D
Merkabah
- Thread starter Skarekrow
- Start date
Beings from other worlds kinda refer this world as a shit hole much like what comes to mind when people bring up the worst places like Haiti ect. I don't like the so called cultures here well the current modern mess that drives me mad. Anyway I look forward to going home someday as this world is like doing time. This world will come around however I am dreading that it might take some decades like a century before whatever has to be done is done but my god is this world horrendous. Deep down I know that it was better and though it was troubled this world has really taken some wrong turns in the 20th century and people are not what they were but have gotten worse.
This poem was read at my grandma's funeral and it made us all bawl like little babies <3.
Sorry if it brought up sad memories!
I find it to be comforting when I think about my Dad in this way now (he passed in 2007).
Much love!!
Ancient wisdom traditions teach that there are seven states of consciousness that we may more deeply explore as we begin to meditate.
Some of these occurrences have already been a part of our life, though perhaps we have not had a name for them.
Others we may experience for the first time as we begin a regular meditation practice.
The unfolding of higher states is a natural outcome of meditation, no matter the reason we decide to meditate.
Higher states of consciousness do not occur in a particular order, but as we evolve through them, our knowledge, our physical biology, and our reality begin to change.
Meditation develops emotional resilience and creates structural changes in the neurons and neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex.
By making meditation a regular practice, we begin to experience these states automatically, including the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing that accompanies them.
Reality is different in various states of consciousness.
Our reality is determined by our sensory perceptions as well as our thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Over time as we meditate, we shift our internal reference from ego to spirit, resulting in more inner peace as opposed to emotional turbulence.
For example, in Cosmic Consciousness when we begin to witness the activity of the mind, the roles we play and the body’s reactions, we become capable of more conscious choice-making.
We become aware that we have choices, and we are able to shift from where we are to where we would like to be.
We begin to create our own reality which is much healthier than the reactive state of making unconscious choices.
So, you’re probably wondering what are these seven states of consciousness are?
Deep Sleep, the Dream State, and the Waking State
The first three states are familiar to all of us.
In the first state of Deep Sleep, we have few experiences and minimal awareness.
Yet there is enough awareness to be affected if, for instance, you are a mother and your baby needs you at night.
During the second state of consciousness, the Dream State, there we are more aware than during Deep Sleep.
You know that you are the subject of the dream and all other people, animals, situations, settings are the objects in the dream.
All that occurs in the Dream State seems to be real until you wake up in the third state, or The Waking State.
During the Waking State life is perceived and experienced through our five senses and is the most vivid and “real” state for most people.
All the problems, choices, worries, and challenges of daily life feel very real.
In the Waking State, there is a sense of time, space and causality.
For example, you are reading this article at a particular time in a particular location (space), probably because (causality) you are interested in meditation.
We cannot be convinced that this state is not the “real” state.
Glimpsing the Soul
However, when we experience the fourth state of consciousness, Transcendental Consciousness, often called Glimpsing the Soul, things get a little more interesting!
We go beyond the world of which we are most familiar.
We transcend space, time, and causality.
This occurs during meditation and is often called “slipping into the Gap.”
In this state everything is interconnected; quantum leaps of creativity can occur; and we are able to co-create with an infinite source.
The catch here is we don’t know we are in this state until we come out of it.
When we come out of the Gap, we may experience a deep sense of peace and calm along with increased intuition.
We bring these qualities back into our Waking State.
Synchronicities (meaningful coincidences) begin to occur as a part of life, our choices become more conscious, our dreams seem to have meaning, and we sense there is more to life than meets the eye.
We get a little peak behind the curtain.
According to Deepak Chopra, “What we experience as everyday reality [the Waking State] is merely a shadow play. Behind the curtain there is a soul, living and dynamic and immortal, beyond the reach of space and time … the world of the soul.”
Cosmic Consciousness
Cosmic Consciousness is the fifth state.
It is during this state that we may have the experience that we are not in our body but observing, or witnessing, our body from the outside.
Cosmic Consciousness is about the simultaneous experience of acting in the waking state while watching ourselves as we perform actions.
We become the silent witness of the roles, events, relationships, and situations in our life.
We discover that the roles we are playing are constantly changing.
