Retrocausality, Teleology, and one's Quality World Picture
Finding self-care in quantum physics by leveraging what the autistic brain does naturally.
There is a wonderful friend of mine that always comes out of the blue with brain dumps that begin amazing asynchronous email conversations. I want to share a recent one with you as I think it can shed important light on a common problem we autistic people face. This will be quite a long post, so get comfortable. But, I think you’ll like where we end up.
First, my friend sends this in an email:
—begin email—
Retrocausality
I know, I know. But you realize it is real, right?
The future affects the past.
Retrocausality
Description: Retrocausality, or backwards causation, is a concept of cause and effect in which an effect precedes its cause in time and so a later event affects an earlier one. Wikipedia
At some point, around 10am yesterday (Thursday), I wrote some random stuff about Serpents and the Garden of Eden and other ephemeral, non-linear thoughts. While researching serpent etymology, I "felt inspired" to look up the word NEPENTHE. I told myself it's because it sounds similar to "serpent." And wasn't there a restaurant in Big Sur with that name? Mhmm. Well it just so happens that when I looked up Nepenthe, I discovered a couple things. Nepenthe was in an Edgar Allan Poe story (it was a fictional potion that helped you forget your suffering, or something like that). It was also the name of a plant in a genus that comprised Old World carnivorous plants.
So later that day, my girlfriend, in trying to deal with a fly situation the natural way, had purchased a weird-looking "pitcher plant." Only problem was, we didn't know how to water it (it just had a warning on it that was hard to interpret). For some reason, the plant did not have an identifying label (no name). I took a photo. We looked it up. There are several types of "pitcher plants," apparently. But this, as it turns out, was a particular one. We eventually found the sticker under the pot which revealed, Nepenthe Alata.
Nepenthe. (I think I would have preferred the fictional potion show up.)
I finished a Neville Goddard book a few days ago. In it, The Titanic was referenced. Apparently some author at the turn of the century wrote a novel entitled "Futility" that featured an unsinkable boat called, The Titan (no joke), that eventually hit an iceberg and sank.
On the way home (this morning), I thought I'd listen to something new--"Time Loop." As I encouraged my iPhone's robot voice to read to me, the chapter (of course) was all about, The Titanic, and just how many people had predicted or seen glimpses (supernaturally) of what was happening, what was about to happen (before it happened). The author also mentions that other book, "Futility," written all those years before.
What is going on--just coincidence, or Jungian synchronicity?
This future-causing-the-past thing happens a lot.
I think it happens to all of us. We just don't see it because it's impossible. We screen it out. Because it's impossible.
There are two models for this--both feel somewhat right.
First, we could be experiencing life backwards. Imagine a movie reel that is filmed in the normal way, but is then played on a big screen in reverse. The whole movie is backwards. Eventually we would get the hang of it and it would make sense. Losing awkwardness, which admittedly would take a while, we would get the gist. Halfway through the film, we'd start to "anticipate" what happens next. Except of course, it would be what happened "before." Right?
What if we build our reality first, and then experience it in reverse after. Only after we've built it. And then we go back to sleep that night. Build another day. Except, because it's the only reality we know, the "backwards world" becomes cognized as the forwards world. This is the first model.
The second model is at least as feasible, but even trippier (and yet more in accord with modern quantum physics). It goes like this. The "future" already exists right now. It's just in a separate compartment. Like another room in the house. It's there, in existence right now, we are just not "in it." When we see the future or are influenced by it, we are in one proverbial room, yelling/texting/waving out to another. We ask our roommate if the pot is boiling over in the kitchen. "Yes, it's bubbling over everywhere!"
The future already exists, whether it's bubbling over or not.
But we can change it (or we can ask our roommate to turn the stove burner off).
We can tweak the past too. Except social consensus is a steel trap. It's very hard to change the collective past. (Unless it's undocumented, or subject to interpretation). The future, however, is malleable. Although clever tracks have pretty much determined most of that too.
In the second model, to continue, two things are going on: the future already exists (the current future); and the future is being remade instant by instant (meaning, each "current future" is being replaced by the "next current future," moment by moment). So if I "predict" a given future, it's because that given future (what we are calling the "current future") already exists. And it might stay this way, unchanged. So I/we predicted it. But it also might change. You might predict it and then other people might change it.
The future is changeable. Unless you don't change it. But then it becomes "a past" that maybe you can change--later? But it'll be harder if you procrastinate (unless everyone has forgotten what happened).
This process is a two-way flow.
