QUANTUM LOGIC vs. ARISTOTELIAN LOGIC?

A large part of our Western cultural heritage and English language derives from the works of Aristotle. Virtually every aspect and level of our society is influenced in some way by Aristotle’s ideas and philosophy. However, Aristotelian thinking, or two valent “yes/no logic”, actually “hypnotizes” us into a particularly limiting worldview. It is literally pre-modern thinking, and counter to our experience of what we know to be “true” today, especially, after the discoveries of Relativity and Quantum Theory. It causes us to mentally carve experience into categories of duality: subject/object, either/or, right/wrong, good/bad, yes/no etc. Moreover, Aristotelian thinking often compels us to rush to “premature certainty” about many “things” and experiences, when actual 100% certainty of anything – as Relativity and Quantum Indeterminacy demonstrate -  exists as an impossibility not found in the everyday experience.

As an example, Aristotelian yes/no thinking shows up in English in the “To Be” verb form and it’s various permutations: am, is, are, etc. These verbs inaccurately denote unchanging absolutes in a quantum-based “relative reality”.

Consider for a moment how many negative cultural manifestations have resulted from this kind of thinking, how much ignorance, injustice, racism, sexism, homophobia, blind nationalism and religiosity, war etc. (“my race, gender, sexuality IS the right one; my country IS right, my religion IS the one, etc.) From a postmodern view, this sort of yes/no thinking makes no allowance for other possibilities as simultaneously “true” or “right”.

John Von Neumann, father of both the computer and game theory, created a three-valued or multi-valent “Quantum Logic” which adds the third choice of “maybe” to the previous yes/no polar distinctions. We normally jump from perception to conception (what is “it” and how do I feel about “it”) so quickly that we rarely become consciously aware of the process at all. Think about what it might mean adding “maybe” to the cognitive mix and holding that value somewhere between perception and conception. Using “maybe” as a third choice in your thinking adds tremendous flexibility, power, and freedom to one’s overall cognitive ability.

This may seem ridiculously obvious on it’s face, but consider how often do you choose “maybe” in your thinking or feeling about anything (about yourself, your friends, family, coworkers, others’ ideas, feelings, actions etc.)? How often do you suspend judgment on anything? How often do you allow your mind to rest in the quantum indeterminate state of “maybe”? Simple self-observation will reveal that the mind has become quite trained and hypnotised to avoid “uncertainty” at all costs, and will even go so far as to manufacture a “reason” (rationalization) in order to maintain the illusion of security (ie: certainty). While this ability may seem simple at first glance, it requires consistent practice to retrain one’s “programing” and habituate to this new way of thinking. The results, however, speak for themselves as quite profound and liberating.

Here’s a great technique to experiment with:

THE QUANTUM QUARTER TECHNIQUE:

A quarter – possessing two faces or sides, heads and tails – functions well as a model for Aristotelian two-value logic (yes/no thinking). For example, when flipping a quarter for bets or decision making we say, “Heads I win (yes), tails you lose (no).” Interestingly, it can also serve as a powerful reminder of 3-value Quantum Logic if one considers the quarter as existing metaphorically in the indeterminate state of “maybe” when flipped in the air.

1) Find a quarter and carry it with you throughout the day.

2) Periodically, take the quarter from your pocket and flip it in the air to remind yourself of the third indeterminate state of “maybe”.

3) When making a decision, reflecting upon a thought or feeling etc., flip the quarter in the air and consider your thought, feeling etc. relative to the third indeterminate state of “maybe”.

4) Observe how this simple action gives you greater leverage on your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, and “frees you up” to choose a more desirable response (thought, feeling, belief) toward the situation.

5) With practice, decisions begin to manifest more clearly and consistently as consciously held choices integrated with one’s highest values, rather than compulsions driven or colored by unconscious conflicting motivations (thoughts, feelings, beliefs).

This technique is a great way to unstick our habitual ways of thinking and open us up to the realm of creative possibility in any given situation. Enjoy!