Imploded

Copyright 2013
Kal Brooke
Table of Contents
Imploded..........................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................2
What is metaphysics........................................................3
Stay with me....................................................................5
But wait...there's more...................................................12
I need answers!..............................................................19
Are we inished yet!.............................................2"
Introduction
Who are we? Why are we here? What are
we made of? These are all questions that fall
within the realm of metaphysics. The word
literally means the study of things that are beyond
the physical, or scientific, world. This little gem
will examine the branches of philosophical
metaphysics, the laws of the universe, and how we
can best apply this information to our lives in order
to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.
mploded as!s these questions, and more. Why
stop there? mploded attempts to answer many of
the questions posed, often with surprising results"
#ot content with answering don$t !now to any
question he$s as!ed, %al &roo!e has spent many
years in a dar! room, with only his mind for
company. This, he assures us, has equipped him to
answer many timeless questions.
'r. &roo!e delights us with how much he says he
doesn$t !now.
(ome people call him insane while others call him a
genius. We leave you to decide where the line is.
What is metaphysics
)irst, let*s explore further what metaphysics
is. +hilosophers commonly separate this definition
into two, the ,ld 'etaphysics and the #ew
'etaphysics The term was first coined by the
editor of -ristotle*s ./ boo!s on things that he
called, first philosophy, first science, wisdom, and
theology. ,ld, classical metaphysics covers
questions li!e these0
.. What 1ust happened?
2. Why did it happen?
3. 4ow can understand what happened?
/. What is wisdom, and how can it be
achieved?
5. What is being? What gives things
substance and meaning?
'etaphysics began evolving in the .566*s. t
proposed several new questions, including the idea
that that the act of as!ing the above questions is in
itself a branch of metaphysics. t also tac!led the
assumption held by -ristotle and other medieval
philosophers that the ordinary person*s picture of
the world is probably correct. +hilosophers such as
(artre, 7eibnit8, and %ant tac!led a depth of
metaphysical inquiry that -ristotle didn*t even come
close to. These men began to defend the thesis
that the world is very different from the way people
thought it was before they began to reason
philosophically. They went so far as to claim that
our ordinary beliefs are probably illusions. #ew
metaphysics covers questions li!e these0
1. What is the difference between the
statements, doubt exist, might have existed,
and might not exist. 9The answer to this
question led :escartes to his legendary, thin!,
therefore am, thesis.;
2. Why can we remember the past but not the
future?
3. f space and time are infinite, how can there
be a being that is eternal, exists outside of space
and time and still is able exert influence on beings
within space and time?
/. :o my thoughts affect my body? 4ow?
Why?
5. s there such a thing as free will? f <od
!nows what am going to choose because he is
omniscient, am really free to choose whichever
path want?
tay !ith me
s your brain tired yet? 4ang in there with me= *ll
try to ma!e this a little easier in 1ust a moment.
7et*s 1ust say for now that metaphysics is the part of
philosophy that attempts to describe ultimate reality
in a sufficiently general way. We can only attempt
to describe reality= we can never have a definitive
answer to any metaphysical question. -nyone who
claims that they have the final answer is sure to be
selling something.
The field of philosophy is most commonly defined
as a search for 9and love of; wisdom. -ristotle
wrote, in &oo! ,ne of Metaphysics, that wise
people have six distinct characteristics.
.. The most !nowledgeable person in a given
field is the person who understands and can
properly use the basic categories and principles
that operate in that field, as well as all subordinate
factors.
)or example, (ally could accurately state that she
is an expert on her children. (he has spent every
moment of their lives with them, has spent
countless hours observing them, and can
accurately predict their behavior. n addition, she
almost always !nows the deeper reasons why they
behave the way they do. f her daughter %ate
begins crying because her sister calls her a name,
(ally !nows that this behavior is less about
emotional pain than about %ate going to bed two
hours late the night before. (he has seen this
cause and effect relationship in %ate many times,
and therefore understands her child in a way that
her child doesn*t even understand herself. (ally is a
wise mother.
(ally cannot, however, claim to be wise
about children. f her friend describes a similar
situation as the one where %ate cried about getting
called a name, (ally cannot !now that the reason
why the child is crying is because she is overtired.
(he has only gained wisdom about her own
children. When the day comes when her child does
something completely out of character and
unpredictable, (ally would be wise to consult with
experts in the field of child development and
psychology. -n expert could tell (ally, for example,
that her daughter is crying not only because she is
tired but also because she is feeling unloved, or
ignored, by her sister due to her position within the
family. These individuals have spent their lives
studying countless children. They have observed
cause and effect relationships across a broad
spectrum of individuals, and understand the
ultimate reasons why children behave the way they
do. They have wisdom.
2. (ome things are hard for some people, but
not for others. When something is easy to learn, it
doesn*t require a great deal of understanding in
order to learn it. When something is hard and not
easy for -#>,#? to learn, that means that it is the
