What the Bleep Do We Know!?… Apparently, Not Much.
Feb 24 2008
I finally got to sit down and watch What the Bleep Do We Know!?, which I was interested in seeing but eluded me for a while (not many art theaters in the Bible Belt). After seeing the movie I was pretty disappointed. I was interested in the movie because I was hoping they were going to show how quantum mechanics demonstrates low little we know about the Universe. Instead, it was just a sales trick for cult weirdos who think they have all the answers.In case you don’t know much about quantum mechanics, let me give you the gist. When we look into the micro (way micro, like sub-atomic) Universe, we find that there isn’t much there. Not only is there mostly empty space in an atom, but even the elements of the atom “phase” or disappear and reappear randomly. Also, sub-atomic particles act “funny”, one minute they act like waves and another like a solid element (a real scientist would ring my neck for this terminology). Any who, it’s one of the biggest mysteries of science right now.The other “mind trip” was when we realized all matter is made of energy, lots of energy. Leading us to the realization that the Universe probably came from a single giant source of energy. There is so much energy in each particle of matter that releasing it is like an atom bomb (I know, I know, that’s why they call it an “atom” bomb, I was just seeing if you were paying attention). This is of interest to Christian mystics since we know of a large infinite source of energy (Hint: it starts with a “G”).From a mystic perspective, I enjoy the idea of not only exploring the wonders and mysteries of Creation, but also recognizing how little we really know about the world. Instead, the people who put this movie together quickly move from “mysteries” to answers. And the answer is “You can control reality with by your thoughts”…. seriously, that’s the point of the whole movie.As a mystic, I understand why they are trying to say this. Our inward attitudes greatly effect the world around us. However, it isn’t really our thoughts, our thoughts are just a part of our inner life. What about our hearts? What about virtue? What about WHO we really are. I can “think positive” all I want, but if I am still a big ass-hole, my “reality” is going to suck.There are some very valid statements made in the movie, but no lie can get very far without some truth. In the end, this movie takes a few valid tid-bits of quantum mechanics and cellular biology and then spends the rest of the time making a “quantum leap” in logic to convince the viewer they are Neo from The Matrix.This movie is just another line in the current “think positive” fad resurrected by Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret. Christian mysticism (or just about all mysticism) understands that the truth lives outside ourselves, and we are trying genuinely seek it. The people behind What the Bleep Do We Know are part of the New Age (what I call anti-mysticism) movement trying to tell everyone to make up their own truth (LSD anyone?). It is disappointing as quantum mechanics does have interesting mystic implications, but any serious conversations about it keeps getting drowned out by these crazy people. Propaganda like What the Bleep Do We Know gives the rest of us mystics a bad name.Links: What the (Bleep) Were They Thinking? - A better scientific look at the movie
