A few weeks ago I did an online class on Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. While I have two years worth of collage level physics, that was over 40 years ago, and a lot has changed, especially in the Quantum world. One thing I learned in the online class was that the “many worlds” theory isn’t just something that mad scientist dreamed up so that we could have cool SciFi movies (See Dark Matter on Apple TV+, highly recommended), but that the idea that there are multiple universes actually answers a lot of the questions and solves a lot of problems raised by quantum mechanics. It also answers the Mormon question of how God could create “worlds without end”.
Another part of quantum mechanics that fascinates me is quantum teleportation. This isn’t the teleportation of physical matter (beam me up Scottie), but is the teleportation of information without any physical object moving. This gets in the weeds very quickly, but in very simple terms, you take a quantum bit (qubit), and “entangle it” with another qubit. You can then take one qubit far away (light years even). An observation resulting from a measurement made at one qubit seems to instantaneously affect outcomes in the other entangled qubit. When this was first postulated 100 years ago, it so unnerved Albert Einstein that he called it “spooky action at a distance” Current understanding is that entanglement doesn’t allow for faster-than-light communication in a way that can be used to send information, but the phenomenon is real and has been experimentally verified.
Could quantum entanglement be how the Holy Spirit communicates with us? If God created us, then he created our brains, and maybe “entangled” our brain with His during our spiritual creation. So then all he needs to do is use quantum teleportation to send a message or feeling to us. This would also play into the thought that God must obey all the laws of nature, but we just haven’t discovered all the different laws.
What do you think of this spooky action at a distance? Could it account for things we call “the spirit”? What about the multiple universe theory? Have you watched Dark Matter (or read the book, it is way better!)?
Wheat & Tares 
There is much that we don’t understand and I think quantum physics is one of those areas. I know people who have had near death experiences where they were out of their body watching. I know too many people who have shared strange stuff where their consciousness went away from their body not to be positive something is real about this kind of experience. For example one friend went from unconscious, to out of their body, where they watched doctors panic, their husband pass out, blood all over, their body laying on the hospital cart, to back to unconscious, to finally waking up to find out their heart stopped, doctors panicked, their husband passed out, and all the rest was what happened. I have had an out of body experience. And I know these things are not caused by “brain shutting down” kind of explanations that the doubters come up with because some of them were not near death at all but traumatized. Many of my clients while I was working with rape victims and child sexual abuse victims were hyperventilating, not low on oxygen.
The idea that our consciousness in entangled with God’s “brain” somehow with quantum physics or the entangled with the universe somehow is the best explanation I have heard so far. Because *something* is going on that makes no sense in our physical world where our consciousness is all inside our brain, and so far, scientists have not convinced me that they have the first clue.
I have also had communication from something outside myself that knew stuff no human did. When I was religious, I was sure it was from God, but now that I don’t believe in *Mormon* god, I still have to explain this voice from outside myself that told me stuff no earthling knew at that point.
Something that humans call “spiritual” is real.
Sadly, quantum entanglement can’t transmit information since the results of the entangled particles are random: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oBiS_Yb9Ac
Very thought-provoking post, BB! I’ve put Dark Matter on my to-be-read list at the library.
Like Anna, I’ve had experiences that can’t be explained away by ordinary means. I’ve learned things I couldn’t possibly have learned any other way. I’ve gotten directions that made no sense to anyone (least of all myself) and when I followed them, I was saved from a very difficult situation. I’ve gotten insights into my psyche in answer to prayer in ways that felt very gentle — like something that loved me was trying to help.
For a long time, I thought it was Mormon God. It isn’t. My experiences actually happened, but just because they happened, it doesn’t make the LDS Church ‘true.’ I’ve concluded that my quantum/spiritual experiences don’t prove the truth or falsity of any religious belief or church organization. The only thing they prove is that I sometimes connect with Something Out There that is bigger than myself and basically benevolent towards me. I have no explanation for why Something Out There doesn’t do something about the world’s atrocities — either because of limited power, or limited drive to right wrongs.
In my teen years, I read several pop culture books about quantum physics. “The Tao of Physics” was one. “In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat” was another. I was fascinated; drawn in; the ideas felt familiar. So sure, quantum entanglement could very well be the explanation for my connection to Something Out There. We’re all made of starstuff, right?
