Quantum Physics Made Fun

People are lining up to see it. Then, they return, again and again, and take their closest friends. They'll contemplate it deeply. They'll take concepts from it and sprinkle it in their daily life. I myself was "kidnapped" by friends to go see it and loved it. It described so many of my experiences as a healer and spiritual seeker. Of course, some people walk out before it is over, swearing it is ridiculous. Still, it's the surprise sleeper of the year. It's been held over in theaters in Los Angeles, Arizona, New York, and Washington State.

What is it? It's "What the Bleep Do We Know?!", a film about quantum physics. Quantum physics made fun. Quantum physics made relevant. Actually, you could say it's a film about reality. Or you could say it's a film about you, and how you create your life. It's done in a way that's fun, with psychedelic visuals, a good story line, great music, and good pacing.

While most movies these days portray events you wouldn't want happening to you-"What the Bleep?" is an exploration of the deepest existential questions, the ones most of us ask, sooner or later. These questions include: Who are we? Where are we going? Why are we here? And, What is reality? Why do we keep creating the same reality? Why do we keep having the same relationships? Why do we keep getting the same jobs over and over again? And, how can we make our reality better?

The movie is a series of interviews with leading quantum theorists, experts on the biology of emotion, and spiritual philosophers/counselors. Everyone has impressive mainstream credentials-professorships and/or degrees from top universities and major theoretical or practical discoveries to their credit-although there is one channeler, who could push buttons for some people who don't go in for that kind of thing. Nevertheless, every one of these talking heads is someone you might want to hang out with at a dinner party.

Then, inter-cut through the movie is another movie, the story of a photographer, Amanda, played by Marlee Maitlin, who learns first-hand how her thoughts create her reality. Ever since catching her husband in bed with another woman, she has hated weddings, churches, and men. She's addicted to pain medication. She's grumpy and somber while her houseguest is bouncy and light. Her boss describes Amanda's dilemma perfectly when he tells her: "You live in your past.... You have too many memories clouding your vision."

The movie takes us down one rabbit hole after another. That's easy to do since quantum physics is the ultimate mind-bender. This physics of the 20th and 21st century has found that the seemingly solid world in which we exist is made up almost entirely of empty space. As one of the physicists says, "In fact, there is essentially nothing to matter at all." Even the particles that make up the nucleus of an atom vibrate in and out of existence. As one of the founders of quantum physics once put it: "Atoms are not things, they are only tendencies. "

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