Watch the Phenomenal Quantum Physicist David Bohm in “Art Meets Science & Spirituality in a Changing Economy” Documentary

Discover David Bohm’s groundbreaking dialogue at the 1990 Amsterdam conference. Uncover his unique perspective on consciousness, reality, and the universe’s interconnected nature in our in-depth article.

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David Bohm, a luminary in the world of quantum physics, remains an influential figure whose ideas transcend the boundaries of science and venture into the realms of spirituality and philosophy. Born in 1917 and passing in 1992, Bohm has been heralded as one of the most profound thinkers of the twentieth century. His groundbreaking approach to quantum mechanics challenged conventional notions, proposing that at the heart of reality lie the principles of wholeness and interconnectedness.

At the onset of his illustrious career in the 1940s, Bohm collaborated with the giants of physics like Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Robert Oppenheimer at Princeton University. This period was pivotal in shaping the foundations of quantum mechanics. Bohm, hailed as a promising physicist of his generation, authored a well-regarded textbook on quantum mechanics and made significant contributions to the study of gas plasmas. Einstein, recognizing his brilliance, referred to Bohm as his ‘spiritual son’ and even considered him for the role of his assistant.

Bohm’s theories, deeply rooted in the concept of wholeness, sought to bridge quantum mechanics and relativity. He perceived that the essence of undivided wholeness forms a common thread between these two pillars of physics. His revolutionary idea was the proposition of two orders of reality: the ‘explicate order’ of our observable world and the ‘implicate order’, a deeper level where everything is fundamentally interconnected as part of a unified system.

This understanding of internal interconnectedness aligns closely with the quantum phenomenon of non-locality, where particles exhibit instantaneous communication, seemingly defying the limits of relativity that constrain information transfer to the speed of light. This notion of intrinsic unity propelled Bohm to explore beyond the confines of traditional science. He delved into the nature of consciousness and engaged with non-Western traditions like Buddhism, known for their contemplative exploration of such concepts.

Bohm’s most renowned interactions were his 25-year dialogues with Indian philosopher and mystic, Jiddu Krishnamurti. These discussions centered around the idea of life as an indivisible whole, encompassing both nature and human consciousness. In Krishnamurti, Bohm found a kindred spirit who shared his view of an interconnected universe. Their dialogues explored the nature of thought and the emergence of ideas from the hidden, implicate order, drawing parallels with the behavior of quantum particles.

As we reflect on Bohm’s legacy, we see a thinker who ventured beyond the conventional scope of physics, weaving a tapestry that connects the scientific with the spiritual, and offering profound insights into the interconnected fabric of existence.

In his seminal work, “Wholeness and the Implicate Order,” David Bohm highlighted the significance of maintaining a sense of ‘playfulness’ in both scientific inquiry and life itself. However, in his personal demeanor and through his writings, Bohm exuded a gravitas that was far from playful. For Bohm, the quest for truth was not a mere intellectual exercise; it was an intense, formidable, yet essential pursuit. He harbored a deep yearning to unravel the mysteries of the universe, fully aware of the daunting nature of this endeavor. Bohm recognized the elusive nature of absolute knowledge, understanding that such profound secrets of existence were beyond the complete grasp of any human. This acknowledgment mirrored his acknowledgment of our finite nature—the inescapable reality that no one transcends the bounds of our human limitations.

David Bohm in "Art Meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy"

The 1990 “Art meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy” conference in Amsterdam, was a pivotal gathering that brought together artists, scientists, spiritual leaders, and economists. This five-day event, inspired by Joseph Beuys and Robert Filliou and orchestrated by Louwrien Wijers, aimed to explore the holistic world view emerging at the end of the Cold War and its implications for the global economy.

One of the key figures at this conference was no other than David Bohm. Bohm’s presence and insights bridged the gap between science and spirituality, adding a profound depth to the discussions. The conference opened with a panel featuring Bohm, the Dalai Lama, artist Robert Rauschenberg, and Russian economist Stanislav Menshikov. Together, they set the tone with the slogan “From Competition to Compassion.”

The subsequent panels included luminaries such as artists John Cage and Marina Abramovic, scientists like Ilya Prigogine and Fritjof Capra, and spiritual leaders including Lama Sogyal Rinpoche. Each contributed to a rich tapestry of ideas, blending their unique perspectives on creativity, coherence, and the interconnectedness of all aspects of life.

