The Quantum Master and its Classical Emissary

The Quantum Master and its Classical Emissary

Ruth E. Kastner

ABSTRACT. Ian McGilchrist's works present the thesis that the two hemispheres of the brain have radically different modes of interacting with the world, and that their respective perceptions and functions must be properly integrated for a viable way forward. This proper integration requires restoring the right-brain to its proper place as "Master." I discuss a parallel to this insight in the dichotomous "worlds" of quantum and classical physics. In addition, I discuss the relevance of Whitehead's process philosophy, as well as the Taoist concepts of Yin and Yang, with particular attention to the importance and primacy of Yin underlying the quantum level as "Master."

While the characterization of “non-material” may not be quite apt (or at least, is a matter for further discussion), Ponte and Shäfer point to the idea that the quantum level is more abstract, more mind-like than the phenomenal level shown to us by our external senses. This observation can be framed in terms of the distinction between (1) the manifest level of actuality and (2) the unmanifest level of potentiality (cf. Kastner, Kauffman and Epperson 2018).

As alluded to above, the prevailing Western left-brain framework puts us in a constraining metaphysical box characterized by an overdependence on Yang-like characterizations and neglect of the crucial Yin processes. In effect, the classically-restricted Emissary is in charge instead of the quantum-aware Master. This leads to the key aspects of the Western metaphysical paradigm:

1. Cartesian dualism: res extensa vs res cogitans, with no interaction between them (‘mind- body problem’. Or its materialistic variant: only res extensa exists; mind is viewed as an epiphenomenon of res extensa
   
2. actualism
   
3. separate objects are fundamental (nominalism)
   
4. causal locality (field propagation is modeled as ‘bucket brigade’)
   
5. All Yang and no Yin (physical processes are assumed to be unilateral)
   

Features 1-3 are fairly straightforward given the preceding, but for clarity, let us elaborate 4 and 5, including their terminology...

I think the author fundamentally misunderstands what Yin is ~ Yin is Earth, so Yin is the Receptive, gentle, passive, the dark aspect. Therefore, Yin is feminine, feeling, intuitive, emotional. Yin is very much the manifest aspect, thusly ~ Yin is that through which Yang creates, thusly why Yang is the Creative, firm, active, the light aspect, being masculine, rational, intellectual, abstract.

Yang is unmanifest, because it is Heaven ~ pure and full of power. Yang cannot be known or identified on its own, so it needs Yin. On its own, truly pure Yin is empty and hollow, a void of nothing... much like the Materialist model of reality, actually ~ a lifeless, infinite structure.

Because you cannot have Yin without Yang... a science that is all Yang ~ all about reason, rationality, intellectualism, the abstract ~ becomes overflowing with hidden Yin manifestations ~ it becomes very much rigid and firm and unyielding, driven by emotional desires to protect a pet theory from being replaced, representing stagnation, another aspect of Yin. So, unbalanced Yang very much becomes the other extreme of Yin in turn, also unbalanced.

The inverse can be seen in traditions that are all Yin-focused ~ Buddhist monks and their temples, full of rules and hierarchies.

Hence why Taoism demands balance and harmony, lest you just get lost in madness and conceit.

I think the author fundamentally misunderstands what Yin is ~ Yin is Earth, so Yin is the Receptive, gentle, passive, the dark aspect. Therefore, Yin is feminine, feeling, intuitive, emotional. Yin is very much the manifest aspect, thusly ~ Yin is that through which Yang creates, thusly why Yang is the Creative, firm, active, the light aspect, being masculine, rational, intellectual, abstract.

Yang is unmanifest, because it is Heaven ~ pure and full of power. Yang cannot be known or identified on its own, so it needs Yin. On its own, truly pure Yin is empty and hollow, a void of nothing... much like the Materialist model of reality, actually ~ a lifeless, infinite structure.

Because you cannot have Yin without Yang... a science that is all Yang ~ all about reason, rationality, intellectualism, the abstract ~ becomes overflowing with hidden Yin manifestations ~ it becomes very much rigid and firm and unyielding, driven by emotional desires to protect a pet theory from being replaced, representing stagnation, another aspect of Yin. So, unbalanced Yang very much becomes the other extreme of Yin in turn, also unbalanced.

The inverse can be seen in traditions that are all Yin-focused ~ Buddhist monks and their temples, full of rules and hierarchies.

Hence why Taoism demands balance and harmony, lest you just get lost in madness and conceit.

Are the "feminine" and "masculine" labels just stereotypes from ancient China or is there some rational grounding for assigning those respectively?

Are the "feminine" and "masculine" labels just stereotypes from ancient China or is there some rational grounding for assigning those respectively?

Stereotypes derived from patterns of observation, no doubt. The I Ching explains the nature of Yang and Yin quite extensively, especially through the commentaries, about what Yin and Yang came to be defined as, and why they are the way they are. It certainly predates the Tao Te Ching, given that the I Ching is based around divination, and perhaps spiritual and shamanic practices, where the I Ching was preceded by even more ancient ox bone and tortoise shell divination.

Stereotypes derived from patterns of observation, no doubt. The I Ching explains the nature of Yang and Yin quite extensively, especially through the commentaries, about what Yin and Yang came to be defined as, and why they are the way they are. It certainly predates the Tao Te Ching, given that the I Ching is based around divination, and perhaps spiritual and shamanic practices, where the I Ching was preceded by even more ancient ox bone and tortoise shell divination.

Yeah Ancient India had similar divisions, but Shiva is Passive Masculine and Shakti is Active Feminine. 