As a result, we are no longer so deeply attached to the good and bad scenes of our life.
What roles have you played throughout your life?
I have played the roles of daughter, teenager, mother, teacher, writer, cyclist, yogi, and many more.
Just like an actor, as the observer, we know that when one role ends there will be another.
Dr. Sheila Patel explains how witnessing our world can help us become more emotionally resilient and more conscious of our actions: “We more easily observe the emotions arising within us. We become aware of the difference between observations and our interpretations of them. Awareness becomes centered on conscious observation and authentic expression.”
Consequently, we become less reactive and can make conscious choices as to what we want to keep in our life and what is no longer serving us; we understand that we can rewrite our story.
Divine Consciousness
Once we become less identified with our ego, we gradually expand our vision and become aware that the witness in us is the same witness that is in everything around us – the flowers, the sky, a chair, the cashier at the store, etc.
A deep sense of connectedness to everyone and everything begins to evolve.
The qualities of empathy and compassion deepen within us, and we begin to accept that everyone is doing the best they can from their level of awareness.
This state captures the essence of “Namaste,” the light inside of me honors the light inside of you.
Unified Consciousness
Finally, we awaken to our true self as infinite and unbounded consciousness.
We know that we are deeply connected to all that is – and the source of all creation.
We have the experience of being one with everything.
It is not obligatory to analyze what state of consciousness we are in.
When we practice meditation regularly these higher states unfold naturally and spontaneously, and we begin to heal ourselves from the inside out.
Unhealthy dietary habits, stress, jobs, thoughts, and relationships just seem to fall away.
We begin to meet circumstances that arise in life without all of the drama and stress.
We develop a trust in a bigger picture as our intuition and creativity expand.
Perhaps most importantly, our overall sense of happiness and wellbeing increases.
From seven states of consciousness to another set of seven principles...
Enjoy!
“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding.”
— The Kybalion
Have you ever stopped to marvel at the jaw-dropping knowledge and wisdom of the ancients?
Even today, historians have a hard time explaining the architectural precision of the Pyramids at Giza, or the Greeks impressive knowledge of mathematics and astronomy.
How can it be that the ancients knew so much with such limited technology?
The answers to these questions may lie within the ancient philosophical tradition of their times, Hermeticism.
Hermeticism is what happens when arguably the two greatest cultures of the ancient world, ancient Egypt and Hellenistic Greece, clash together.
The resulting product is a school of thought that seeks to explain scientific, psychological, and otherworldly phenomena all at once.
What makes Hermeticism especially unique is its flexibility, there are no set “rules” to be a hermeticist as Hermeticism recognizes the value of individual experience.
Hermeticism gets it’s name from the God Hermes Trismegistus, (Greek for “Thrice-Greatest Hermes) who is a Greco-Egyptian version of Egypt’s God of writing and wisdom, Thoth, of whom you may have heard of.
Hermes Trismegistus was renowned as the world’s chief authority on all things mystical and sacred, and would only pass down his teachings to some very few adepts, who have kept the flame of Hermeticism burning alive to this day.
If you would like to know more in-depth about the fascinating history of Hermeticism, click here.
As with any time-tested philosophical tradition, there are a set of principles to which every insight that Hermeticism has to offer abides by.
Hermeticism has 7 core principles, as outlined in this nifty little book, The Kybalion.
The Kybalion’s number one goal is to clearly enunciate Hermeticism’s 7 core beliefs as to pass on a “master key” to the aspiring seeker of esoteric knowledge.
#1. The Principle of Mentalism
“The ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental.”
— The Kybalion
Reality as we know it is shaped by the way we think.
We often don’t give our mental states enough credit to understand their influence over our perception of reality but, it is plainly obvious the significance of our attitudes.
A pessimist, for example, would have very harsh feelings concerning the future of our species as war, corruption, pollution, and many other big problems are so glaringly present in the world at large.
These negative emotions associated with the survival of our species would present themselves in a number of ways which may include a sense of hopelessness, futility, and apathy towards our fellow brothers and sisters.
Our thoughts affect our emotions which in turn, color our actions.
By understanding the principle of mentalism, we can strive to create a more positive and loving reality for ourselves and the lives of others with whom we come into contact with.