Excerpts From the Interview

Do you feel that the scientist, like the artist, needs some kind of stirring of the muse?
Yes, I think most scientists would agree with that. I think the scientific and the artistic spirit have something in common. The scientist wants not only to learn about the facts, but to understand how they cohere, fit together, and make a whole. He even uses criteria such as beauty and symmetry to help decide which theory he wants.
 
The scientist cannot capture the whole cosmos in thought. In his mind he makes a kind of microcosm, which we see as an analogue of the cosmos. In this way we try to get a feeling for the whole. The artist I suppose gets a feeling for the whole some other way.
Is it true that the scientific spirit comes close to a kind of religious awareness?
Yes. I read long ago, in some ancient saying, that there were three basic attitudes of spirit; the scientific, the artistic and the religious. They have certain things in common and certain differences. I think this is essential.
 
One of the most essential points of the scientific spirit is to acknowledge the fact, or the interpretation of the fact, whether you like it or not. This means not to engage in wishful thinking and not to reject something just because you don’t like it. This is not a common attitude in life generally and scientists have been at great pains in their struggle to establish this spirit. This is obviously necessary for the artist too since he cannot just simply depict things according to what pleases him, or in the way he would like them to be. The religious spirit requires the same thing, otherwise it will get lost in self-deception, as happens so easily.
Can I take you back to your own theory which you describe as implicate order? Where does it fit in?
I had the notion that one needs to understand the reality of the process, and that quantum mechanics gave no picture, no notion of what was happening. It merely talked about the result of measurements or observations. From such results you can compute the probability of another observation, without any notion of how they are connected, except statistically. Now I tried to get some idea what might be the process implied by the mathematics of the quantum theory, and this process is what I called ‘enfoldment’. The mathematics itself suggests a movement in which everything, any particular element of space, may have a field which unfolds into the would be a hologram. In a photograph, made by a lens, you have a point to point correspondence. Each point in the object corresponds to a point in the image. In a hologram the entire object is contained in each region of the hologram, enfolded as a pattern of waves, which can then be unfolded by shining light through it.
 
If you look at the mathematics of the quantum theory, it describes a movement of just this nature, a movement of waves that unfold and enfold throughout the whole of space. You could therefore say that everything is enfolded in this whole, or even in each part, and that it then unfolds. I call this an implicate order, the enfolded order, and this unfolds into an explicate order. The implicate is the enfolded order. It unfolds into explicate order in which everything is separated.
 
So I say that this movement is the basic movement suggested by quantum theory. The best analogy to illustrate the implicate order is the hologram, which I contrast to a photograph. Every part of the hologram contains some information about the object, which is enfolded.
 
One may now notice that we don’t need this hologram, because each part of space contains waves from everywhere, which enfold the whole room, the whole universe, the whole of everything. In the implicate order everything is thus internally related to everything, everything contains everything, and only in the explicate order are things separate and relatively independent.
You went far beyond the current theory.
It did not change the mathematics of the theory. It was an interpretation to see what it means. Everybody has many experiences of this implicate order. The most obvious one is ordinary consciousness, in which consciousness enfolds everything that you know or see. It doesn’t merely enfold the universe, but you act according to the content as well. Therefore you are internally related to the whole in the sense that you act according to the consciousness of the whole.
 
The enfolded order is a vast range of potentiality, which can be unfolded. The way it is unfolded depends on many factors. The way we think and so on is among those factors. The implicate order implies mutual participation of everything with everything . No thing is complete in itself, and its full being is realised only in that participation. The implicate order provides an image of how this might take place in physics in various ways. In participation, we bring out potentials which are incomplete in themselves, but it is only in the whole that the thing is complete. This makes it clear that we are not acting mechanistically, in the sense that we would be pushed and pulled by objects in the surroundings, but rather we act according to our consciousness of them so if you are not conscious of them you cannot act intelligently toward them. Consciousness, therefore, is really our most immediate experience of this implicate order.
 
