Did you ever have the feeling that someone was staring at you, then glance over and sure enough they were? Did you ever hear the phone ring and intuitively know who it was? Did you ever know what someone was going to say before they said it? Did you ever meet someone for the first time and have the feeling that you have known them all your life? Have you ever visited someplace for the first time and have the gut feeling that you have been there before (coming home to a place you have never been)? Do you and your partner, spouse, significant other, whatever frequently communicate with each other without saying anything? Do you do the same with a pet you have had for several years?
Just about everyone can answer yes to some or all of these questions as well as many more like them. Since these psychic-like phenomena seem to be quite prevalent, we are naturally curious as to whether or not they are a real part of nature. And, if so, then how do they occur. It turns out that they most likely are real psychic entities mediated by a phenomenon called universal entanglement. This idea basically says that all things in the universe, including thoughts and feelings of individual people and animals, are entangled with one another. On this note, entanglement could well be the embodiment of the Unitarian Universalist's principle of "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part", and not just a metaphor for the interdependent nature of human existence.
Entanglement is a phenomenon arising from quantum physics, also generally known as quantum mechanics. To be sure, there are subtle differences between quantum physics and mechanics, but fortunately, we don't have to deal with minute details in order to get a reasonable picture. So, if you see quantum physics and quantum mechanics used interchangeably in this essay, don't fret. For our purposes, they deal with the same thing.
Quantum physics, or mechanics, is concerned with the behaviors and interactions of sub-atomic particles. Albert Einstein was the first to come up with the concept of entanglement in 1935, while the term itself was coined by Erwin Schrodinger the same year. Basically entanglement says that when a sub-atomic particle, such as a photon, changes energy state it generates two sub-particles which then become entangled with each other in a time-space independent manner; that is, the entangled effect can occur even if the entangled partners are separated by an undetermined distance, and it can occur at any time present or future. Furthermore, even though separated in space and time, entangled partner particles essentially behave as a single entity -- the actions of one immediately affect that of the other. The fact that one particle can affect that of its entangled partner over any arbitrary distance Einstein termed "spukhafte ferwirkung", which roughly translates to "spooky action at a distance".
Entanglement has come a long way since Einstein's day and has progressed from abstract theory to being a part of the equations of quantum mechanics to having real application in things like computer chips, cell phones and USB drives, to name but a few. The next big thing on the applications agenda is quantum computers in which one quantum computer will have the computing power of scores of regular computers.
Noetics, the science which, among other things, investigates the mechanisms of psychic phenomena, is looking at entanglement as a possible psychic mechanism. At first blush, the notion that psychic phenomena may be tied to the behavior of sub-atomic particles seems like a leap that makes the Grand Canyon look like a crack in the sidewalk. But, if you consider that the entire universe, and everything in it, is made up of atoms, then quantum mechanics, including the phenomenon of entanglement, may underpin macro behaviors of everything from electrical current to the gravitational pull of planets.
Indeed, the prevailing thought in science today is that the behavior of sub-atomic particles (i.e., quantum physics) governs everything from the atomic to the cosmic level. Within such a broad (or rather deep) rubric it would be difficult to see how the functioning of organisms, including psychic phenomena, could somehow be exempt from the laws of quantum physics. On this note, over the past 50 or so years we have seen a dramatic macro-to-micro scaling in our understanding of the mechanisms of body function within the field of medical science known as physiology. We have gone from organ to tissue to cellular to sub-cellular to atomic and now to sub-atomic levels in our quest to uncover the mechanisms of physiological action. The organ to cellular level is classic physiology. The sub-cellular to atomic levels involve a blending of physiology and biochemistry. And the atomic to sub-atomic levels entail interaction of physiology and physics, in particular quantum physics. The latter is where the most exciting and dramatic new discoveries in physiology are coming from. But to even understand these, let alone investigate them, you must be prepared to let go of old ingrained ideas and really think outside the box.