#2. The Principle of Correspondence
“As above, so below; as below so above.”
All of the other principles operate on all different planes of existence.
Realize that you aren’t special, and that everything that’s happening now is also happening on higher planes of existence that we can’t even dream of.
We are not exempt from the natural laws that apply to even the most minute of subatomic particles, even if we can’t directly observe them.
The principle of correspondence not only promotes a philosophy of oneness with the universe at large, it serves as a practical tool of inquiry that allows us to attempt to uncover the mysteries of the unknown by studying the world we live and breath.
#3. The Principle of Vibration
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”
— The Kybalion
You probably are already very much aware of this principle as modern science corroborates with the notion of vibratory energy being the “stuff” of the universe, rather than inert matter.
What makes Hermetist’s take on the subject unique is that they apply this principle to our mind-states; our thoughts exist as a form of higher vibratory energy than our conventional states of energy.
When we treat our thoughts and states of being as forms of higher energy being transmitted to our brains, we understand the raw power our thoughts invoke.
This gives us the choice to be free from the notion that we will never be able to control ourselves, letting go of the mind/body prisoner mentality that so many people today seem to furnish.
The principle of vibration hands over the “sceptre of power” to control our thoughts rather than be controlled by them.
#4. The Principle of Polarity
“Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites;
like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree;
extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.”
— The Kybalion
Perhaps the most interesting and easily understandable of the 7 principles, the principle of polarity contends that all pairs of opposites, while seemingly totally extraneous and unrelated amongst one another, are actually one in the same.
Fear and Courage for example, may at first glance seem like they have nothing to do with one another but, what happens when you’re only a little courageous or a tad fearful?
Where does fear cut off and courage begin?
We’ve all had instances in life orchestrated by emotional shifts such as love into hate, courage into fear, it comes with being human.
Understanding that opposites cannot exist without one another asserts the possibility of courage sprouting from fear, love from hate, as these pairs of emotions are one in the same, just at varying degrees.
The Hermetist uses this law to consciously control their emotions, a priceless life skill requiring strict discipline.
#5. The Principle of Rhythm
Yet again, another example of a principle that is backed up by science.
We all have seen forms of rhythm in nature one way or another such as the ocean tide, the transition of day to night and night to day and much more.
Hermeticism takes it a step further by applying this principle to our own mental states.
The roller coaster continues to serve as a popular analogy for the constant ups and downs of everyday living because it continues to reflect the truth. Thoughts and emotions fluctuate, Hermeticism gives us the insight to rise above the negative consequences of rhythm’s pendulous swing, by raising the frequency of our mind above our own material plane.
#6. The Principle of Cause and Effect
Realize that there is no such thing as mere chance, and that everything is the result of something else.
Even when we don’t recognize a particular cause of a certain effect, we must be willing to acknowledge our own inability to detect it and not toss it off to “chance”.
Not only is this humbling, the principle allows reality to be a purposeful existence dictated by universal law and not by some irrational 5th element.
By recognizing the principle of cause and effect, we can start to become causers ourselves, no longer at the whim of our volatile emotions and the influence of others tossing us back and forth like a ship lost at sea.
We can learn to protect ourselves from the wills of others by refusing to be the effect of someone else’s cause.
A rational perspective on life’s negative aspects strengthens the will, training us to grow accustomed to change instead being flung around by it.
#7. The Principle of Gender
More than anything else, the principle of gender asserts that all phenomena regarding generation and re-generation comes forth from the two aspects of gender, male and female.
This much is obvious on our plane of existence as the form of sex but, the principle also applies to higher forms of generation beyond our current understanding.
Grasping this principle allows for the wonder of creation to take hold, realizing that the father-mind of “God” and the mother-mind of Nature would not exist without the other.
Realize that both genders are unique yet on equal footing, resulting in the balanced unity between us and our universe.
Mental mastery serves as a common trend throughout Hermeticism, linking these 7 principles together in a way that can be used personally and practically.
The first key step is to realize the power of our thoughts over our reality.
Enjoy!
“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding.”
— The Kybalion
Have you ever stopped to marvel at the jaw-dropping knowledge and wisdom of the ancients?
Even today, historians have a hard time explaining the architectural precision of the Pyramids at Giza, or the Greeks impressive knowledge of mathematics and astronomy.