Ordinarily we aim for a literal picture of the world, but in fact we create a world according to our mode of participation, and we create ourselves accordingly. If we think in our present way, we will create the kind of world that we have created. Then if we think in another way, we might create a different world, and different people as well.
Does a creator God also exist in your implicate order?
The issue is not raised. I have an idea of an implicate order and beyond that a super-implicate order, and so on—to orders that are more and more subtle. I say there are many more subtle levels. The word ‘subtle’ has a root sub-text meaning ‘finely woven’. You may think of nets of consciousness that are finer and finer, or we may think of capturing finer and finer aspects of the implicate order. This could go on indefinitely. Then it’s up to the individual. I think there is an intelligence that is implicit there. A kind of intelligence unfolds, the source of which is not necessarily in the brain. The ultimate source of intelligence is much more enfolded into the whole.

Now as regards the question whether you want to call that ‘God’, this depends on what you mean by the word, because taking it as a personal God might restrict it in some way. There is something like life and mind enfolded in everything. If you carry that to the ultimate then that might be what some religious people mean by the word ‘God’. But the word ‘God’ means many different things to different people, and it becomes hard to know exactly what is implied. The implicate order does not rule out God, nor does it say there is a God. But it would suggest that there is a creative intelligence underlying the whole, which might have as one of the essentials that which was meant by the word ‘God’. 

From “Art Meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy,” SDU publishers, Amsterdam, 1990

In 2020, the documentary “Infinite Potential: The Life & Ideas of David Bohm,” directed by Paul Howard, offered an extensive exploration of Bohm’s life and theories. While this film provides a broader understanding of Bohm’s impact, the current article you’re reading focuses specifically on his remarkable contributions to the 1990 Amsterdam conference. His discussions during this event are a testament to his enduring legacy in shaping our understanding of the universe’s interconnected nature.

The conference’s lasting impact was further cemented in 1996 with the publication of the book “Art Meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy: From Competition to Compassion,” edited by Louwrien Wijers. This book is a comprehensive chronicle of the 1990 event, providing detailed reports, interviews, essays, and artworks from the twenty panelists. It serves as a tangible record of the groundbreaking dialogues that took place, offering insights into the intersection of art, science, spirituality, and economics. This compilation not only immortalizes the discussions of that time but also continues to inspire and inform new generations on the evolving interplay between these diverse yet interconnected realms.

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Watch "Art Meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy" in full

The documentary “Art Meets Science and Spirituality in a Changing Economy,” drawn from the conference held in Amsterdam in September 1990, delves into various thought-provoking themes.

Watch the full documentary below (split into 5 parts on YouTube)

Part 1/5: "FROM FRAGMENTATION TO WHOLENESS" (Dalai Lama, David Bohm, Robert Rauschenberg)

Part 2/5: "THE CHAOTIC UNIVERSE" (Ilya Prigogine, John Cage, Huston Smith)

Part 3/5: "CRISIS OF PERCEPTION" (Francisco Varela, Mother Tessa Bielecki)

Part 4/5: "THE TRANSORMING WORLD" (Rupert Sheldrake, Sogyal Rinpoche, Lawrence Weiner)

Part 5/5: "THE SHIFTING PARADIGM" (Marina Abramovic, Fritjof Capra, Raimon Panikkar)

The Holographic Universe

“The Holographic Universe” by Michael Talbot is a book that explores the theory that our reality might be akin to a giant hologram. Central to this idea is physicist David Bohm’s theory of the implicate and explicate orders. Bohm proposed that the tangible reality we see (the explicate order) is just a surface level, deriving from a deeper, interconnected reality (the implicate order). Talbot uses Bohm’s theories as a foundation to delve into various phenomena that conventional science struggles to explain, such as telepathy, out-of-body experiences, and other paranormal phenomena. He suggests that these experiences can be understood in a universe where all things are deeply interconnected at a fundamental level, as per Bohm’s framework. A must-read for followers of our website!

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Aaron H.

Aaron H.

Aaron H. is a writer with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a background in comparative mythology, blending ancient wisdom with contemporary thought. He serves as the editor-in-chief of Arcane Gnosis and is known for his work on the occult, mysteries, and the unexplained. Aaron lives in Eastern Europe, where he draws inspiration from the natural world and its profound symbolism. He has a keen interest in geometry tattoos, reflecting his fascination with the interplay of shapes and meanings.

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