Personally, I would find it far scarier if there was a scientific explanation for everything. We would all have to climb into our neat little science box and turn off our imaginations. Isn’t there excitement and adventure in the unknown? Opportunity, perhaps, in the depths of space, the ocean, or the mind. I find, however, that when the mystery is not “out there” somewhere but, instead, directly within our grasp, my sense of adventure is infused with a flash of… discomfort. Of course, like with any good thriller, the discomfort does nothing more than amp up my level of excitement. So, let’s get into a little quantum theory.

Now, I say “within our grasp” because we are talking about microscopic matter such as protons, electrons, and neutrons… the subatomic particles that we all studied in high school. The physical makeup of these particles can be observed and explained but when it comes to their behavior, even after 100 years of observation, scientists are left scratching their heads. Perhaps the most perplexing of these unusual behaviors is called quantum entanglement.

Quantum entanglement is when two separate objects (let’s say electrons) become entangled or linked through an interaction with one another. Once this occurs, the two objects can be separated by a great distance (think miles… a lot of miles) and an action performed on one of them has an instantaneous effect on the other. Ahem. What??

In 1935, this phenomenon was observed by Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen. This was when Einstein coined the phrase, “spooky action at a distance.” Now, fifty years later… it’s equally as spooky. No matter how you try to justify or simplify this relationship… you are most likely wrong. If we do something to change one of the particles and, at the exact same moment, we observe the entangled particle, it too has changed. Even if it is, let’s say, 88 miles away which happens to be the furthest distance tested to-date. Instantaneously. Not even information traveling between the two particles at the speed of light would get to the second one fast enough to make a change before the observation and measurement has occurred.

If you would like a bit more elaboration (with visuals) on quantum entanglement, the bright minds at the “stargazer” YouTube channel managed to get the basics down to fewer than 5 minutes. Take a look at their video, Quantum Entanglement Simplified – Microscopic Universe.

Even though we (scientists and the community at-large) do not know how quantum entanglement works, we know that it is at work in the natural world because it can be observed. Through this observation, we see objects that are separated yet inherently connected. We know that particles can become entangled through mysterious interactions with one another and what results are microscopic cause-and-effect relationships.  This holds true even when they are separated by miles… perhaps millions of miles or more.

OK, let’s reel this in a little. The average person is made up of 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms (pronounced, “seven, uh… octillion?”). With each of these atoms consisting of three particles, it is A LOT of opportunity for natural quantum entanglement between us and our surroundings. After all, what is made up of atoms? Everything. Not just other people but plants, animals, and all matter in our environment.

The scientific community is already researching how we can leverage quantum physics for advancements in areas such as computing for secure and instantaneous data transfer between locations. Might this be another in a long list of examples where science and technology strive to replicate something that is already alive and well in the natural world?  We should consider the possibility that communication between entangled particles or systems containing entangled particles is happening naturally all around us.  Within this context, things like “psychic” connections between twins seem a little less mysterious. Talk about prime entanglement opportunity… in utero! How about the infectious nature of mood within groups or a workplace? Perhaps some entanglement by the water cooler or on the subway?

In the dream-work circles, we contemplate things like co-dreaming which is when two separate people seem to meet up in the same dream environment or communicate telepathically through dreams. We experiment with dream healing when one person takes action in a lucid dream to bring physical healing to another person. In the context of quantum entanglement, it seems less far-fetched that such mind-bending interactions are possible.

In fact, why stop at direct one-on-one quantum connections? Consider the possibility of quantum networks where one series of entangled particles connect to another and yet another until suddenly we are faced with the quantum conundrum of… separateness. Maybe we are not as independent and disconnected as we think and sometimes feel. Whether you find this notion comforting or concerning, maybe we are all connected not just in a spiritual or philosophical sense but also on a brute scientific level.  While it cannot be explained today, it can be observed in the behavior of entangled particles. The exact moment that I spin my plate to the left, you spin yours to the right… each time and without fail.

So, here we are. For those of us dream-work enthusiasts who are also rationalists by nature, there is a foggy intersection with science that gives us something to contemplate… even if that area of science is itself mysterious and perhaps a little “spooky”.