stuff of ultimate reality.
-ristotle says that ultimate reality is made up of the
first causes and principles of everything. 'ost
things in this world we learn about based on
information we get from our senses. We touch a
hot stove and !now that heat causes pain and to
never do that again. 4eat @ +ain. This is easy. ,n
the other hand, what is <od? The principles that
rule the first cause of everything are difficult to
understand because they are at the limit of our
intellect, far away from any information that can be
given to us by our senses. 7earning about <od is
difficult for everyone. t ta!es a great deal of
insight, hard wor!, and time spent learning and
demonstrating the reasons behind things. This
behavior leads to wisdom.
3. -chieving accuracy in any given field
requires !nowing the differences between the
things studied in the field, how to deal with those
differences appropriately, and understanding
problems exactly. The person who !nows first
causes and principles would therefore !now the
fundamental principles that underlie and connect
the different !inds of explanations we use to solve
those problems. They are then able to apply the
explanations with more precision and accuracy.
7et*s brea! this one down. 'y friend (ara is a
wonderful artist. (he is able to reproduce things
she sees with her eyes by using her hands to move
a pencil or paintbrush around a piece of paper or
canvas. can draw stic! figures with ama8ing
inconsistency. What is the difference between (ara
and me? (he has a deep understanding of each
area of her field. (he understands spatial
relationships, geometry, ratios, color, and
aesthetics. loo! at a painting and thin!, That is
beautiful. (ara loo!s at a painting and !nows why
it is beautiful. (he !nows why the artist used that
particular brush stro!e. (he !nows why the
mountains stand out against the s!y in such bold
relief. (ara is wise.
". The wisest person in any given field is the
one who can explain why things in that field happen
the way they do. The more fundamental causes
and principles a person understands, the better
qualified they are to teach those to others. The
person who !nows first causes and principles would
understand everything that explains all the other
causes and principles.
Thin! of it this way0 - person who can explain how
respiration wor!s in humans !nows some causes.
They !now, for example, !nows that blood
circulation causes the flow of oxygen into body cells
and carbon dioxide and waste out of them. -
person who !nows the causes and principles of
respiration in all animals !nows even more basic
causes and principles that explain not only human
respiration but why animals with lungs breathe one
way and animals with gills breathe another way. -
person who !nows the causes and principles of
respiration in all living things 9animals, plants,
proto8oa; will understand the roles and functions of
cells in a wider variety of species, and will be able
to explain the causes and principles that
differentiate one living thing$s respiration from
others$. - person who !nows first causes and
principles will be able to explain all that plus the
causes of life itself, i.e. what ma!es a living thing a
living thing.
5. The wise person pursues !nowledge for its
own sa!e. They will not stop trying to understand
when some particular problem is solved. They will
only stop when there are no why questions left to
be as!ed. Those who truly see! !nowledge for its
own sa!e or for the sa!e of understanding must
see! !nowledge of first causes and principles.
-ristotle teaches that first causes and principles are
what are most !nowable. This does not mean
that they are most easily !nowable. %nowledge of
them is pure. t is not mixed with opinion or
con1ecture. >ou can*t fully demonstrate !nowledge
of something if you don*t !now why it is the way it
is. %nowledge of first causes and principles would
be required in order for you to be able to explain
the complete why.
When first began studying philosophy, it was
because needed another 4umanities credit in
order to complete the course of study was wor!ing
on. wal!ed into +hilosophy .6. see!ing only to
solve the problem of deficient credits. -nd fell in
love. dran! in every drop of wisdom the professor
shared with me. read, studied, listened, and
learned. When the class was over, signed up for
another. wanted to !now. wanted to understand.
had no practical reason for ta!ing more classes.
was see!ing !nowledge for its own sa!e, and
because did so can sit here and tell you, without
qualification, that am not wise. have studied
philosophy for years now, and the more learn the
more am aware that !now nothing. -ctually,
(ocrates said it better when he said, This man, on
one hand, believes that he !nows something, while
not !nowing anything. ,n the other hand, Aequally
ignorantAdo not believe that !now anything.
B. The wise person understands that in order to
be fit to be in charge of something, one has to
understand everything about that thing, and about
everything that affects that thing.
This one hardly needs explanation at all. -ll that
you need do is call to mind a time when a supposed
authority made a mess of something, only to deny
it.
That authority had no claim to be in charge when illA
equipped to deal with all possible outcomes.
But !ait"""there#s more
&y this stage, you should have a pretty good
understanding of the definitions of metaphysics and
wisdom= and understanding these is crucial to
understanding what comes next. Metaphysics is
the study of everything that lies beyond the
physical world. That includes ideas of anything that
has ever or will ever or could have ever existed.
Wisdom is the understanding of the deepest, first,
fundamental causes and principles of something. t
requires vast !nowledge, complete understanding,
and extensive experience.
7et*s move on to the fifth question in classical
metaphysics. What is being? The philosophical
study of the nature of being, existence, or reality is
called ontology. To help us understand
metaphysical ontology, would li!e to introduce you
to +armenides.
+armenides was a philosopher who lived in the 5
th