How can it be that the ancients knew so much with such limited technology?
The answers to these questions may lie within the ancient philosophical tradition of their times, Hermeticism.
Hermeticism is what happens when arguably the two greatest cultures of the ancient world, ancient Egypt and Hellenistic Greece, clash together.
The resulting product is a school of thought that seeks to explain scientific, psychological, and otherworldly phenomena all at once.
What makes Hermeticism especially unique is its flexibility, there are no set “rules” to be a hermeticist as Hermeticism recognizes the value of individual experience.
Hermeticism gets it’s name from the God Hermes Trismegistus, (Greek for “Thrice-Greatest Hermes) who is a Greco-Egyptian version of Egypt’s God of writing and wisdom, Thoth, of whom you may have heard of.
Hermes Trismegistus was renowned as the world’s chief authority on all things mystical and sacred, and would only pass down his teachings to some very few adepts, who have kept the flame of Hermeticism burning alive to this day.
If you would like to know more in-depth about the fascinating history of Hermeticism, click here.
As with any time-tested philosophical tradition, there are a set of principles to which every insight that Hermeticism has to offer abides by.
Hermeticism has 7 core principles, as outlined in this nifty little book, The Kybalion.
The Kybalion’s number one goal is to clearly enunciate Hermeticism’s 7 core beliefs as to pass on a “master key” to the aspiring seeker of esoteric knowledge.
#1. The Principle of Mentalism
“The ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental.”
— The Kybalion
Reality as we know it is shaped by the way we think.
We often don’t give our mental states enough credit to understand their influence over our perception of reality but, it is plainly obvious the significance of our attitudes.
A pessimist, for example, would have very harsh feelings concerning the future of our species as war, corruption, pollution, and many other big problems are so glaringly present in the world at large.
These negative emotions associated with the survival of our species would present themselves in a number of ways which may include a sense of hopelessness, futility, and apathy towards our fellow brothers and sisters.
Our thoughts affect our emotions which in turn, color our actions.
By understanding the principle of mentalism, we can strive to create a more positive and loving reality for ourselves and the lives of others with whom we come into contact with.
#2. The Principle of Correspondence
“As above, so below; as below so above.”
— The Kybalion
All of the other principles operate on all different planes of existence.
Realize that you aren’t special, and that everything that’s happening now is also happening on higher planes of existence that we can’t even dream of.
We are not exempt from the natural laws that apply to even the most minute of subatomic particles, even if we can’t directly observe them.
The principle of correspondence not only promotes a philosophy of oneness with the universe at large, it serves as a practical tool of inquiry that allows us to attempt to uncover the mysteries of the unknown by studying the world we live and breath.
#3. The Principle of Vibration
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”
— The Kybalion
You probably are already very much aware of this principle as modern science corroborates with the notion of vibratory energy being the “stuff” of the universe, rather than inert matter.
What makes Hermetist’s take on the subject unique is that they apply this principle to our mind-states; our thoughts exist as a form of higher vibratory energy than our conventional states of energy.
When we treat our thoughts and states of being as forms of higher energy being transmitted to our brains, we understand the raw power our thoughts invoke.
This gives us the choice to be free from the notion that we will never be able to control ourselves, letting go of the mind/body prisoner mentality that so many people today seem to furnish.
The principle of vibration hands over the “sceptre of power” to control our thoughts rather than be controlled by them.
#4. The Principle of Polarity
“Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites;
like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree;
extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.”
— The Kybalion
Perhaps the most interesting and easily understandable of the 7 principles, the principle of polarity contends that all pairs of opposites, while seemingly totally extraneous and unrelated amongst one another, are actually one in the same.
Fear and Courage for example, may at first glance seem like they have nothing to do with one another but, what happens when you’re only a little courageous or a tad fearful?
Where does fear cut off and courage begin?
We’ve all had instances in life orchestrated by emotional shifts such as love into hate, courage into fear, it comes with being human.
Understanding that opposites cannot exist without one another asserts the possibility of courage sprouting from fear, love from hate, as these pairs of emotions are one in the same, just at varying degrees.
The Hermetist uses this law to consciously control their emotions, a priceless life skill requiring strict discipline.