I can't help but feel these are more about particular societal beliefs more so than cosmic relvelations...I mean aliens (extra or ultra) aren't necessarily going to be limited to our (general) biological dimorphism?

Yeah Ancient India had similar divisions, but Shiva is Passive Masculine and Shakti is Active Feminine. 

I can't help but feel these are more about particular societal beliefs more so than cosmic relvelations...I mean aliens (extra or ultra) aren't necessarily going to be limited to our (general) biological dimorphism?

They are attempts to understand spiritual forces that are often far too abstract to easily define. So each culture places emphasis on the aspects they consider important. Both the Masculine and Feminine have Active and Passive polarities.

To compare to Taoism... the Masculine or Heavenly can be perceived as passive because it doesn't actively create ~ it provides the power to do so, appearing to do nothing. The Feminine or Earthly can be perceived as active because it actively creates ~ because it receives the power to do so, appearing to do everything.

Another way to look at it is that Heaven appears to not move, despite being full of power and so movement, having no means of expression alone. Earth moves constantly, but appears to do so on its own, despite being animated by the power of Heaven, as Heaven is without distinct appearance.

Reality as a whole is composed of the interplay of these spiritual forces in their full, infinite expression.

I have a feeling this has come up here before and I pointed out that there is an operation "hemispherectomy" that removes or disables one hemisphere of the brain to cope with severe epilepsy that originates in the half to be discarded.

That would suggest that the mind does not depend fundamentally on using two different types of brain.

David

I have a feeling this has come up here before and I pointed out that there is an operation "hemispherectomy" that removes or disables one hemisphere of the brain to cope with severe epilepsy that originates in the half to be discarded.

That would suggest that the mind does not depend fundamentally on using two different types of brain.

David

I do kinda wish McGilchrist used different terminology, though I do believe he addresses hemispherectomy somewhere...

They are attempts to understand spiritual forces that are often far too abstract to easily define. So each culture places emphasis on the aspects they consider important. Both the Masculine and Feminine have Active and Passive polarities.

To compare to Taoism... the Masculine or Heavenly can be perceived as passive because it doesn't actively create ~ it provides the power to do so, appearing to do nothing. The Feminine or Earthly can be perceived as active because it actively creates ~ because it receives the power to do so, appearing to do everything.

Another way to look at it is that Heaven appears to not move, despite being full of power and so movement, having no means of expression alone. Earth moves constantly, but appears to do so on its own, despite being animated by the power of Heaven, as Heaven is without distinct appearance.

Reality as a whole is composed of the interplay of these spiritual forces in their full, infinite expression.

That makes sense, and to be clear I am not saying some possible historical sexism means we should throw out the entirety of Taoism or the gifts o[f] any other culture.

I am just not sure if there are genuine "masculine" or "feminine" qualities. There could be, the book Ecology of Souls suggests all paranormal activity relates to the dead. The ladders of being, which we can find in Jainism and Voudon, would allow movement from biological incarnation to becoming spirits.

And it is possible that there are male & female spirits who wanted the (general) biological sex dimorphism because it mirrored their reality.

I suppose the only way to know if "masculine" and "feminine" are genuine archetypal forces or projections from our biological reality is to meet higher level organisms from other planets or dimensions which sadly doesn't seem likely for quite some time...though the work of neurobiologist Andrew Gilmore on longer DMT trips may yield some insights in the coming years...

That makes sense, and to be clear I am not saying some possible historical sexism means we should throw out the entirety of Taoism or the gifts o[f] any other culture.

I'm not sure it's "sexism" so much as just cultural differences. The more different a culture is from another, the stranger, maybe worse, each culture appears in the other's perceptions. So no culture has any sort of high-ground ~ except in that culture's eyes. So, there's no better or worse culture... just different manifestations of the archetypes in human psychology interplaying. And historically, there's been a ton of variation.

I am just not sure if there are genuine "masculine" or "feminine" qualities. There could be, the book Ecology of Souls suggests all paranormal activity relates to the dead. The ladders of being, which we can find in Jainism and Voudon, would allow movement from biological incarnation to becoming spirits.

Except none of that would seem to explain the existence of astral entities who have never been physically incarnate, so they've never "died" in the traditional sense. There are many spiritual entities that cause paranormal activity that have nothing to do with dead human beings or other dead biological entities.

"Masculine" and "feminine", I would argue, are merely our interpretations of energies ~ from the energies we know very well, to those that are rather alien, but do fit somewhere.

And it is possible that there are male & female spirits who wanted the (general) biological sex dimorphism because it mirrored their reality.

Spirits generally don't appear have any sort of sexual characteristics in the sense that we do... but maybe spirits closer to biological existence might choose such a thing, for reasons known only to them. I won't rule anything out...

I suppose the only way to know if "masculine" and "feminine" are genuine archetypal forces or projections from our biological reality is to meet higher level organisms from other planets or dimensions which sadly doesn't seem likely for quite some time...though the work of neurobiologist Andrew Gilmore on longer DMT trips may yield some insights in the coming years...

Indeed! Though I can attest to the nature of my loong and tiger spirit companions ~ feminine, though I can't actually pin down why, when I think about it more closely. Maybe intellect and thought is the wrong mode in which to comprehend something that requires intuition and feeling...

In the context of my parallel lives... "masculine" and "feminine" are easy enough to get a handle on because there is biology and biological differences between sexes, so I guess I just automatically popped my perceptions those into both categories, despite them being very different from human manifestations.

Closer to home... perhaps we can look at the different behaviours, habits, patterns and inclinations of the male and female of different species of animals. Because those manifestations are already rather alien to our own particulars.