century &C?. 4e !new (ocrates, but is most
famous for his one written wor!, a poem, called On
Nature. Demember, now, at this time in history
people worshiped many, many gods. They had a
god for everything, and did their best to please
them. +armenides blew all those gods bac! where
they came from when he suggested that perhaps
the ultimate power in the universe was ,#? thing.
'onism is a point of view within metaphysics that
argues that the variety of existing things in the
universe are reducible to one substance or reality
and therefore that the fundamental character of the
universe is unity.
(ound familiar? t should. 'onistic beliefs
permeate our culture. The greatest example of
which is, of course, the EudeoFChristian tradition in
which there is only one omnipresent, omnipotent,
and omniscient <od. 'onism can also refer to a
belief that the universe is united by matter. This is
called monistic materialism. This belief asserts that
the cosmos is one and comprehensive. 'atter
originates from itself, and is itself the cause of all
reality. 'aterialism arose out of a desire for an
explanation for the failure of supernatural
explanations. When prayers to the gods went
unanswered, the people loo!ed for alternate ways
of understanding what was happening to them.
'aterialism is a flawed theory in many ways, and
can be disproved fairly easily. Consider the
following argument0
.. +remise ,ne0 f the material world were
eternal it would be selfAmaintaining.
2. +remise Two0 The material world is not selfA
maintaining.
3. Conclusion0 The material world is not
eternal.
f the premises are true, then the conclusion must
be true also. We only have to consider our bodies
to see that matter is not selfAmaintaining. We are
brea!ing down every moment on earth. Therefore,
materialism is invalid.
'onism is not the only ontological theory. t
is followed by dualism and pluralism. :ualism is
the idea that reality is made up of two things0 'ind
and 'atter. That*s easy, right? ?verybody !nows
that their body consists of both the physical,
touchable, elements and also an intangible
something that ma!es us truly alive. am not my
body. am something more. 'y body undergoes
complete regeneration every seven years. ?ven
bone, which seems so hard and permanent, only
lasts for so long before it is replaced by completely
new cells. &ut am replaced? #o, still remember
my first !iss, and first heartbrea!, despite the fact
that physically am literally a completely different
person.
+luralism is the idea that any number of things
9more than 2; ma!e up the ultimate elements of the
universe. We see pluralism when we loo! at
&abylonian mythology teaching that the four
elements of the universe are sea, earth, s!y, and
wind. We also see evidence of these beliefs in
ancient ?gypt and <reece where they revered
earth, air, fire, and water. 7i!e materialism,
pluralism has its critics, dating as far bac! as /36
&C?, beginning with Geno. Geno attempted to
disprove pluralism by devising a paradox0 an
example that shows that beliefs in plurality, change,
and motion are mista!en. 4e showed, in fact, that
the idea of motion is nothing but an illusion.
magine that. Can you logically tell me how it is
something moves? Dead Geno*s most famous
paradox and then tell me if you can do so.
n the paradox of -chilles and the Tortoise, -chilles
is in a footrace with the tortoise. -chilles allows the
tortoise a head start of .66 meters. f we suppose
that each racer starts running at some constant
speed 9one very fast and one very slow;, then after
some finite time, -chilles will have run .66 meters,
bringing him to the tortoise$s starting point. :uring
this time, the tortoise has run a much shorter
distance, .6 meters. t will then ta!e -chilles some
further time to run that distance, by which time the
tortoise will have advanced farther= and then more
time still to reach this third point, while the tortoise
moves ahead. Thus, whenever -chilles reaches
somewhere the tortoise has been, he still has
farther to go. Therefore, because there are an
infinite number of points -chilles must reach where
the tortoise has already been, he can never
overta!e the tortoise. Therefore, -chilles can never
really move forward at all= neither can we. (till not
convinced? %eep reading
n the arrow paradox 9also !nown as the fletcher*s
paradox;, Geno states that for motion to occur, an
ob1ect must change its position. 4e gives an
example of an arrow in flight. 4e states that in any
one 9durationAless; instant of time, the arrow is
neither moving to where it is, nor to where it is
not. t cannot move to where it is not, because no
time elapses for it to move there= it cannot move to
where it is, because it is already there. n other
words, at every instant of time there is no motion
occurring. f everything is motionless at every
instant, and time is entirely composed of instants,
then motion is impossible. (omething is fishy here.
*m pretty sure my fingers are moving as type this
right now. -nd see the cursor moving across the
screen. -nd how did 1ust ta!e a sip of my coffee if
didn*t actually move my arm to pic! up the cup
and raise it to my lips? 7et*s loo! at one more.
(uppose 4arry wants to catch a stationary bus.
&efore he can get there, he must get halfway there.
&efore he can get halfway there, he must get a
quarter of the way there. &efore traveling a quarter,
he must travel oneAeighth= before an eighth, oneA
sixteenth= and so on.
This description requires one to complete an infinite
number of tas!s, which Geno maintains is
impossible.
There is another problem here. The steps included
in the description of the paradox don*t include a first
distance to travel. Why not? &ecause if Geno told
us the bus was .66 feet away, the actual distance
4arry would have to travel first is actually 56 feet.
4old on, not so fast. &efore he can go 56 feet he
has to travel 25 feet. The distances would then be
divided on and on to infinity. There would be no
first distance. The trip would never even begin.
(o, can somebody please explain to me how it is
that 4arry made it to wor! this morning? The
conclusion to this paradox is clearly that that travel
over any finite distance can neither be completed
nor begun, and so all motion must be an illusion.
have to admit, when my +hilosophy .6. professor
first introduced me to Geno*s +aradoxes, couldn*t
sleep for days. n the centuries since these
questions were posed, physicists and philosophers
have almost been able to refute them. -lmost, but
not completely, and not to anyone*s complete
satisfaction. -ll we can say for sure is that pluralism
is neither completely true nor completely false. sn*t
that comforting?
I need ans!ers$
#ow is probably a good time to tell you H there are
no answers. t*s li!e this0 - see!er has heard the
wisest guru in all of ndia lives atop ndia$s highest
mountain, so the see!er trac!s over a hill in :elhi
until he reaches the fabled mountain. t$s incredibly
steep, and more than once, he slips and falls. &y
the time he reaches the top, he$s full of cuts and
bruises. &ut there$s the guru, sitting crossAlegged in
front of his cave.
,h, wise guru, the see!er says, have come to
as! you what the secret of life is.
-h, yes, the secret of life, the guru says. The
secret of life is a teacup.
- teacup? came all the way up here to find the
meaning of life and you tell me it$s a teacup?
The guru shrugs and says, (o maybe it isn$t a
teacup.
(tudying metaphysics can drive you insane if you
let it. #obody !nows what the universe is made of.
#o matter how hard you try you will never
understand it. -nd when you thin! you have a slight
grasp on the answer= it will slip out of your hands.
To conclude our study of classical
metaphysics, let*s bring in #even (esardic, a
philosopher from 7ingnan Iniversity in 4ong %ong,
who has summed it up quite nicely.
The history of %reek philosophy
t all began with Thales
a long, long time ago
when he exclaimed0 ?ure!a"
?verything is 4
2
,"

