Part Two: The Observer Effect

"The Demiurge first creates the World Soul, composed of two cosmic circles whose intersections take the form of an X. According to Plato, the Cosmic Soul itself is invisible, but the Creator decides to make the visible body of the universe as similar as possible to the invisible soul.

"Now while the body of the universe had come to be as a visible thing, the soul was invisible." — Plato, Timaeus 

"Now when the Father who had begotten the universe observed it set in motion and alive, a thing that had come to be as a shrine for the everlasting gods, he was well pleased, and in his delight he thought of making it more like its model still. So, as the model was itself an everlasting Living Thing, he set himself to bringing this universe to completion in such a way that it, too, would have that character to the extent that was possible." — Plato, Timaeus 

In other words, the visible body of the universe mirrors as closely as possible the form of the invisible Cosmic Soul, whose two intersecting circles give the shape of an X. To give us a clue as to the components of this cosmic scheme, Plato reveals that one of the celestial circles, the circle of the Different, follows the path of the Wanderers, the seven Planets that trace out the zodiac." - George Latura

In this continuation of the discussion from Part One: The Observer Effect, we delve deeper into the fascinating interplay between observation and reality. Building on the foundational concepts introduced in the first part, we will explore how the act of observing shapes not only the outcome but also the very essence of what is being observed. If you haven't read Part One yet, I encourage you to go check it out before diving into this next layer of the discussion.

What is the Observer Effect?

In quantum mechanics, the Observer Effect refers to the alteration of a quantum system upon measurement. Particles exist in a superposition—a state of multiple possibilities—until observed, at which point the wave function collapses into a definite state. This phenomenon suggests that consciousness plays a pivotal role in shaping reality.

When multiple versions of an event, object, or person appear simultaneously—such as the example of "Alice" in the Apple TV show Constellation—it suggests a fleeting overlap or collision of parallel realities. These realities may represent different trajectories of possibility, momentarily revealed to the observer as the boundaries between dimensions thin. (This phenomenon is likely what underlies the sightings of 'shadow people' and 'shadow figures'—dimensional bleeding. It may involve something crossing over from one dimension or reality into the one where our locus of awareness resides.)

The following passages are from another recent blog entry:

The brain acts as both a receiver and interpreter of the dynamic patterns that constitute reality, constantly constructing and reconstructing the world we experience. This process, though largely unconscious, occasionally reveals itself in moments of disruption, offering glimpses into the intricate mechanics of our perception and its relationship to the larger cosmos.

"You have heard the expression before, I am sure, that the environment expresses a particular individual's personality. I am telling you that this is a literal and not symbolic truth. The letters upon the page have the reality only of ink and paper. The information they convey is invisible. As an object, this book itself is only paper and ink. It is a carrier of information.

You may perhaps argue that the book was manufactured physically, and did not suddenly erupt through Ruburt's skull, already printed and bound. You in turn had to borrow or purchase the book, so you may think, 'Surely, I did not create the book, as I created my words.' But before we are finished, we will see that basically speaking, each of you create the book you hold in your hands, and that your entire physical environment comes as naturally out of your inner mind as words come out of your mouths, and that man forms physical objects as unselfconsciously and as automatically as he forms his own breath." - Seth via Jane Roberts

On October 31st, 2016, I was reading New Dimensions for the Cube of Space: The Path of Initiation Revealed by the Tarot upon the Qabalistic Cube by David Allen Hulse. I had already read the chapter and was going back over a specific page to reference something. As I revisited that part, I watched the book page rearrange itself right before my eyes, with entirely new sections and words appearing that hadn’t been there before.

Looking for an image from an episode of Rick and Morty in my Twitter archive, I saw that attached was a passage (from the preface of Manya J. Long's book, The Psyche as Interaction) that entangles with my anecdotal evidence of a reality shift I had observed myself in 2016.

"'The sine-wave is the sum total of the waveform (thoughtform).' That sentence, complete with the punctuation, acted as a catalyst in my twenty-year journey in search of a comprehensive structure in which to understand the nature of the paranormal phenomena that I have experienced since I was two years old. Originally, I thought I had seen that sentence in a book that I had been reading before I fell asleep one night. However, the next morning, I searched through the entire book and could not find it. This even happened in November, 1990." - Manya J. Long

Now, quickly revisiting this quote of mine, "I had already read the chapter and was going back over a specific page to reference something. As I revisited that part, I watched the book page rearrange itself right before my eyes, with entirely new sections and words appearing that hadn’t been there before." Why does that sound familiar?

It's when I... do a double take... it's when I LOOK AGAIN. Re-View. Re-Visit.

The glitch in the blog post, where the second video was temporarily replaced with a duplicate of the first, represents this disruption (The Tower moment, The Fool taking a Quantum Leap, Flip-Flopping around in the Upside Down like the Hanged Man from the blasted Tree). When multiple versions of a reality or archetype appear simultaneously, it can symbolize the interplay of potentialities vying for coherence within the field of perception. My reality (the observation and record of this glitch) paralleled exactly what was going on in the video clips. 

It should be noted that, from repeated experiences of mine, these reality shifts go hand-in-hand with what I have termed, "Glitch Warps." This will be a topic entirely of its own for future discussion.

