Many Worlds

What is real? I ask that question all the time of myself and others. As a shaman, I regularly travel back and forth through layers of what's real. That's what we do, what we've done everywhere I know about, from the north pole to the south pole, stretching back 100,000 years. Who says prostitution was the first profession? No way. Shamanism was the first profession, definitely.

This is on my mind after reading about David Deutsch, a physicist who created the "Many Worlds" theory. Here's a link to the New Yorker story about his quest for a quantum computer. If you have never read about quantum mechanics, well, you should. If you can find a way to watch the NOVA four part series with Brian Green, do it. He talks down to us, but the series is top notch.

I'm excited that science is reaching into the deep mysteries by locating and observing the quantum reality. What we refer to as "reality" ends at the atomic level, it really does. The way the quantum world behaves is completely crazy - particles are simultaneously in every position at once, entangled, foaming, things jumping around, time going forwards and backwards, good lord. The quantum reality is NOT of our world! No one has been able to square its crazy laws of nature with any of the great overarching theories in the physics of our world - of course. It isn't just small, it is other. That we have the equipment and imagination to detect and observe this other reality is so cool.

In shamanism, our focus isn't so much on proving that these different realities exist. It's our job to travel back and forth, act as messengers, mediators, between the realities.

Theoretical physicists like David Deutsch are more shaman than scientist, if you ask me. I'm certain most of these guys would be indignant as hell at the suggestion, though of course I intend it as the greatest of compliments.

My reality today includes many clients, who will arrive and depart in a recognizable chronological order and lie down, one at a time, on my table. This is a good thing. I love contemplating the unimaginable, I do. That, too, is included in the job description of every shaman. Still, it will be nice to snap out of my Reverie on the Quantum Reality, to work with beings of flesh and blood. Oh yeah.