Quantum Mechanics

In American culture we are encouraged to believe that we are the rulers of our destiny, that we can create ourself and our life to be whatever we desire. We like to have a sense of control over outcomes, and have a certainty that a particular action will lead to a particular result. Yet when things don't go the way we expected, we have a contrary attitude, quickly placing responsibility and blame for what happened outside of ourselves. The incongruence lies in that while there is certainty that an action or change in one aspect has an affect on another aspect, we do not really have complete control or understanding of what that change will be, and therefore there in uncertainty. In our own lives, in society, in the environment, I think it is important to accept the limited perspective and knowledge we have, and confirm that while we have an understanding of patterns and can make probable predictions, to more or less of a degree, we cannot have complete certainty about anything in our lives or the universe, even though the universe itself has an equation of balance and inter-transformation. I feel that Eastern culture has more acknowledgement of this concept of certainty in the universe although much of it is unknown to us. Eastern philosophy and medicine points to how patterns across ancestral generations, constitutions, arrangements, seasons, years, star alignment etc can have an influence on the individual and provide a greater degree of probability into what is unknown and uncertain.

To measure something is to define it's state by a previously defined concept of measurement. Particles simply exist, and our understanding of particles at a particular moment and in a particular form gives it a definition that falls in line with our framework of understanding.

Observing the effect of something and attempting to understanding the cause can be of much challenge. This makes me think of the process of trying to understand physical and emotional patterns. We observe a physical injury, illness, or disease and we analyze emotional triggers, reactivity, and propensities. Then we try to figure out what habit, incident, or experience caused the imbalance, pain, or suffering. The truth is that we can never fully understand or be certain about the cause, although we can make inferences and probable guesses, and subsequently offer treatment that is likely to support healing. Although ultimately healing is a multifactorial and mysterious process that cannot be control by one or a few factors. It is a reminder to be aware of the expectation we have of cause and affect, but also let go of attachment to that expectation.