"Seeing" the future and "making" the future are related. One of course is passive while the other is active. But seeing is affecting. The observer affects the experiment. "Predicting" (pre- + dictare) equals "to say beforehand" but is also related to "dictator" (one who says how it's going to be). When we "pre-dict," we are both speaking things into being (active) and also simply seeing the current future (passive) that is being held in place by the present etheric ecology.
A lot to process, huh.
But if you're open to breaking that folksy paradigm with which we have all been raised--i.e. your thoughts about "time"--you might start to notice how the random things you think of early in the day might not be so random. Particularly when you read something later, or a friend tells you something... that if you were to reverse the film on the projector... would make a lot more sense. C leads to B leads A, not the other way around. Or maybe it's both ways?
The future might cause the past, just as the past causes the future. Let's expand our notion of causality. We won't be the first to do so.
A final fun thought. Ever wondered about the word "chaos"? We think of it as being a mess of randomness and confusion. But actually, pronounced correctly, "chaos" is "kaos"--sounds a lot like "cause" doesn't it?
Through temporal logic, we manufacture The Present. The "chaos" of the indeterminate past and future is in fact the "cause" of the far less determined Present.
All reality is up for grabs.
Let's chaos some change. Even if your reason is... just be-cause.
—end email—
If you’ve been a long time reader, you’ll know that I use a lot of teleological structures in my writing on autism, which is usually framed in an element of Glasser’s Choice Theory - that of one’s Quality World Picture. I also consider the concept of teleology as expressed in the Alpha / Omega - that of knowing the beginning and ending of all things.
But, the concept of retrocausality intrigued me.
Teleology and retrocausality are two contrasting concepts. Here's a comparison between the two as I see them:
1. Definition:
Teleology: Teleology is the study of purpose, goals, and ends in nature, human actions, and other phenomena. It suggests that there is inherent design or intentionality guiding events toward specific outcomes.
Retrocausality: Retrocausality is a concept in physics that challenges the traditional notion of cause and effect by proposing that an effect can precede its cause. It suggests that events in the present can be influenced by future events.
2. Directionality of causation:
Teleology: Teleology typically involves forward causation, where causes precede their effects. It focuses on the purpose or goal toward which events or actions are directed.
Retrocausality: Retrocausality involves backward causation, where future events can influence past or present events. It challenges the linear causality and suggests a non-linear relationship between cause and effect.
3. Relationship with time:
Teleology: Teleology is often associated with a linear concept of time, where events unfold in a sequential order. The purpose or goal is considered to be a future state that influences the present or guides actions.
Retrocausality: Retrocausality challenges the linear concept of time by suggesting that future events can have an influence on past or present events. It introduces a potential non-linear relationship between cause and effect across time.
4. Domain of application:
Teleology: Teleological explanations can be found in various domains, including philosophy, biology, ethics, and theology. It seeks to understand the purpose or intention behind natural phenomena and human actions.
Retrocausality: Retrocausality is primarily discussed in the field of physics, particularly in quantum mechanics and the study of time. It challenges the conventional understanding of causality and explores the possibility of non-linear temporal relationships.
5. Acceptance and consensus:
Teleology: Teleology has been a subject of debate and criticism in various scientific disciplines. While it has historical roots in philosophy and theology, many scientists today prefer mechanistic or causal explanations over teleological explanations.
Retrocausality: Retrocausality is a relatively newer concept in physics and remains a topic of ongoing research and speculation. It has gained attention in certain areas of quantum physics but is still considered a speculative idea without widespread acceptance.
Glasser's Quality World Picture describes an individual's unique perception of what they value and desire in life. It encompasses their personal goals, values, aspirations, and the things that bring them satisfaction and fulfillment. Teleology can be understood within the framework of Glasser's Quality World Picture in the following ways:
Purposeful goals: Teleology emphasizes the existence of purpose and goals in nature and human actions. Within Glasser's framework, individuals have specific goals and desires that they consider important for their quality world. These goals represent their desired outcomes and serve as a guiding force in their choices and behaviours.
Meaning and fulfillment: Teleology suggests that events or actions have inherent meaning or purpose. Similarly, Glasser's Quality World Picture emphasizes the importance of individuals pursuing activities and experiences that bring them satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment. The pursuit of these meaningful goals aligns with the teleological perspective.
Personal values and priorities: Teleology acknowledges the role of values and priorities in guiding human actions. Similarly, Glasser's framework recognizes that individuals have unique values and preferences that shape their Quality World Picture. The things, relationships, and experiences that individuals value and prioritize in their Quality World align with their teleological inclinations.
Intentionality: Teleology implies that events are directed towards specific outcomes or ends. In Glasser's framework, individuals are intentional in their pursuit of their Quality World. They actively strive to align their choices and actions with their desired goals and values, aiming to create a life that reflects their vision of a satisfying and meaningful existence.
