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Einstein called it “Spooky Action at a Distance.” In quantum physics, entanglement is a term used to describe when joined particles stay connected – even when separated by great distances.
Quantum entanglement occurs when a pair of particles, such as photons, interact physically and instantaneously.
“For believers, God is in the beginning, and for physicists He is at the end of all considerations“
Quantum physics has taught us something important: that we are 99.9999% empty space; that what we are really seeing when we look out at the material world is massive concentrations of energy, bonded together in ways we haven’t even begun to understand. The famous physicist Max Planck said:
As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about the atoms this much: There is no matter as such! All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. … We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.
On another occasion Planck said:
Both religion and science require a belief in God. For believers, God is in the beginning, and for physicists He is at the end of all considerations … To the former He is the foundation, to the latter, the crown of the edifice of every generalized world view.
According to quantum science our reality is deeply interconnected. Energetically everything is connected! In the Baha’i writings we find similar descriptions using the terms “oneness” and “unity”:
The source of perfect unity and love in the world of existence is the bond and oneness of reality. When the divine and fundamental reality enters human hearts and lives, it conserves and protects all states and conditions of mankind, establishing that intrinsic oneness of the world of humanity which can only come into being through the efficacy of the Holy Spirit. – Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace
Quantum entanglement could explain scientifically how prayers work, particularly in relation to prayers for healing. All major religions and teachings instill the importance of prayer. Most of us, even some atheists, resort to prayer when one of their loved ones falls ill. So do prayers actually heal? The Baha’i teachings explain it this way:
There is but one power which heals – that is God. The state or condition through which the healing takes place is the confidence of the heart. By some this state is reached through pills, powders, and physicians. By others through hygiene, fasting, and prayer. By others through direct perception. – Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London
It is clear that when it comes to illness we rely on a competent physician to heal us, but according to the Baha’i writings the doctor, the pill, the herbs and medicines are only tools – ultimately God and the confidence of the heart provide the cure that leads to healing:
All true healing comes from God! There are two causes for sickness, one is material, the other spiritual. If the sickness is of the body, a material remedy is needed, if of the soul, a spiritual remedy. If the heavenly benediction be upon us while we are being healed then only can we be made whole, for medicine is but the outward and visible means through which we obtain the heavenly healing. Unless the spirit be healed, the cure of the body is worth nothing. All is in the hands of God, and without Him there can be no health in us! …
Man alone, by his spiritual power, has been able to free himself, to soar above the world of matter and to make it his servant. – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks
So what is this spiritual power? Perhaps it comes from our ability to understand our reality with our intellect. Abdu’l-Baha explained that “The reality of man is his thought, not his material body” (Ibid.). Today we call this “thought” consciousness. Our consciousness, then, comprises the spiritual power each of us possesses.
So our thoughts, our mind and our consciousness all give us very powerful tools that we can apply to prayer and healing. This has been scientifically demonstrated by what we call the placebo effect, which happens when patients are give sugar pills, and the doctor tells them they received powerful medicine instead. In many cases the patients were indeed healed by believing that the medicine had an effect.
So what if that consciousness inside each of us, as many Baha’i writings and prayers suggest, is actually our own quantum entanglement with our Creator?
Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succour in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. – Baha’u’llah, Baha’i Prayers
Because Baha’is believe in the agreement of science and religion, the Baha’i writings specifically advise everyone to refer to skilled physicians when we are faced with an illness, and not rely on prayer alone for healing. When we incorporate prayer, consciousness and intention towards healing, coupled with the material healing expertise of our medical science, the combination of the two should yield the best outcome.