One of the more active, and perhaps dramatic, areas of research is in the field of neurology where investigators have framed, and are now exploring, the concept of mind/brain interaction. Basically, this concept says that the brain is a collection of neurons and the mind directs how that collection functions as a unit. This means that the mind is a self organizing -- self directing system that involves interaction (i.e., entanglement) of its component parts. This interaction, or entanglement, is presently thought to be focused at the synaptic level -- the junctions between individual nerve cells, called neurons. To understand how this works we need to briefly review the now classic (i.e., outdated) model of synaptic function. According to this model, when the electric current, known as an action potential, traveling along a neuron arrives at its terminal ending ion channels are opened on the activated neuron, and the influx of ions, in particular calcium, releases transmitter molecules which then diffuse and bond to receptors on the nearest neuron, known as a post synaptic neuron. This bonding either opens or closes ion channels on the post synaptic neuron leading to either excitation or inhibition of that neuron, depending on the natures of the transmitter, receptor and affected channels.
The new model recognizes that ion channels have dimensions in the nanometer range where quantum physics plays a significant role. Now are you ready to think outside the box?! The mechanics of quantum physics replaces deterministic cause-effect relationships with a set of probable outcomes, and it has been suggested that every one of these outcomes may be experienced.
The idea as to how all this affects a synapse is as follows: According to a property of quantum physics known as "quantum uncertainty", a close cousin of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, there would be almost an infinite number of possible channel openings on pre-synaptic neurons, possible times in which they open and possible effects on when and how much transmitter is released. This causes the transmitters to be dispersed in the space between pre-and post-synaptic neurons as an entangled "cloud", like a mist, rather than as single independent molecules. This cloud, in turn, exerts an almost infinite number of possible interactions with post-synaptic receptors.
If this were the end of the story, then the organism would die, if it ever lived in the first place, because any excitation would be neutralized by inhibition (e.g., extensors and flexors of muscle groups would contract simultaneously "freezing" the muscle). This is where the mind comes in. The mind directs the transmitter cloud to the correct receptors for appropriate action to occur. In other words, all possible neuron-to-neuron interactions are available with every action potential on every neuron. The mind functions to direct this huge array of possibilities to those that make sense to the organism. And once an action occurs the entire brain knows about it because the mind is an entanglement of all components of the brain. This entanglement is thought to result in other actions that support the original one. Thus, entanglement becomes a possible coupling mechanism between a wide array of emotions (e.g., anger, fear, anxiety, excitement) and a corresponding increase in heart rate.
The "director's function" of the mind occurs at both the sub-conscious (e.g., reflexes, visceral functions) and conscious (e.g., decision making) levels. The latter includes what is known as focusing of the mind - selecting what you want to pay attention, then focusing on it. The A student is able to focus on what the instructor is saying or doing, whereas the C student may be constantly switching focus between the instructor and any number of other things, such as their date for that night. The bottom line here is that the brain via its sensory inputs, its memory channels and its quantum-oriented synapses continuously presents a wide array of entangled past and present events to an organism. The mind then selects which ones to bring to the level of awareness.
The 'directors function' of the mind can elicit two levels of awareness from the constant barrage of an almost endless number of possibilities: 1) those that you are consciously aware of such as perceptible sensory input (e.g., sight, sounds etc) as well as thoughts that can be articulated, and 2) those that are sub-conscious but on the fringe of consciousness such as gut feelings, intuition and the "I'm aware of something but I can't put my finger on it" phenomenon. So, the old saying 'always trust your gut' is good advice based on our newly discovered understand of how the mind works.
So, far we have discussed how the mind functions as a complex entanglement of the component parts that make up the brain and how this affects a single organism. But how is it that thoughts from one mind can affect those of another? The current working hypothesis is that this is also based on the phenomenon of entanglement. David Bohm, a physicist and student of Einstein, postulated that quantum theory encompasses the existence of a deeper reality than the one presented by our senses. He used the term "implicate order" to describe what he felt is an undivided holistic realm beyond our current understanding of time, matter and energy. Within this implicate order everything is entangled with everything else and has been so from the Big Bang creation of the universe to the present. To paraphrase Bohm's explanation:
It is misleading to suppose that each human being is an independent actuality who interacts with other human beings and nature. Instead, all of these (interactions) are projections of a single universal totality -- the implicate order.