#5. The Principle of Rhythm
“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall;
the pendulum-swing manifests in everything;
the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left;
rhythm compensates.”
— The Kybalion
the pendulum-swing manifests in everything;
the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left;
rhythm compensates.”
— The Kybalion
Yet again, another example of a principle that is backed up by science.
We all have seen forms of rhythm in nature one way or another such as the ocean tide, the transition of day to night and night to day and much more.
Hermeticism takes it a step further by applying this principle to our own mental states.
The roller coaster continues to serve as a popular analogy for the constant ups and downs of everyday living because it continues to reflect the truth. Thoughts and emotions fluctuate, Hermeticism gives us the insight to rise above the negative consequences of rhythm’s pendulous swing, by raising the frequency of our mind above our own material plane.
#6. The Principle of Cause and Effect
“Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause;
everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized;
there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law.”
— The Kybalion
everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized;
there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law.”
— The Kybalion
Realize that there is no such thing as mere chance, and that everything is the result of something else.
Even when we don’t recognize a particular cause of a certain effect, we must be willing to acknowledge our own inability to detect it and not toss it off to “chance”.
Not only is this humbling, the principle allows reality to be a purposeful existence dictated by universal law and not by some irrational 5th element.
By recognizing the principle of cause and effect, we can start to become causers ourselves, no longer at the whim of our volatile emotions and the influence of others tossing us back and forth like a ship lost at sea.
We can learn to protect ourselves from the wills of others by refusing to be the effect of someone else’s cause.
A rational perspective on life’s negative aspects strengthens the will, training us to grow accustomed to change instead being flung around by it.
#7. The Principle of Gender
“Gender is in everything;
everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles;
Gender manifests on all planes.”
— The Kybalion
everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles;
Gender manifests on all planes.”
— The Kybalion
More than anything else, the principle of gender asserts that all phenomena regarding generation and re-generation comes forth from the two aspects of gender, male and female.
This much is obvious on our plane of existence as the form of sex but, the principle also applies to higher forms of generation beyond our current understanding.
Grasping this principle allows for the wonder of creation to take hold, realizing that the father-mind of “God” and the mother-mind of Nature would not exist without the other.
Realize that both genders are unique yet on equal footing, resulting in the balanced unity between us and our universe.
Mental mastery serves as a common trend throughout Hermeticism, linking these 7 principles together in a way that can be used personally and practically.
The first key step is to realize the power of our thoughts over our reality.
“He who grasps the truth of the
Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery.”
— The Kybalion
Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery.”
— The Kybalion
Oh no, not at all. It’s definitely comforting, and I’m sorry for your loss, my krow <3
Time to go for now...
Here are a few hahaha’s and whatnot.
Here are a few hahaha’s and whatnot.
I know all about digestion problems hahaha.
Ankylosing spondylitis can effect that as well...not to mention that the secondary depression/anxiety can also wreak havoc on the bowels as well.
Also...I was technically in the hospital this time last year dying from pancreatitis!
After they did an ERCP to fish all the gallstones that had lodged in all my pancreatic ducts, my cystic, and bile ducts...basically ALL the ducts that come off your liver and pancreas....they did a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and took out my gallbladder full of stones that was messing it all up.
My lipase was 8000+ something when I came into the ER...it tops out in the normal range around 85....lol...along with several other screwy labs.
They say it takes almost a year or even more for your digestion to go back to normal (if it does at all) after that surgery and problem, and I can say that that is about right in my case.
When I had anxiety issues I would also have those 4am panic attack-ish incidents that also would cause IBS problems.
I highly, highly recommend against getting pancreatitis - uber painful, and I think I know pain!
Merkabah is like a phoenix always rising fresh and new from the ashes of your pain Skarekrow. It amazes me that you find the energy and attitude that fills the thread with so much that is positive and encouraging - and fun and iconoclastic too of course
Merkabah is like a phoenix always rising fresh and new from the ashes of your pain Skarekrow. It amazes me that you find the energy and attitude that fills the thread with so much that is positive and encouraging - and fun and iconoclastic too of course
Thanks John!
I will admit sometimes I have a difficult time practicing all that I preach...but I do my best!