I put very careful limits on things like that. Those experiences are deeply personal. They don’t create religious beliefs that everyone should believe. They don’t guide me to do things that affect anyone but myself. They don’t justify doing things that I clearly know to be wrong.
Switching topics slightly now. Where Joseph Smith went wrong was to create an entire religion and insist that every prompting/revelation he had was a commandment for everyone. I don’t believe JS was a cold-blooded con man. I think he really believed what he taught. I think he honestly had revelations that may have been the product of quantum entanglement (or some form of mental illness?). Where he went so terribly wrong was in deciding that everyone else should live by his revelations.
When I took quantum physics at BYU the professor was European and not LDS. He gave verbal tests which was apparently the style over there. In one of oral tests I asked him what physicists believe about God and he said there are as many opinions about God as there are physicists. He also said something to the effect of science doesn’t answer religious questions but they are both after the same goal: Truth. They are parallel paths that never cross in his opinion but pointed the same direction (ie towards truth). It was one of the most influential discussions of my undergraduate career.
Back in my TBM days I used to look for ways to explain religious principles using science. It worked for a while but I finally concluded that my dear prof was right. Science causes as many issues as it answers for religion. Entanglement can’t usefully transfer information, nature has a speed limit, the uncertainty principle exists showing that God cannot know the location *and* momentum of an electron, therefore he doesn’t know everything, the universe may very well fizzle out of end in a big rip. Etc. It’s not just physics. Biology and geology present a whole raft of issues. Let alone human and culture related studies like anthropology.
But it’s fun to think about. To me if there is a God, he would be a good natured scientist with a slightly devious sense of humor. “Let’s see how Mormons handle animals that change their sex” or “let’s make everything have a wavelength.”
I remember, in the 70/80’s, the LDS company line I was told. Our church has a large contingent of professional scientists and there is no conflict between the church teachings or science. We retain our thinkers, while other religions did not. In my naivete!
Ralph Waldo Emerson noted, “The Religion that is afraid of science dishonours God and commits suicide.”
Joseph Smith in his many throws at the dartboard, got a few bulls eyes. This started the LDS institution on a good track, on this topic. This was all railroaded by Joseph Fielding Smith and solidified by Boyd Packer.
I find it fascinating how many bright and well educated members there are in the LDS church, who see no conflict. The ideas are compartmentalized. Furthermore, its’ members are kept soooo busy with callings, and church obligations, that there never is time to ponder and actually use their God given brain. If they tried, thought stopping techniques ensued and items were shelved for the urgent project of the church. (The all important meeting, to plan the next meeting, which accomplishes little). Unless, someone had an unplanned awakening they kept on the bullet train, which did not have time to stop for those not aboard. (How uncharitable this idea is.) COVID forced the train to stop abruptly and allowed many members to actually think about these topics.
I have a hope for life after this, and for continuing to pursue the truth. I believe in other peoples spiritual experiences. I believe some aspects of God/religion could blend with science. What is fatiguing is the LDS church hijacks these ideas and every spiritual experience into their own and takes the credit, just like Joseph Smith did from the start.
1. Quantum mechanics saved my testimony once. During the 90s, I was sliding toward pure empiricism, when I started reading books on physics. By the time I was done, I realized that if I could believe in something as bizarre as quantum mechanics, I could believe in God.
2. I’m not sure that the “randomness” argument against sending information via quantum entanglement works. We have hypothesized randomness, but we are incapable of identifying it. We think of the digits of pi as being random, but they are not. Every time we divide the circumference of a circle by the diameter, we get the exact same sequence of numbers. That’s not randomness. How do we know that the apparently random phenomena associated with quantum entanglement are not actually the result of some cosmic division problem that we know nothing about?
3. With or without randomness, the “many worlds” interpretation of quantum mechanics implies that the celestial kingdom, as we understand it, cannot exist in the multiverse. Under that interpretation, our universe is splitting at unfathomable rates and most of those splits occur because of factors entirely out of our control. There is exactly one path in all of that splitting that leads to a “no unclean thing” outcome. I am not on that path and there is no mechanism, other than a full reset to a non-quantum universe, that can get me on that path. And if I were on that path, future splits would take all but one version of me off of it. Am I supposed to take comfort in the idea that there may a version of me out there that is on the “no unclean thing” path leading to the celestial kingdom? Sorry, but I don’t.