-naximenes protested
and shouted0 -u contraire,
there*s only one stuff indeed.
&ut water?"J#o, it*s air"

7et*s not forget 4eraclitus
whom all philosophers admire
for explaining once for all
that what only exists isK fire.

?nter ?mpedocles
who said, for what it*s worth0
-ir, water, fireJgreat"
&ut please add also earth"

+ythagoras detested some food.
Wait, was it beans or cucumbers?
Whatever. 4e famously claimed
#othing exists except numbers"

+armenides caused an uproar
by arguing with great s!ill
that the world is 1ust a big sphere
that stands completely still.

:enying that motion exists?
s this some !ind of spoof?
#o, replied his student Geno,
providing a cogent proof.

:emocritus thought that everything
consists of atoms and the void.
(o today*s physics textboo!s
would ma!e him over1oyed.

The sophists defended their practice
of charging a teacher*s fee0
4ey, everyone needs to eat,
even those with +h. :.

+rotagoras from -bdera
made the strong argument wea!er,
insisting that truth itself
is relative to the spea!er.

The critics were quic! to refute him
by wic!edly playing along0
We thin! your view is 1ust silly,
which means that, for us, you are wrong"

(ocrates taught about ethics
and how to live a good life,
yet ruining his own CL
by marrying a nagging wife.