It’s funny you speak of it rising from the ashes of my pain...I feel like it’s been a long ride indeed!
I feel far more at peace with myself than I have for many years in spite of the pain increasing and it starting to effect other joints now.
Have to give the most credit to learning to no longer fight the pain and the suffering.
Thank you for your encouraging words John...I still often struggle with my own ideas and expectation put on myself concerning self-worth and purpose, though much better than I was for sure.
Then again...I know that I have things so much better than so many other people in this world.
Who am I to complain about my pain?
We are each justified to complain about something, but it only causes us and others more suffering.
It's hard to shush the ego sometimes long enough to see the damage being done by the unrelenting singleminded drive to avoid pain/suffering.
Much love...talk to you more later!
Freaking awesome!
That gives me (and everyone) some rad reading material...thanks!
Good to see you, hope you are well?
Anything new going on?
Time for some good science!
Reality is stranger than most of the general public are aware.
Enjoy!
Quantum pigeons don’t like to share.
In keeping with a mathematical concept known as the pigeonhole principle, roosting pigeons have to cram together if there are more pigeons than spots available, with some birds sharing holes.
But photons, or quantum particles of light, can violate that rule, according to an experiment reported in the Jan. 29 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The pigeonhole principle states that, if three pigeons are roosting in two holes, one hole must contain at least two birds.
Though seemingly obvious, the idea helps define the fundamentals of what numbers are and what it means to count things.
But in the quantum realm, scientists had predicted that three “pigeons” — technically, quantum particles — could squeeze into two holes without any one particle sharing a hole with another, in what’s known as the quantum pigeonhole effect (SN Online: 7/18/14).
The “quantum pigeonhole effect challenges our basic understanding…. So a clear experimental verification is highly needed,” study coauthors Chao-Yang Lu and Jian-Wei Pan, physicists at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, wrote in an e-mail. “The quantum pigeonhole may have potential applications to find more complex and fundamental quantum effects.”
In the study, three photons took the place of the pigeons.
Rather than crowding the photons into holes, the researchers studied the polarization of the particles, or the orientation of the photons’ wiggling electromagnetic waves, which can be either horizontal or vertical.
Since there were three photons and two polarizations, standard math would suggest that at least two must have had the same polarization.
When the scientists compared the particles’ polarizations, the team found that no two particles matched, verifying that the quantum pigeonhole effect is real.
The mind-bending behavior is the result of a combination of already strange quantum effects.
The photons begin the experiment in an odd kind of limbo called a superposition, meaning they are polarized both horizontally and vertically at the same time.
When two photons’ polarizations are compared, the measurement induces ethereal links between the particles, known as quantum entanglement.
These counterintuitive properties allow the particles to do unthinkable things.
While the result isn’t the first experimental confirmation of the idea, it improves on previous efforts. “I believe this paper is the best experiment done so far,” says Jeff Tollaksen of Chapman University in Orange, Calif., who was part of a team of theoretical physicists that originally proposed the effect in 2014.
The study is the first to confirm that quantum pigeons misbehave only under a specific condition.
Tollaksen and his colleagues had predicted that, in order for the effect to occur, the measurement of the polarizations must be gentle, so as not to perturb the delicate quantum particles.
The new work confirmed that the measurement has to be weak for the effect to occur.
Quantum mechanics is known for its odd animal-themed paradoxes — typically involving cats.
Schrödinger’s cat is the star of a famous conundrum in which a feline appears to be simultaneously alive and dead (SN: 6/25/16, p. 9).
And quantum “Cheshire cats” appear when particles are separated from their properties, similar to how the Alice in Wonderland cat’s grin separated from its face (SN: 9/6/14, p. 12).
Like the rest of the quantum menagerie, the quantum pigeonhole effect “shows something extremely surprising, if not at first blush seemingly impossible,” Tollaksen says.
Citations
M.-C. Chen et al. Experimental demonstration of quantum pigeonhole paradox. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol 116, January 29, 2019, p. 1549. doi:10.1073/pnas.1815462116.
Further Reading
E. Conover. Schrödinger’s cat now dead and alive in two boxes at once. Science News. Vol. 189, June 25, 2016, p. 9.
A. Grant. Light mimics hotel with limitless vacancies. Science News. Vol. 188, November 28, 2015, p. 11.
A. Grant. Quantum Cheshire Cat experiment splits particles from their properties. Science News. Vol. 186, September 6, 2014, p. 12.