Great post, though I don’t understand enough about quantum physics to have an informed opinion. Thanks to the commenters for sharing their re-interpretations of previous spiritual experiences. I have often wondered what people make of their previous spiritual experiences as their views on the church have changed. These comments have given a glimpse into how people reframe those experiences and I appreciate it.
I am fascinated by, but do not understand, quantum physics. I have long said that reading books about quantum physics is in some ways very much like reading books by people thinking deeply and profoundly about religion. I don’t know what that means either.
If quantum entanglement could send information, it would fundamentally break really important concepts in physics. Relativity would be out the window, as well as our fundamental understanding of causality. I’m not qualified to say that it isn’t possible, but I’m not aware of any reason to think that it is possible.
As for “many worlds”, the number of separate universes we’re talking about is such an unfathomably large number (but I think non-infinite?) that just about every eventuality ought to exist somewhere. It really is a thing of goofy super hero movies, and, for the time being, not something that we’re able to test.
When I hear/read things like this, I think: Maybe. But what I’ve noticed is that there are many things like this. And they generally don’t have a spot in religion, they line up nicely with the Restored Gospel. Which leads me again and again to believe that it is true. Instead of science coming in conflict with the Restored Gospel I find harmony and possibilities. Instead of the earth being the center of the universe it is but one world and there are worlds without number. That Spirit is matter, but too refined for us to detect it. That we should be learning “of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass”
Book now on order. Apple does seem to be the place for science fiction shows. I’m definitely much more of a For All Mankind person, cuz spaceships. (But Silo is also first rate. Just glad I’ve never been sent to clean) Didn’t get into the show Dark Matter, but I’ll give it another go.
I am not a spiritual person. As a child, I spent enough time in fast and testimony meetings to doubt the concept had any validity. My adolescent self wondered if the universe was a simulation and whether I existed. So who knows, not me.
Sheep and fishes are so last millennium, so I’m all for updating to entanglement.
And since I can’t resist (and like silly humor)–What about all those Ensign Harry Kims on Lower Decks, eh?
Suzanne Neilsen, read the book before you watch the show. There is a big reveal half way through the book that makes you go “oh wow”, but it happens in the first episode in the TV show, so kind of spoils the drama in the first half of the book.
Suzanne Neilsen,
Yunno, you can be all for spaceships and a spiritual person at the same time. I’d like to think that as humanity progresses in knowledge during the Millennium we’ll go through a “spaceship” stage and explore the galaxy in the flesh. That’s the trekkie in me talking.
“Current understanding is that entanglement doesn’t allow for faster-than-light communication in a way that can be used to send information”
It’s not so much the speed of quantum entanglement, but rather (based on my limited understanding) that it just isn’t useful for communicating even basic information. The entanglement part arises when one particle’s property is measured and the entangled partner’s same property is (near) instantaneously set to be the opposite (should it also be measured). But what does that measurement mean? What’s the initial state? A single binary value (spin up or down) where the initial state cannot be controlled just isn’t valuable in terms of transmitting information. It’s an amazing aspect of physics, but we don’t understand enough for it to be useful yet (Canada’s new quantum radar research not withstanding).
“Could quantum entanglement be how the Holy Spirit communicates with us?”
Nah. I think that there are many mysteries to be discovered in physics, but the power of God is (potentially) a force that is beyond what we could ever discover in the physical realm. Jesus speaking and the storm calming is basically magic, even if advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.
“Have you watched Dark Matter”
Yes. It didn’t do it for me, although there were some good ideas. It also stretched on for a few episodes too long. It shouldn’t have been called Dark Matter, since from memory there’s no actual dark matter in it at all. It should’ve been called Superposition, since that is the science idea it was based on.
Sea Urchin, read the book
Jack
I’m all for a spaceship phase during the millennium.’ Hopefully won’t run into the Gorn. Or Cardassians or Romulans. Didn’t Worf say the Klingons rose up and killed their Gods? And was this just in the prime universe? What do you think of the Dark Forest hypothesis?