Working4Me

"The Secret" About "What the Bleep Do They Know" About Quantum Mechanics

I've mentioned before how The Law of Attraction misuses the terminology of quantum physics. Well it's one thing to make that statement; I am now going to begin examining the concept a bit more closely. Many hypnotists must contend with the huge amount of misinformation out there about our field; and the antidote to misinformation is correct information (and plenty of it!).

While there might be a possibility that our neurology makes direct use of quantum effects, this has yet to be scientifically demonstrated. Recently I saw an article positing that photosynthesis makes use of a quantum effect to generate energy efficiently for plants and there could be more things in our lives built upon quantum physics than just particle accelerators. Nevertheless, it does not follow that a system for understanding what happens in the specific context of the subatomic scale (quantum theory) will necessarily play out the same way in another, very different, context. Does quantum theory mean that your mind controls and even creates reality?

Hardly. NLP acknowledges that whatever reality is out there is filtered through our senses and then through our neurology (f1 and f2 transforms). The map is not the territory. Think about this for a minute and you may realize that this does not require that the map creates the reality!

Now, sometimes people might get "results" from employing the law of attraction. As I've said in the past, I contend that this is due to the goal-seeking nature of our neurology. The "as-if frame" is a powerful one; perhaps when you act as if the law of attraction is working in your life, then you'll be more open to the opportunities around you that you hadn't noticed before.  But in no way does quantum theory come into play, essentially allowing your mind to dictate what goes on "out there" in any way other than normal interaction with your environment would allow. To make assumptions that your "quantum mind" is using the "law of attraction" to affect reality is employing an "appeal to quantum mechanics".

Wikipedia says it pretty well:

Quantum quackery (appeal to quantum mechanics) are terms of the " Science wars ", criticizing the fashion trend in postmodernism , popular philosophy and various currents of  pseudoscience to refer to  quantum physics  without any  intellectual rigor or understanding of the field to provide an erudite-sounding explanation of pretty much anything without making any actual claim.

Quantum quackery and  New Age "mystical physics" begin in earnest in the 1970s with Fritjof Capra's "The Tao of Physics". Capra asserts that quantum physics confirms Eastern mystical teachings, a claim taken up in the 1980s by Hindutva pseudoscience.

*edited for grammar and to get to the point

It's akin to the convenient metaphor of "energy flow". In martial arts, oft-used phrases like "centering yourself", "allowing the flow of ki" and "breath power" are essentially descriptors for complex (and many times extremely subtle) physical behaviors. Yet on the surface, they seem to describe the existence of something like The Force. While I don't go as far as to claim that this "force" does not exist, in my experience the majority of its associated phenomena seem to be based in complex, but very concrete, physics and biomechanics. Even so, as my first Aikido teacher said, when you act as if the ki is real, you get demonstrable results whether it's objectively real or not.

The problem with the misuse of quantum theory terminology is that people actually believe that modern physics really concretely relates to how they can make money appear from nowhere.  You know by now that I am not a die-hard materialist and in fact am very spiritual but I like to keep my knowledge domains nice and distinct. Quantum physics is for understanding the domain of the extremely small. Material prosperity is another domain which can (and should where useful) employ metaphors built on quantum physics, but ought to be intellectually honest and not misapply ideas.

For some background in quantum physics: Visit Wikipedia

Ericksonian Hypnosis Playing Cards

It seems like a long time ago that Jamie Smart began selling his Ericksonian Hypnosis Cards. At first, he launched them with a deep discount, which typifies his excellent customer service. And yet, I resisted the urge. Neither the small price nor the time commitmennt to play with them were in my budget at the time.

And many moons have passed, with Jamie Smart developing more decks like Irresistable Influence and I believe an NLP deck. And still I had not bought.

But last week, my wife mentioned offhand that I hadn't bought myself any small treats lately. I brushed it off at the time, but she was right. Such a treat was in the budget last week so I went on Amazon to make my purchase.  The Ericksonian Hypnosis Cards arrived within days....

...Let me say first that I shy away from playing card games because I tend not to do too well with them. I probably just don't get enough practice. Now that I have flipped through the language patterns on this deck of cards, I can't wait to engage my wife and my friends in hypnotic card games!

The cards themselves seem to be of high quality and come in a durable plastic carrying case, not a cheap cardboard box that will fall apart within weeks. Each card is a typical playing card, but in the place of artwork you'll find printed one of Milton Erickson's famous hypnotic language patterns and a slew of examples. Game play seems to be similar to drinking games - modify any card game as though it were a drinking game, but instead of drinking, read a hypnotic language pattern. It's so simple, learning through play, that I can't wait to try it.

Perhaps a game of hypnotic solitaire is in order this afternoon.

I'll be doing some play testing with Jamie's "Hypnotic Slapjack" and other modified card games, and I intend to develop some of my own learning drills with the cards. I'll be posting them here when I do.

Once again,  Good work, Salad!