T. Siegfried. You shouldn’t try to pigeonhole quantum physics. Science News Online, July 18, 2014.
Reality is stranger than most of the general public are aware.
Enjoy!
Photons reveal a weird effect called the quantum pigeonhole paradox
Three quantum ‘birds’ can fit in two ‘pigeonholes’ without any two being in the same hole
Three quantum ‘birds’ can fit in two ‘pigeonholes’ without any two being in the same hole
Quantum pigeons don’t like to share.
In keeping with a mathematical concept known as the pigeonhole principle, roosting pigeons have to cram together if there are more pigeons than spots available, with some birds sharing holes.
But photons, or quantum particles of light, can violate that rule, according to an experiment reported in the Jan. 29 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The pigeonhole principle states that, if three pigeons are roosting in two holes, one hole must contain at least two birds.
Though seemingly obvious, the idea helps define the fundamentals of what numbers are and what it means to count things.
But in the quantum realm, scientists had predicted that three “pigeons” — technically, quantum particles — could squeeze into two holes without any one particle sharing a hole with another, in what’s known as the quantum pigeonhole effect (SN Online: 7/18/14).
The “quantum pigeonhole effect challenges our basic understanding…. So a clear experimental verification is highly needed,” study coauthors Chao-Yang Lu and Jian-Wei Pan, physicists at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, wrote in an e-mail. “The quantum pigeonhole may have potential applications to find more complex and fundamental quantum effects.”
In the study, three photons took the place of the pigeons.
Rather than crowding the photons into holes, the researchers studied the polarization of the particles, or the orientation of the photons’ wiggling electromagnetic waves, which can be either horizontal or vertical.
Since there were three photons and two polarizations, standard math would suggest that at least two must have had the same polarization.
When the scientists compared the particles’ polarizations, the team found that no two particles matched, verifying that the quantum pigeonhole effect is real.
The mind-bending behavior is the result of a combination of already strange quantum effects.
The photons begin the experiment in an odd kind of limbo called a superposition, meaning they are polarized both horizontally and vertically at the same time.
When two photons’ polarizations are compared, the measurement induces ethereal links between the particles, known as quantum entanglement.
These counterintuitive properties allow the particles to do unthinkable things.
While the result isn’t the first experimental confirmation of the idea, it improves on previous efforts. “I believe this paper is the best experiment done so far,” says Jeff Tollaksen of Chapman University in Orange, Calif., who was part of a team of theoretical physicists that originally proposed the effect in 2014.
The study is the first to confirm that quantum pigeons misbehave only under a specific condition.
Tollaksen and his colleagues had predicted that, in order for the effect to occur, the measurement of the polarizations must be gentle, so as not to perturb the delicate quantum particles.
The new work confirmed that the measurement has to be weak for the effect to occur.
Quantum mechanics is known for its odd animal-themed paradoxes — typically involving cats.
Schrödinger’s cat is the star of a famous conundrum in which a feline appears to be simultaneously alive and dead (SN: 6/25/16, p. 9).
And quantum “Cheshire cats” appear when particles are separated from their properties, similar to how the Alice in Wonderland cat’s grin separated from its face (SN: 9/6/14, p. 12).
Like the rest of the quantum menagerie, the quantum pigeonhole effect “shows something extremely surprising, if not at first blush seemingly impossible,” Tollaksen says.
Citations
M.-C. Chen et al. Experimental demonstration of quantum pigeonhole paradox. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol 116, January 29, 2019, p. 1549. doi:10.1073/pnas.1815462116.
Further Reading
E. Conover. Schrödinger’s cat now dead and alive in two boxes at once. Science News. Vol. 189, June 25, 2016, p. 9.
A. Grant. Light mimics hotel with limitless vacancies. Science News. Vol. 188, November 28, 2015, p. 11.
A. Grant. Quantum Cheshire Cat experiment splits particles from their properties. Science News. Vol. 186, September 6, 2014, p. 12.
T. Siegfried. You shouldn’t try to pigeonhole quantum physics. Science News Online, July 18, 2014.
Tired and waiting for spring to come so I can do stuff outside.
