Which Universe are You Experiencing?

In 1895, William James, popularly known as the father of psychology, coined the term “multiverse” to describe an organization of reality in which there are multiple and parallel universes.  Since then, the idea of the parallel universe has been great fodder for science fiction writers, and that is how it first entered my consciousness.  Who can forget that episode of Star Trek, where Spock was evil and had that cool looking beard?

Since first encountering the concept as a small child by watching that very episode of Star Trek, the idea that there could be other “me’s” out there, living other, slightly different versions of my life has fascinated me.  Was there a universe where my twin did not die in-utero, and I had a sister?  Were my parents happily married and taking us on family vacations somewhere else in time and space?  Did I exist in the other universes, or was I the one who died?

As I continued my self-education in physics and philosophy in my adulthood, I began to see the idea of the multiverse becoming more and more mainstream.  Princeton Professor and philosopher David Lewis espoused the theory of modal realism wherein all possible worlds exist simultaneously.  So theoretically there is a world where you took a right turn instead of left on your way to work this morning.  It seems totally unbelievable, but when you dig into it, the idea that life on this planet exists is totally unbelievable given the circumstances available at the time of its birth.  So, why not an infinite amount of worlds or universes?

I have to admit that physicists were driven to pursue these theories not by a concern about the people in these universes, but by trying to find an explanation for the realities they encountered as they delved deeper into the world of quantum physics. You see, once you get down to the sub-atomic level, the Newtonian laws of physics that we all came to know and love in high school cease to apply.  Quantum particles do not act the way they should. As first proposed by Werner Heisenberg, it seems that we affect the behavior of quantum particles just by observing them.

Physicist Neils Bohr took that idea one step further, and explained that those particles actually exist in all possible states at the same time, and what the observer observes depends entirely on themselves, and not on the particle itself.

Uh, where does the pursuit of happiness come in here?

Well, which universe are you experiencing?

I am starting to think that the whole Law of Attraction idea can be explained by this very same theory!  Perhaps our souls exist spread out among all of the possible universes.  Yet the conscious mind can only experience one universe at a time -  the one it focuses on.  Perhaps when we train our conscious minds to focus differently, we then begin to experience a different universe.

As I have been training my mind  and spirit to resonate with those states of being that I desire, perhaps that change in resonance puts my conscious mind in harmony with a different possible universe.  A universe in which money comes to me easily, or an existence in which my back no longer hurts.

Could this be an explanation for faith healing?  Do some people believe so strongly that they can be healed that their conscious mind shifts attention to a universe where they no longer have cancer?  Do they somehow change the frequency of their vibrations to match that of another universe?  Is it like changing the channel on the television?

Can we tune into the universe that we want to experience?

When I changed my mind regarding romantic relationships, it seemed as if Bill magically walked into my life. Perhaps my conscious mind just changed focus to a universe a few doors down, where Bill and I could meet.

You realize that this idea of your soul spanning all of the possible universes explains deja vu, dreams that seem so totally real, and those moments when you seem to be seeing something just on the fringe of your eyes, which you cannot explain.  Those might all be moments where you are getting a signal bleed from another universe, like picking up two radio stations at once!

I think for the many people, who struggle with belief in God or a higher power, the concept of the multiverse brings the law of attraction into the realm of possibility.  They don’t have to struggle with their lack of faith.  Instead,  they can choose a scientific explanation that allows them to experience the miracle of our reality.

So, what do you think?  Am I onto something here? I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and arguments.

In the meantime, for those who want to delve deeper into this concept here are some great articles:

Do Parallel Universes Really Exist? – Really breaks down the science and history nicely.

The Multiverse Hypothesis – Philosphy or Science? – Very in depth, but available in audio, which makes it easier to digest.