At the Cross-Roads

Most of us have had at least three significant turning points in our lives, moments in which we were making momentous decisions that would determine (at least for a substantial period), the course of our destiny.

In last month's article, I asked you to travel back over the landscape of your life and consider some key choices:

1. A choice that you are the most wistful about; one in which the idea or thought “what would have happened?” comes up from time to time.
2. A choice that you haven’t thought about in years, one that has occured to you simply as a result of your reflection over the past.
3. A choice that you have the most regrets over, perhaps with an attitude of “if I could only change the way I handled that.”

Let's start with number 1 for now. Get a mental image of the time in your life when you made the choice that now makes you wonder. See if you can get a sense of yourself at the very juncture of that choice. It's as if you came to a fork in the road - a crossroads, in which you had at least one other path, one other option, that you might have taken. Maybe there are 3 paths, or even more. Mull for a moment the other possibilities that were available to you before you made your choice.

For example, you dreamed of going into the Peace Corps, but when your girlfriend started to pressure you to settle down and start a family, you chose that career in advertising that your uncle's friend arranged for you.

At this crossroads you see the path that would have taken you to the Peace Corps and perhaps to a different career altogether - or maybe even to a different girlfriend.

Note: As you travel back to your own crossroads, it may be insightful to notice the orientation that your mind assigned to the alternate paths &ndsh; which one is straight ahead? which one is on the right? the left?

So, what about those other choices?

The rock climber searches the granite cliff for the place to throw his or her grappling hook. Once the commitment is made, and the hook is safely in its niche, they intently follow the rope upwards, intently focused on the moment. The other potential paths are blurred out and forgotten.

Similarly, when we commit to a choice in our lives – at the crossroads – the other paths to tend to fade away as we get involved in the details of our daily lives. From time to time the muted murmurings of our past arise with the inner question, "What may have been?"

What if you could find out what may have been?
What if it's as simple as tuning into your own subconcious mind?

The Quantum Scoop

What seems to have most characterized the leap from the Newtonian model of physical science to quantum theory, has been the conundrum of the particle/wave. Is matter, at its most basic core, a three-dimensional particle? Or is it a wave of energetic potential? Well, it appears that it's a little of both -- and sometimes what determines the shape that it takes on -- depends on the role that the Observer plays in the experiment. Look at it, and it plays particle - turn your back on it and it transforms into a wave.

Or, maybe it is both, at the same time. Maybe, while you are seeing it as a particle - another "you" in an alternate universe is seeing the wave. And visa versa.

That probably sounds like science fiction, or an episode of The Outer Limits.

Yet, an entire school of thought, lead by a prominent Princeton scholar, believes that the only expanation for this anomaly is that particles don't just exist in our Universe. They flit into existence simultaneously in other universes, running parallel to ours. So, while we are seeing the particle - the wave is what is being seen in a parallel universe, and visa versa. These "many worlds" are somewhat similar to ours, and yet very different: In effect, there's a parallel universe in which Hiter won the war, and another one in which 9/11 never existed. According to (award-winning physicist and pioneer in the quantum computer systems) David Deutsch. "Quantum theory leaves no doubt that other universes exist in exactly the same sense that the single Universe that we see exists. In his words, "This is not a matter of interpretation. It is a logical consequence of quantum theory." (Chown, New Scientist)

And in these parallel universes, multi-dimensional aspects of our being (i.e. parallel selves), play out our alternate choices. In other words, they are taking their journeys down the roads we left un-traveled.

The architects of one of the most plausible models for explaining how the brain functions were two emminences in their fields: David Bohm and Karl Pribam, quantum physicist (and protege of Einstein) and neurophysiologist (Stanford Univ.), respectively. They independently (and later collaboratively) likened the brain to hologram. What is remarkable about holograms is that even when you isolate a tiny portion of the film, it contains all the information necessary to create the whole image.

Dr. Joe Dispenza, who made a fascinating contribution to the film "What the Bleep do we Know" states that the human brain processes 400 billion bits of information every second; however, we are only aware of about 2,000 of those billions of bits of data." According to the holographic model of the brain, this implies that, even as small parts of the macrocosm, we have access to an energetic sea of unlimited potential.

The conscious mind, hardwired to the palpable world of the five senses, is not remotely aware of this phenomenon, yet according to Belleruth Naparstek, world-renowned psychotherapist, our subconscious mind "blinks on and off" between other realities (just like subatomic particles!) 100's of times every minute! In other words, the subconscious is capable of tapping into and collecting data from other frequencies and other dimensions.

Trait-ing Places

My fascination with quantum theory turned to practical application a few years back, when I decided to experiment for myself.

During most of my childhood I studied acting with a semi-professional theater group in my hometown of Chicago. I assumed (as did most of my family) that I would pursue an acting career "when I grew up," but at my own crossroads I chose a different path. Several years ago I was doing a lot of lecturing and noticed that I was getting increasing bouts of stage fright. My heart would start beating very quickly the first few minutes until my talk was underway, and it became so uncomfortable I was contemplating getting a prescription for Inderol, when a thought occured to me:

What if, a parallel Linda had gone down that road un-traveled and became an actor? She would have (hopefully) mastered stage fright, and maybe she could share that trait with me.

Using just the 5 breath (this technique was shared in several former articles, so you can find it on the website) and some imagery, it felt as simple as asking that the "actor-aspect" exchange or imbue me with that quality.

Do you have to believe in parallel universes for this to work? Of course not! But enjoy the exercise below, even if only to indulge your imagination...

Exercise

1. Relax and breathe deeply. (Do this at a time when you will be undisturbed for at least 10 minutes)
2. Get a sense of yourself at the crossroads.
3. Follow a an alternate path and "catch up" to yourself at the present time. Observe (even if this seems like pure "making it up") your parallel self.
4. How much does he or she look like you or differ from you?
5. Do they seem content with the choices they have made?
6. What can you learn from your parallel or share with them? (this should be mutual) Ask for a trait exchange.

How do you feel now about the choice you have made?

Should you want to delve a bit deeper into these extraordinary scientific breakthroughs, and ponder the implications of the illusory nature of reality, I'd suggest you see a movie that is slowly but surely gaining a lot of momentum, called What the bleep do we know? (see http://www.whatthebleep.com). Or, you may want to check out a few authors and books that have the gift of simplifying these concepts for the laymen, such as Dr. Fred Alan Wolf (who makes a vital impact to the film: http://www.fredalanwolf.com).

References:

• Fred Alan Wolf, Parallel Universes: The Search for Other Worlds
• Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe
• Belleruth Naparstek, Your Sixth Sense
• Dr. Joe Dispenza, "The Seat of our Divinity" in The Golden Thread magazine