Anything new going in this year?
It’s been a mess here too...all of December and January it rains and gets thick frost on everything...then February it’s snowing all month off and on...today was actually sunny for the first time in a few weeks but it was still around freezing outside.
Climate change...
D
Deleted member 16771
WutTime for some good science!
Reality is stranger than most of the general public are aware.
Enjoy!
Photons reveal a weird effect called the quantum pigeonhole paradox
Three quantum ‘birds’ can fit in two ‘pigeonholes’ without any two being in the same hole
Quantum pigeons don’t like to share.
In keeping with a mathematical concept known as the pigeonhole principle, roosting pigeons have to cram together if there are more pigeons than spots available, with some birds sharing holes.
But photons, or quantum particles of light, can violate that rule, according to an experiment reported in the Jan. 29 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The pigeonhole principle states that, if three pigeons are roosting in two holes, one hole must contain at least two birds.
Though seemingly obvious, the idea helps define the fundamentals of what numbers are and what it means to count things.
But in the quantum realm, scientists had predicted that three “pigeons” — technically, quantum particles — could squeeze into two holes without any one particle sharing a hole with another, in what’s known as the quantum pigeonhole effect (SN Online: 7/18/14).
The “quantum pigeonhole effect challenges our basic understanding…. So a clear experimental verification is highly needed,” study coauthors Chao-Yang Lu and Jian-Wei Pan, physicists at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, wrote in an e-mail. “The quantum pigeonhole may have potential applications to find more complex and fundamental quantum effects.”
In the study, three photons took the place of the pigeons.
Rather than crowding the photons into holes, the researchers studied the polarization of the particles, or the orientation of the photons’ wiggling electromagnetic waves, which can be either horizontal or vertical.
Since there were three photons and two polarizations, standard math would suggest that at least two must have had the same polarization.
When the scientists compared the particles’ polarizations, the team found that no two particles matched, verifying that the quantum pigeonhole effect is real.
The mind-bending behavior is the result of a combination of already strange quantum effects.
The photons begin the experiment in an odd kind of limbo called a superposition, meaning they are polarized both horizontally and vertically at the same time.
When two photons’ polarizations are compared, the measurement induces ethereal links between the particles, known as quantum entanglement.
These counterintuitive properties allow the particles to do unthinkable things.
While the result isn’t the first experimental confirmation of the idea, it improves on previous efforts. “I believe this paper is the best experiment done so far,” says Jeff Tollaksen of Chapman University in Orange, Calif., who was part of a team of theoretical physicists that originally proposed the effect in 2014.
The study is the first to confirm that quantum pigeons misbehave only under a specific condition.
Tollaksen and his colleagues had predicted that, in order for the effect to occur, the measurement of the polarizations must be gentle, so as not to perturb the delicate quantum particles.
The new work confirmed that the measurement has to be weak for the effect to occur.
Quantum mechanics is known for its odd animal-themed paradoxes — typically involving cats.
Schrödinger’s cat is the star of a famous conundrum in which a feline appears to be simultaneously alive and dead (SN: 6/25/16, p. 9).
And quantum “Cheshire cats” appear when particles are separated from their properties, similar to how the Alice in Wonderland cat’s grin separated from its face (SN: 9/6/14, p. 12).
Like the rest of the quantum menagerie, the quantum pigeonhole effect “shows something extremely surprising, if not at first blush seemingly impossible,” Tollaksen says.
Citations
M.-C. Chen et al. Experimental demonstration of quantum pigeonhole paradox. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol 116, January 29, 2019, p. 1549. doi:10.1073/pnas.1815462116.
Further Reading
E. Conover. Schrödinger’s cat now dead and alive in two boxes at once. Science News. Vol. 189, June 25, 2016, p. 9.
A. Grant. Light mimics hotel with limitless vacancies. Science News. Vol. 188, November 28, 2015, p. 11.
A. Grant. Quantum Cheshire Cat experiment splits particles from their properties. Science News. Vol. 186, September 6, 2014, p. 12.
T. Siegfried. You shouldn’t try to pigeonhole quantum physics. Science News Online, July 18, 2014.
Superposition baby!