There have been at least two metaphorical models used to explain universal entanglement (i.e., Bohm's implicate order): The first is that the universe is like a hologram and the second is that it is like a big lump of jello. The holographic paradigm, obviously the more complicated of the two, is presently being used by cosmologists to mathematically model the structure of the universe. But the jello model is easier for us mere mortals to picture. Any time you thump a lump of jello it reverberates throughout the entire lump. If the universe is entangled like the molecules within a lump of jello, then anything that happens within the universe, such as a transmitter cloud at a neurosynapse, will be experienced throughout the entire universe. Where the jello model falls short is that with real jello the reverberations die down as the square of the distance from the thumping point, whereas entangled/universal jello is space-time independent meaning that the reverberations are felt the same at any point in the universe and at any time present or future (instant jello, you might say). This means that the universe is, has been and always will be a single totality which only appears to our limited senses to be composed of separate - untangled -- parts each capable of acting independently.
To get back to the question of how thoughts from one mind can affect those of another. This phenomenon, often referred to as telepathy, is that the umpteen zillion transmitter clouds associated with a thought within an individual's mind are entangled with the universe. As such, any other mind, present or future, can pick them up. But no single mind could possibly process the almost infinite number of thoughts reverberating throughout the universe, including ones from the past (your great-great-great grandmother taking a snort of her 'medicine' or reading Bible verses, perhaps doing both simultaneously). So, each person's mind, which directs the brain, seems to pick up only on those that have meaning to the person.
Not only are thoughts universally entangled but most likely so are all other activities of body that involve quantum events, such as ion flow through channels; which includes just about everything that goes on in the physical body. And it is a good bet that entanglements from all of these activities collectively make up a person's spirit either in part or in total. Since entanglement is universal, then each individual's spirit is entangled with the universe and, as such, capable of interacting with any other spirit or even with the universe as a whole. This gives a possible mechanistic base to the phenomenon of feeling one with the universe, or, on a smaller scale, a oneness with another individual.
The most widely reported 'one with the universe' incident is that of Apollo 14 commander Ed Mitchell who on his way back from the moon felt a very strong oneness with the universe. He stated that it felt like his atoms were connected to every other atom in the universe, which, according to entanglement, they are. Upon 'recovering' from Apollo 14, Mitchell founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California which has made remarkable progress in our understanding of psychic phenomena, including entanglement as a mechanism.
Admittedly episodes of oneness with the universe, such as that experienced by Ed Mitchell, are rare. But lots of folks, myself included, have experienced a oneness with something or someone beyond ourselves. I have had feelings of oneness with both my fellow humans as well as animals. The latter is a touching story that I would like to share. One of my favorite critters growing up was a mule named Babe that my grandfather had. Even as a preschooler I interacted with her; petting her, feeding her, even riding her with grandpa along side. Years later while my wife and I were visiting the Grand Canyon we stopped by the paddock where they kept the trail mules. As I was leaning on the fence, this mare came up to me from the other side of the paddock. As I petted her and looked into her eyes it was almost as if she was saying "Hi Danny. It's me Babe. How ya been?" One of the wranglers there told me that that particular mare was shy and rarely came up to anyone. But she came up to me, not as a stranger, but as an entangled old friend from the past.
The oneness with another doesn't have to be dramatic (most aren't) and doesn't have to occur on first encounter (most don't). Rather it can build up over time as with close friends, spouses, significant others, and so on. And you can be totally unaware that you are (have become) one with someone until some event brings it out. Again, I'll use my experience as an example. When my wife and I had been married for almost 50 years, she had a serious accident involving brain trauma that put her in a coma for four days. As I was praying for her recovery during nights alone over those four days, I felt connected to something which looking back on it I am sure was her. Later (Thankfully she fully recovered.) she told me that during her long dream (coma) she had a conversation with someone about death and from that conversation she chose to live. In retrospect, I'll bet that that someone was either me or our deceased son Luke.
In closing, it seems that the huge array of emotional, spiritual, and psychic experiences we humans have felt at one time or another throughout our lives all seem to be part of the same phenomenon - universal entanglement. Entanglement is what makes the universe a single entity and what enables us to be one with the universe. God is all and all is God. This notion has strong implications for a whole host of things, such as spirituality, religion as well as day-to-day human behaviors and activities which are not directly tied to spirituality or religion but which may have links to one or both.