4e thought that even the vilest acts
spring from lac! of !nowledge,
as if people !ill and steal
1ust because they failed in college.

4is last, intense debate
was interrupted0 %noc!, !noc!"
?xcuse us for intruding,
but you have to drin! the hemloc!.

+lato wrote the dialogues
and it*s very hard to say
of all those people there
who*s straight and who is gay.

4e described the da88ling world
of ideas we cannot see,
which are much more cool
than anything else could be.

-ll we observe is shadows
and not the real thing.
Then who will guide us to the truth?
Why, a philosopherA!ing"

(o +lato undertoo! the tas!
of showing the exit from the cave
but managed 1ust to get himself
sold away as slave.

Than! <od that his pro1ect failed,
for the utopia of this sage
loo!s a lot li!e fascism
in its early stage.

-ristotle examined
almost every topic0
from abstract to concrete,
big or microscopic.

Who*s not baffled by his terms,
telos, arch and ousia?
What the hell is he tal!ing about?
Call if you have an idea.

4is views on all !ey issues
were treated as the last word.
)or almost a millennium
no ob1ection was ever heard.

-t last the scientists awo!e
as their !nowledge surged ahead.
They announced politely0 (orry,
but we re1ect what he said.

-mong philosophers, however,
his standing remains quite high
although, to tell you fran!ly,
it$s unclear exactly why.
Are we finished yet?
7et*s move on to modern metaphysics. This
phrase defies description 1ust as classical
metaphysics did. t encompasses the questions we
discussed in the introduction0
.. What is the difference between the
statements, doubt exist, might have existed,
and might not exist. 9The answer to this
question led :escartes to his legendary, thin!,
therefore am, thesis.;
2. Why can we remember the past but not the
future?
3. f space and time are infinite, how can there
be a being that is eternal, exists outside of space
and time and still is able exert influence on beings
within space and time?
/. :o my thoughts affect my body? 4ow?
Why?
5. s there such a thing as free will? f <od
!nows what am going to choose because he is
omniscient, am really free to choose whichever
path want?
&ut it also encompasses questions such as these0
1. Can <od create a roc! so large he can*t lift
it?
2. f a tree falls in the forest, does it ma!e a
sound?
3. When did you stop beating your wife?
/. 4ow do we !now that strawberries taste the
same to everyone?
5. f my brain is transplanted into your body,
who am ? 'e or you?
&elieve it or not, debating these things is actually
great fun for philosophers. &ertrand Dussell, a
famous thin!er from the midA26
th
century, wrote,
The point of philosophy is to start with something
so simple as to seem not worth stating, and to end
with something so paradoxical that no one will
believe it. These types of questions tend to
provo!e frustration in normal people. will stop
as!ing them now though, because you seem
normal to me.
-s humans have struggled with these
fundamental questions, they have come up with
many theories that enable them to go to sleep at
night. (ome of these, li!e quantum mechanics,
have their basis in scientific inquiry and
experimentation. ,thers, li!e universal laws, have
their roots in logical reasoning and observations of
the world around us. These days, both theories are
gaining a lot of attention because they provide
satisfactory answers that classical metaphysicians
never could. 7et*s ta!e a loo! at each of them in
more depth.
What is quantum mechanics? The very best
description have found is located at
http0FFwww.pbs.orgFtransistorFscienceFinfoFquantum.
html. f you*ll indulge me, will quote it verbatim on
the next two pages.
&uantum 'echanics
n day to day life, we intuitively understand how the
world wor!s. :rop a glass and it will smash to the
floor. +ush a wagon and it will roll along. Wal! to a
wall and you can$t wal! through it. There are very
basic laws of physics going on all around us that we
instinctively grasp0 gravity ma!es things fall to the
ground, pushing something ma!es it move, two
things can$t occupy the same place at the same
time.
-t the turn of the century, scientists thought that all
the basic rules li!e this should apply to everything
in nature AA but then they began to study the world
of the ultraAsmall. -toms, electrons, light waves,
none of these things followed the normal rules. -s
physicists li!e #iels &ohr and -lbert ?instein began
to study particles, they discovered new physics
laws that were downright quir!y. These were the
laws of quantum mechanics, and they got their
name from the wor! of 'ax +lanc!.
()n )ct of *esperation(
n .M66, 'ax +lanc! was a physicist in &erlin
studying something called the Nultraviolet
catastrophe.N The problem was the laws of physics
predicted that if you heat up a box in such a way
that no light can get out 9!nown as a Nblac! boxN;, it
should produce an infinite amount of ultraviolet
radiation. n real life no such thing happened0 the
box radiated different colors, red, blue, white, 1ust
as heated metal does, but there was no infinite
amount of anything. t didn$t ma!e sense. These
were laws of physics that perfectly described how
light behaved outside of the box AA why didn$t they
