reality is only relevant when observed by human
consciousness. This meshes quite well with the spiritual understanding that
humans are creators. This is explicitly
taught by Seth in The Nature of Personal Reality, and is an inherent assumption
in LOA teaching.
The essential
LOA concept is as follows:
Physical
reality is created and maintained by consciousness. The human incarnational
experience allows for an ego-based personality to exist within this physical
reality without necessarily being aware that there is any level of reality
above it. Thus, we experience causality, the illusion of time, and can work out
our karmic paths. Since the ego is unaware of how reality is created and
maintained, it’s easy to believe that things can only change by force or
manipulation, or that we are victimized by circumstances out of our control.
The LOA teaching
can raise our awareness to see that the ego is simply a construct of the soul
for the purpose of interfacing with physical reality. Then we can remember who
we truly are as souls, which are connected to Source (or God, if you prefer).
Since Source contains the energy that created everything in existence, there is
nothing about this reality to suggest that there is any need that cannot be
fulfilled. Our very existence in the physical world is maintained by our
consciousness.
The Point of Power is a great manual for understanding the LOA. Peter Baksa comes across as
quite practical and down-to-earth. He shares his journey from hard-luck childhood
to successful professional, illustrating how he learned to use the LOA to
transform his life. He then breaks down a simple 3-step technique that the
reader can easily employ.
The Quantum section
is just icing on the cake, from my perspective. I have always been curious as
to how things work. Someday, science will expand its frontiers to the point
where quantum mechanics and the LOA are simply part of a grand Theory of
Everything. For those wanting to begin changing their lives now, there is no
need to wait for that. It’s all here.