Adaptation and growth: Teleology suggests that organisms and systems evolve and adapt towards their goals. In Glasser's framework, individuals continuously adjust and refine their Quality World Picture based on their experiences, learning, and changing aspirations. They seek personal growth and development in their pursuit of their teleological goals.
As I note in No Place for Autism?, meltdowns / shutdowns can / do occur when one is working on a path towards fulfilling that Quality World Picture, but circumstances conspire to get in the way. Take the child who lines up toys in a particular way on the floor. They are trying to get the reality in line with their Quality World Picture. Then, a bully comes along and kicks the toys this way and that. The child’s brain rushes to calculate the many probabilities of successfully returning the chaos to order. The many combinations confound these calculations and the internal calculator fails to provide an adequate answer - resulting in the meltdown, or the reaction to the error state (not to be confused with a tantrum).
With this in mind, retrocausality offers potential therapeutic benefits in such situations
Expanded sense of possibility: Within Glasser's framework, if individuals were to consider retrocausality, it could potentially expand their sense of possibility and open up new avenues for understanding and shaping their Quality World. It may prompt individuals to explore alternative perspectives and consider how future aspirations or choices could impact their past experiences or present circumstances.
Reevaluation of past experiences: This could lead individuals to reevaluate their past choices, actions, and experiences within their Quality World. They might consider how their current goals, values, or desires could influence their interpretations and perceptions of past events, leading to a reinterpretation or reassessment of their life narrative. We often see a version of this in late-diagnosed autistics when they frame their childhood with this new lens, reinterpreting causality with this new information.
Adjusting present actions: This awareness might influence their present choices, leading them to act in ways that align with their desired outcomes and bring about positive changes in their past or present circumstances.
Embracing personal responsibility: They may recognize the significance of their current choices and actions in creating a satisfying and meaningful Quality World, both in the present and in how it retroactively affects their past experiences.
Growth and adaptation: Retrocausality challenges our understanding of time and causality, suggesting a non-linear relationship between cause and effect. Within Glasser's framework, this could encourage individuals to embrace change, adaptability, and personal growth. They may recognize that their Quality World is not solely determined by past events but can be actively influenced and shaped through present actions and future aspirations.
Exploring the concept of retrocausality within a therapeutic context for autistic individuals prone to panic and anxiety could potentially offer several benefits. Here are a few ways it could be helpful:
Expanding perspective: Introducing the idea of retrocausality can broaden an individual's perspective on the relationship between past, present, and future events. This expanded view may help those of us prone to panic and anxiety to consider alternative interpretations of past experiences and how we can influence our present and future. It encourages us to view our life's narrative as dynamic and subject to change, offering a sense of possibility and hope.
Sense of control: Retrocausality suggests that present actions can have retroactive effects on the past. This understanding empowers us by recognizing our agency and influence over our own experiences and emotions. We are prone to panic and anxiety and thus may find relief in realizing that our current efforts towards self-care, coping strategies, and personal growth can positively impact our past experiences, providing a sense of control and ownership over our life story.
Reevaluating interpretations: Retrocausality prompts us to reconsider our interpretations and meaning-making processes regarding past events. As we are prone to panic and anxiety, this can be particularly valuable as we often engage in overthinking or rumination. By encouraging folks to explore alternative perspectives and interpretations, retrocausality may help challenge rigid thinking patterns and facilitate the development of more adaptive and constructive narratives about past experiences, reducing anxiety triggers.
Reducing anticipatory anxiety: Anxiety often arises from anticipating negative outcomes or consequences. Retrocausality can aid in reframing such anticipatory anxiety by encouraging folks to consider how their desired future outcomes can influence their present experiences. This perspective shift may help folks prone to panic and anxiety to focus on positive aspirations and goals, redirecting our attention away from anxiety-inducing thoughts and promoting a more constructive mindset.
Embracing self-growth: Retrocausality fosters the understanding that personal growth and change are possible over time. Again, as we’re so prone to panic and anxiety, this can be empowering. It encourages folks to embrace their journey of self-discovery, self-improvement, and adaptation, allowing us to shift our focus from past difficulties to present possibilities. This can instill a sense of hope, resilience, and motivation to actively engage in therapeutic interventions and self-care practices.
Of course, the important disclaimer: It is important to note that therapeutic approaches should be tailored to one’s individual needs and preferences. Whilst retrocausality might offer potential benefits, it is essential to collaborate with a qualified therapist experienced in working with the autistic neurotype to determine the most suitable strategies for managing the many pitfalls of life.
What do you think about all of this? Let me know in the comments below.