accurately describe this blac! box scenario?
+lanc! tried a mathematical tric!. 4e presumed
that the light wasn$t really a continuous wave as
everyone assumed, but perhaps could exist with
only specific amounts, or Nquanta,N of energy.
+lanc! didn$t really believe this was true about light=
in fact he later referred to this math gimmic! as Nan
act of desperation.N &ut with this ad1ustment, the
equations wor!ed, accurately describing the box$s
radiation.
t too! a while for everyone to agree on what this
meant, but eventually -lbert ?instein interpreted
+lanc!$s equations to mean that light can be
thought of as discrete particles, 1ust li!e electrons or
protons. n .M2B, &er!eley physicist <ilbert 7ewis
named them photons.
&uanta+ ,uanta e-ery!here
This idea that particles could only contain lumps of
energy in certain si8es moved into other areas of
physics as well. ,ver the next decade, #iels &ohr
pulled it into his description of how an atom
wor!ed. 4e said that electrons traveling around a
nucleus couldn$t have arbitrarily small or arbitrarily
large amounts of energy= they could only have
multiples of a standard NquantumN of energy.
?ventually scientists reali8ed this explained why
some materials are conductors of electricity and
some aren$t AA since atoms with differing energy
electron orbits conduct electricity differently. This
understanding was crucial to building a transistor,
since the crystal at its core is made by mixing
materials with varying amounts of conductivity.
But They#re Wa-es Too
4ere$s one of the quir!y things about quantum
mechanics0 1ust because an electron or a photon
can be thought of as a particle, doesn$t mean they
can$t still be thought of as a wave as well. n fact, in
a lot of experiments light acts much more li!e a
wave than li!e a particle.
This wave nature produces some interesting
effects. )or example, if an electron traveling
around a nucleus behaves li!e a wave, then its
position at any one time becomes fu88y. nstead of
being in a concrete point, the electron is smeared
out in space. This smearing means that electrons
don$t always travel quite the way one would
expect. Inli!e water flowing along in one direction
through a hose, electrons traveling along as
electrical current can sometimes follow weird paths,
especially if they$re moving near the surface of a
material. 'oreover, electrons acting li!e a wave
can sometimes burrow right through a barrier.
Inderstanding this odd behavior of electrons was
necessary as scientists tried to control how current
flowed through the first transistors.
o !hich is it . a particle or a !a-e/
(cientists interpret quantum mechanics to mean
that a tiny piece of material li!e a photon or electron
is both a particle and a wave. t can be either,
depending on how one loo!s at it or what !ind of an
experiment one is doing. n fact, it might be more
accurate to say that photons and electrons are
neither a particle nor a wave AA they$re undefined up
until the very moment someone loo!s at them or
performs an experiment, thus forcing them to be
either a particle or a wave.
This comes with other side effects0 namely that a
number of qualities for particles aren$t wellAdefined.
)or example, there is a theory by Werner
4eisenberg called the Incertainty +rinciple. t
states that if a researcher wants to measure the
speed and position of a particle, he can$t do both
very accurately. f he measures the speed
carefully, then he can$t measure the position nearly
as well. This doesn$t 1ust mean he doesn$t have
good enough measurement tools AA it$s more
fundamental than that. f the speed is wellA
established then there simply does not exist a wellA
established position 9the electron is smeared out
li!e a wave; and vice versa.
-lbert ?instein disli!ed this idea. When confronted
with the notion that the laws of physics left room for
such vagueness he announced0 N<od does not play
dice with the universe.N #evertheless, most
physicists today accept the laws of quantum
mechanics as an accurate description of the
subatomic world. 9?nd Ouote;
f you would li!e more of an introduction to
quantum mechanics, consider viewing the movie,
What the PQRS do we %#,W? t is part
documentary and part illustrative drama, and delves
deeply into the metaphysical questions we have
discussed thus far. This is one movie that, love it or
hate it, is guaranteed to ma!e you thin!. )or
example, in the film the rather famous water
experiments by :r. 'asaru ?moto are discussed in
detail. :r ?moto too! various water samples, some
polluted, some distilled, and exposed them to
positive or negative intentions. 4e then examined
them using a powerful microscope in a very cold
room. Ising highAspeed photography, he claims he
was able to photograph newly formed crystals of
fro8en water samples. The water which was
exposed to things li!e, Than! you, Eoy, and
blessings by Gen masters appears beautiful in its
new form. Water ta!en from polluted sources, or
polluted with negative thoughts, energy, or music,
becomes ugly and misshapen. 4ere are some
examples included in :r. ?moto*s boo!s0
7ove and <ratitude >ou 'a!e
'e (ic!
4eavy 'etal 'usic 'o8art
(ymphony
<iven the wellA!nown fact that our bodies
are composed mostly of water, what conclusion can