In this case, the doubling of the Observer Effect video could symbolize the recursive nature of observation itself—where the act of witnessing creates a feedback loop that manifests as a "double take." Refreshing the page resolved the glitch, suggesting that the phenomenon was transient, aligning with the idea that such experiences are fleeting intersections of energetic fields rather than permanent disruptions. (Blipping in, blipping out.)

In the Constellation clip, the character, Bud, observes two versions of "Alice." The two Alices are not physical twins but manifestations of diverging timelines or realities, coexisting momentarily before collapsing into one dominant narrative. But, as Bud states, "It can't decide what it wants to be." (A Rickle in Time, just can't Make up my Mind.) This mirrors the quantum state of superposition, where all possibilities exist until they are observed.

In Norse mythology, Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, is a symbol of lightning. The lightning in The Tower tarot card is, therefore, synonymous with Thor's hammer, delivering a powerful and sudden force of change that overthrows outdated structures to come crashing down. Just as a hammer strikes with precision and strength, the lightning symbolizes a divine intervention or cosmic wake-up call where we are forced to make a choice.

In the tarot readers' clips, the archetypal energy of The Tower manifested both symbolically and tangibly: One reader dreamt of a tree struck by lightning (a visual representation of The Tower), while the other experienced the sound bowl falling and crashing during her reading. Both events reflected the disruptive force of The Tower archetype without explicitly pulling the card. This is also a perfect example as to why the many variations of the tarot cards and its symbolism can never actually be wrong.

Tarot reflects the holographic nature of reality, where each part contains the whole. The diverse imagery and interpretations offered by various decks are all valid because they tap into universal archetypes and truths, which are not limited to a single depiction or framework. Symbols like the circle in "zero" or "O" can represent multiple layers of meaning, such as the Fool's journey, wholeness, and infinite potential.

"...and if our consciousness were more fluid, we could literally reach out and touch them." - Dark Matter (Apple TV)

The idea of imposing rigid rules or labeling one interpretation as definitive fails to recognize that tarot, much like reality, is multidimensional and fluid. Every image, glyph, or design contributes to a broader understanding, acting as a portal for different perspectives and insights. This flexibility allows tarot to resonate deeply on individual levels, adapting to the reader's and querent's unique consciousness. A circle can be both a hole and the whole. Tarot decks, with their rich variety, embody this holographic truth, making all interpretations simultaneously unique and interconnected.

"What we are looking for is what is looking...

Suppose, however, that when somebody sees a pattern-masked word having two possible meanings, the brain-mind becomes a quantum coherent superposition of states—each carrying one of the two meanings of the word.

The quantum mechanical interpretation of the conscious perception data is that the contextual word HAND projects out the dichotomous word PALM (a coherent superposition) the state with the meaning of hand (that is, the WAVE FUNCTION collapses with the choice of hand meaning only). This state has a large overlap (positive associations are expressed in quantum mechanics as larger overlaps of meaning between two states) with the state corresponding to the final word WRIST, and thus the recognition of wrist is facilitated.

Similarly, in the quantum model description of the unmasked incongruent case, the word context of TREE projects out the state with the meaning of tree from the coherent superposition state palm; the overlap of meaning, between the states corresponding to tree and wrist is small, hence the inhibition. In the pattern-masked case, both congruent and incongruent, palm is perceived unconsciously and therefore there is no projection of any particular meaning—no masked PALM leading to a coherent superposition state containing both the tree and hand meanings of PALM can thus be seen. How else would the effect of the biasing word, as in the strings tree-palm-wrist/hand-palm-wrist, get so nearly wiped out when PALM is pattern-masked?

The phenomenon of simultaneously accessing PALM as both a tree and a part of the hand is difficult to account for accurately in a classical linear description of the brain-mind because such description is 'either-or.' The advantage of the 'both-and' quantum description is obvious." - Amit Goswami

In Rickle in Time from Rick and Morty, Rick, Morty, and Summer accidentally create multiple timelines after their uncertainty causes reality to split. They have to work together to fix the fractured timelines while avoiding destruction from time-policing beings.

The OA: "Forking Paths"

The OA

Seeing multiples (or duplicates) reflects the principle of mirroring, where internal states or archetypal energies project outward into the external world. This can be understood through several frameworks:

• The Law of Resonance: Energetic frequencies in the observer's consciousness attract corresponding patterns in reality. Multiples arise as echoes of the same vibrational frequency manifesting in different forms.
• Entanglement and Synchronization: Similar to quantum entanglement, where particles influence each other instantaneously across distances, these manifestations may reveal an interconnectedness across dimensions or timelines.
• Archetypal Convergence: When specific energies dominate the collective consciousness—such as the disruptive and transformative energy of The Tower as seen in the clips of the tarot readers—these archetypes can appear simultaneously and in multiple contexts. If a particular symbol or series of symbols (pattern) repeatedly manifests in one's observational sphere of awareness, the synchronicity serves to capture one's attention and reinforce its significance. These occurrences can be understood as the subconscious mind's way of drawing attention to the underlying themes at play, urging conscious recognition and alignment with the deeper message.

Constellation (Apple TV)

This discussion has only scratched the surface, and there is much more to uncover. Stay tuned for Part Three, where we will delve even deeper into these mysteries and their implications for the nature of existence and human potential.