AGAIN Chapter 9: Distance

I know I am deathless. No doubt I have died myself ten thousand times before.

Walt Whitman

In Quantum Physics a term exists called quantum entanglement. “Quantum entanglement is a quantum mechanical phenomenon in which the quantum states of two or more objects have to be described with reference to each other, even though the individual objects may be spatially separated.”[1] Distance and space are meaningless; each object always affects the other. I believe that we can affect each other no matter the distance, and I think that is why some connect with the “other side.”

What we perceive as “too far” is an illusion. One can find a reality that exists beyond the laws into which one buys. Quantum Physics proves this. I might have an extremely open-mind but if one needs back-up, well, there is loads. It is my belief that simply thinking about somebody creates a link to them, like a force-field.

There is a magnetic connection. I do not think we lose that when someone dies. Energy is transformed but a chord remains. We might miss them greatly but we can access their energy. I might miss my close friend James, my cat – Annie – who I loved for 18 years, my grandparents, etc., but I am convinced they exist in a different form.

I know that death is a touchy subject and if I did not have such a strong conviction, I would not associate myself with it. Things like “distance” and “death” can have different meanings than the ones we assign them. We can all have a very different relationship with these terms. Then again, if one views these terms as absolute and definitive, then by definition they cannot be variable and change. Terms, like some people, can be stuck in old, familiar habits. What is new or challenges old belief-systems can, and often is, met with resistance. Space has an illusory quality.

Yes, physical laws can create real distance in our reality. Physical laws obey a specific form and context. When one is told to think “outside the box” here, the possibility to use imagination to alter that context is very possible. To me, science fiction often articulates a different reality conceived in the realm of thought. We can go places of which we dream. I enjoy ideas of possible worlds and alternate realities.

Many of my dearest friends, like Darla and Nettie, live very far away from me. While I cannot hang out with them or see them at all, I feel no less connected to them. Our distance does not impede our mutual exchange of energy.

I do not use the phone yet because of my voice and speech impediment as a result of my brain surgery, but I nevertheless feel them. Communication without speaking can be challenging. It is absolutely possible to communicate without speech. In many respects we are used to the convenience of talking – look at the proliferation of cellular phones for example. I am very tempted to say that proximity is an illusion. Practicality inhibits me – we need to be at certain places at a given time. We need to make important phone calls. I think that our dependency on technologies can actually limit us.

Our potential to outdo things can be, to some, magical. I simply think that we block our possibilities. We opt for what is easy. An advertisement on television states that certain banking hours are easy and convenient. The insinuation is who would not want this? Popular wisdom holds that progress is convenience. It might be true, but our definition of progress = convenience needs to be examined. The easy route or road can be rewarding on many levels.

Some believe that my unconventionality makes life much harder for me. It does not. To buy into a standard format might be bliss to some, but I find my buzz elsewhere. I follow my own path, march to the beat of my own drum. Who I am or what I do might be confusing to many but I follow my integrity. I trust my judgments, my gut. Following the pack is not me.

My take on distance and space belies convention. Physical laws, which generally are believed to be true, can limit and constrain. A friend went on a yoga retreat and called it “restorative.” Sometimes we need to stretch ourselves to come back to ourselves.



[1] Wikipedia, “Quantum Entanglement – Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement (accessed September 20, 2008).