we draw here? t would seem that negative energy,
thoughts, and even music would have an ugly effect
on our very beings. t should be noted here that
other scientists have attempted to replicate :r.
?moto*s wor!, with no success. 4e has not
proven his theory to be true. t is worth
considering though, isn*t it? Could there be any
harm in trying to give ourselves a little more love
and a little less criticism? Common sense tells me
no, the more love in our lives the better.
This leads us into the last branch of
metaphysics that we are going to be examining,
universal laws. We are going to examine .2 of
those laws, and how we can use these eternal
principles to help us in our lives right now.
1. The 0a! of *i-ine 1neness helps us
understand that we live in a world where everything
is connected to everything else. ?verything we do,
say, thin! and believe affects others and the
universe around us. 'y decision to cut my hair
today did not affect 1ust me. t brought money to the
hair stylist, who then was able to go home and
purchase the gift her child wants for Christmas, who
then will flaunt the toy in front of his friend, who
then will feel miserable and so beg his mother for
one of his own. This mother will then decide she
1ust can*t be friends with my hair stylist anymore
because she doesn*t teach her son manners. They
grow apart and eventually move away, but always
feel the loss of that friendship. n future friendships
they are more careful to be considerate, generous,
and loving in order to preserve those ties. Their
new friends then have happier lives because of
these !ind women. -nd all because decided to
get my hair cut.
2. The 0a! of 2ibration states that everything
in the universe moves, vibrates, and travels in
circular patterns. This happens both in the physical
world and in the ethereal world of our thoughts,
feelings, desires, and wills. ?very sound, thing, and
even thought has its own vibrational frequency,
unique unto itself. 4ave you ever wal!ed into a
room and !nown immediately that the two people
stone silent people in there had 1ust finished having
an argument? When this happens, we commonly
say there were some bad vibes coming from that
couple. Their thoughts have an effect that can be
felt by others.
3. The 0a! of )ction must be applied in order
for us to manifest things on earth. We must engage
in actions that support our thoughts, dreams,
emotions, and words. What does this mean?
-ctions spea! louder than words. ClichTs become
clichTs because they have been proven to be true.
f we want good things to happen to us we cannot
1ust throw our s!irts over our heads and wail, we
have to roll up our sleeves and get to wor!. We
cannot sit around focusing on what we want, in the
hopes of merely attracting it. The universe will not
give us anything that we do not somehow ta!e
action to receive.
4. The 0a! of Correspondence states that
the principles or laws of physics that explain the
physical world H energy, light, vibration, and motion
H have corresponding principles in the etheric or
universe. -nother way of stating this law is to say,
-s above, so below. >our outside world reflects
bac! to you exactly as you are on the inside. t
corresponds with the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings
you hold on the inside. >our circle of friends, your
1ob, and your living situation are all a reflection of
who you are on the inside. Want to find the love of
your life? Try ma!ing a list of all the qualities you
want to possess in your next relationship. :o you
desire to be dating someone !ind, thoughtful, funny,
and courageous? +ut it out thereKand watch a
special someone wal! into your life with 1ust those
qualities. Would you have noticed them before you
made the list? don*t !now. &ut being intentional
about using this law can only benefit you if you use
it for good.
5. The 0a! of Cause and 3ffect states that
nothing happens by chance or outside the universal
laws. ?very action has a reaction or consequence
and we reap what we have sown. (ome people
refer to this as !arma. Christians ta!e comfort in
!nowing that <od will deal 1ustly with their enemies,
that there will be ultimate paybac!. n my life this
shows up most clearly when eat too many
desserts and then can*t button my pants the next
day. When will ever learn?
6. The 0a! of Compensation is actually the
7aw of Cause and ?ffect applied to the blessings
and abundance that is provided for us. The visible
effects of our deeds are given to us in gifts, money,
inheritances, friendships, and blessings. This
doesn*t mean that we try to be positive and do good
things so that we will rewarded, as if the universe
were one big vending machine. t means we are
intentional and thoughtful about doing things that
will bring us those rewards. 3R of the people in
this world earn MUR of the money. Why? ,ne
reason is that poor people don*t understand this
law. 7et*s say earning money is someone*s goal.
The way most people go about trying to accomplish
goes something li!e this0
4ow can get money? can sell ten widgets per
month -lright, where*s my money? This
doesn*t wor!t must be the wrong business7et*s
try selling blidgets instead.
#ow let*s see how the wealthiest people in
