The question, how much free will do we really have, has been one of the most debated, and existential issues in philosophy over the millennia. Science, ever since quantum mechanics has become accepted, takes a balanced view. Outcomes affecting all life, all matter, are governed both by deterministic and by stochastic (i.e. based on random probability distribution) factors.
We know that the next Transit of Venus will occur on 8 December 2125 (deterministic), while that the next simultaneous Transit of Venus and Mercury should occur on 26 July 69,163 (that is, in the 692nd century), assuming that no events of a stochastic nature intervene before then.
The mathematics of chaos theory, whereby a tiny change in initial conditions creates a significantly different outcome (the metaphor of a butterfly flapping its wings in Texas setting off a hurricane in China) is micro-determinism rather than the genuine randomness inherent in quantum mechanics. With enough sensors to gauge the air disturbed by the world's butterfly population and a powerful-enough computer making sense of the data, science could predict that hurricane. However, quantum physics proves the impossibility of predicting both the path and the momentum of a subatomic particle from initial conditions.
So much for the science. How does this affect our lives? How much free will do we have - are our lives governed by the complex maths of beating butterfly wings, or rather, by the inability to measure the superposition of entangled subatomic particles?
For me, the uncertainty of quantum mechanics provides a key to the magic of the universe. No longer is it purely deterministic, no longer are we just 'something that happened', no longer are our fates preordained. The quantum world is the key to consciousness, the key to chance. And the key question - can you alter the outcome of a quantum event by willing it one way or another?
Over the years, Schrodinger's cat has become the most-often mentioned feline on this blog, but here's a recap for those who are new to this famous thought experiment. A cat is placed in a sealed box along with a vial of poison gas, a Geiger counter and atom of a radioactive isotope which could either decay, or not decay. If it does, the Geiger counter detects it, triggering a hammer that shatters the vial, releasing the gas that poisons the cat. Quantum uncertainty posits that without a conscious observer to open the box to see the outcome, the cat is both dead and alive at the same time, ie. whether or not the atom has decayed is entirely down to the whether a conscious mind is involved. We are again in the forest where a falling tree makes no sound if no one is there to hear it. [This is the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum mechanics. The Many Worlds Interpretation holds that in one universe, the cat lives, in another, the cat dies. In both, however, the presence of the conscious observer is essential to determine the outcome.]
So - you are the conscious observer. It is your task to open the box. You like the cat - can you will it to survive? On the other hand, it may be a mangy tom that urinates all over your garden and keeps you up at night with loud yowling, and you're indifferent to its fate. Would that change matters?
We live in a world of chaos, all the more so with a pandemic in full swing, which offers a testing ground for this theory. We can all take precautions - stay away from others, wear a mask, wash our hands, keeping them away from the face, and ventilate our indoor space.
But is there a metaphysical dimension to staying Covid-free?
The outcomes are binary: either you get infected, or you don't. If you do, either you get it seriously, or it passes mildly or without symptoms. If you do get it seriously, either you die or you live. If you don't die, you either recover fully, or the long Covid stays with you for years to come, affecting negatively the quality of your life.
Two elements are crucial. The first is rooted in the physical world. It's not being complacent. [Complacency - a missing word in Polish. Samozadowolenie really misses it.] Being on guard, being acutely aware of the dangers you step into as you go shopping or mingle with strangers, and acting accordingly. Nothing supernatural there. But the second element does carry an element of the metaphysical. It is feeling gratitude that you are currently well. Are the grateful less liable to infection? Yes - if you weave that gratitude into the constant fight against complacency; if you train yourself to be observant and mindful. Simply not wanting to get ill can help if that triggers good behaviours. And if you believe in the power of belief.
Am I healthy because I’m happy? Or am I happy because I am healthy? Is my positive approach to life a result of the fact that I’m happy and healthy – or does the fact that I’m happy and healthy stem from my positive approach to life? Rationalists would stick to the first answer. Yet many of us would instinctively say “well, there’s something to be said for the second”. Indeed, but is there a deeper, scientifically determinable mechanism at work? Am I really able to think myself into a state of healthiness and happiness? Does being positive in life boost the immune system? Research into the placebo effect (and its evil twin, the nocebo effect) suggests that this may indeed be the case. Again, let’s take the question a stage further.
Belief in the power of belief. If you don’t believe that a positive outlook can improve your health or slow down disease – then the likelihood is it won’t. If you do believe in belief, then the likelihood is - it will. If you are not mindful in your life, you are in greater danger.
This is how I see the role of luck in our lives. Steered by conscious mindfulness.
If you are experiencing a run of good luck, be aware of it, be grateful for it, appreciate it. Don't count on good luck to cover up your complacency. As the Rabbi says - if today you're having a shitty day, remember, tomorrow will be better. And if today you're having a great day, remember - tomorrow could be shit.
There is a balance to be striven for - the balance between fatalistic acceptance and unyielding fortitude - not buckling, not weakening, not giving in to laziness.
Tomorrow: materialism, comfort and luxury.
This time last year:
Define your Deity
This time three years ago:
The Mysteries of Quantum Physics
This time four years ago:
Lent starts tomorrow
This time five years ago:
Coincidence and survival
This time eight years ago
The Book of Revelations
This time nine years ago:
Strong late-winter sunshine
This time ten years ago:
Best pics from February 2011
This time 11 years ago:
Kensington
This time 13 years ago:
End of the line
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