the world go about earning money.
want to ma!e an impact and give value4ow can
give people more of what they want4mmm.
Why didn*t this wor!? 4ow did create this? ,!
then, let*s !eep giving great service 9The money
comes in; Than! you for this money.
(ee the difference? ?arning money becomes
simple when we understand the laws of cause and
effect and compensation.
7. The 0a! of )ttraction demonstrates how
we create the things, events, and people that come
into our lives. ,ur thoughts, feelings, words, and
actions produce energies which, in turn, attract li!e
energies. This is probably the most wellA!nown of
the universal laws than!s to the success of the
boo! and movie, The (ecret. Critics of the law
question how it could be rational to assume a plane
crashes and !ills all passengers simply because
one of those passengers was sending negative
energy out into the universe. Critics also question
the wisdom of telling someone with cancer that he
brought it upon himself with his bad attitude.
Iltimately, this law can be ta!en the same way as
the water experiments. There is no harm in ma!ing
a conscious effort to send positive, happy, loving
energy out into the universe. (o go ahead, practice
random acts of !indness. (mile and wave at the
crossing guard. 'a!e the three year old who 1ust
handed you a masterpiece of scribbling feel li!e it
is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. The
results can only be positive, for you and for the
world.
8. The 0a! of 4erpetual Transmutation of
3nergy states that all persons have within them the
power to change the conditions in their lives. 4igher
vibrations consume and transform lower ones= thus,
each of us can change the energies in our lives by
understanding the universal laws and applying the
principles in such a way as to bring about change.
n other words, change is all there is. ?very cell on
earth is in motion, every cell is brea!ing down and
will be replaced, and every cell will change. There
can be no returning to normal after a time of
change in our lives. Change itself is normal.
9. The 0a! of 5elati-ity states that everything
in our physical world is only made real by its
relationship or comparison to something. We are
only aware of light because we can compare it to
dar!. 4ot, cold, good, bad= the world is made of
necessary opposites. This law also teaches us to
compare our problems to others* problems and put
everything into perspective. #o matter how bad we
perceive our situation to be, there is always
someone who is in a worse position. t*s all relative.
, for one, cannot wait to send my children on a
service trip to 4aiti or -frica. Their lust for the latest
electronic gadget is sure to diminish when they see
people who have no homes or clean drin!ing water.
10. The 0a! of 4olarity states that everything is
on a continuum and has an opposite. We can
suppress and transform undesirable thoughts by
concentrating on desirable ones. #o matter how
bad things are in our lives, there is always
something we can concentrate on that is good. The
fact that my business failed becomes must less
important when remember that still have the love
of my family. )ailure in one area of life guarantees
that there is another area of your life that is
successful. The !ey is to find the good. )ollow
Thomas ?dison*s example. 4e failed nearly a
thousand times when he was trying to create the
light bulb. &ut did he feel li!e a failure? #o. nstead
he once said, did not fail= 1ust learned MMM ways
how not to ma!e a light bulb.
11. The 0a! of 5hythm states that everything
vibrates and moves in a certain rhythm. These
rhythms establish seasons, cycles, stages of
development, and patterns. ?very cycle reflects the
regularity of the universe. ?verything is either
growing or dying. 'asters !now how to rise above
negative parts of a cycle by never getting too
excited or allowing negative things to penetrate
their consciousness. have been wor!ing very hard
this year to provide good service at affordable fees
to my clients. )or most of the spring and summer
had one client. Decently, however, have been
awarded multiple pro1ects and have almost more
wor! than can handle. That*s the law of rhythm in
action. #ow that have so much wor!, will not bid
pro1ects for a few wee!s, and then will slow down
again. Then will get busy wor!ing my business,
and will get busy again. -nd on and on and on.
12. The 0a! of %ender states that everything
has its masculine 9yang; and feminine 9yin;
principles, and that these are the basis for all
creation. t also states that everything has its own
gestation or incubation period of growth. The same
principle applies to our goals. When you plant an
acorn in the ground, what grows is an oa! tree. The
tree already existed in that seed before you ever
saw its physical manifestation. -ll the acorn did was
change form to recreate the tree. >our vision and
goals are coming to you faster than you thin!. >ou
can*t physically see them yet because there is
always a gestation period for everything. This is
where faith and belief are crucial to success. To
believe in the things you can see and touch is no
belief at all= but to believe in the unseen is a
triumph and a blessing. 9-braham 7incoln;