There is an ancient theory that the deeper we look into the nature of reality, the simpler it gets. The Greek philosopher Democritus (c. 460 – c. 370 BC) is often given credit for being the originator of the idea that matter consists of atoms, though his teacher and mentor Leucippus should probably receive that honor. Democritus, however, developed the concept of atoms into a well-developed theory of the nature of reality.

Today, physicists speak of subatomic particles. According to the original atomic theory developed by Leucippus and Democritus, however, this would be a contradiction in terms. The very word “atom” comes from a Greek word meaning “indivisible.”

In this ancient atomic theory, if we were to cut an object, such as a piece of wood, in half, and then cut one of the resulting pieces in half, and so on, eventually we would get to something that could no longer be cut. This would be an atom. Atoms were seen as the fundamental, indivisible building blocks of the universe. According to Democritus’s theory:

• Atoms are indivisible and indestructible.
• Atoms have always existed, and always will exist.
• There is an infinite number of atoms.
• Atoms come in an infinite variety of sizes and shapes.
• Atoms are always in motion.
• In between the atoms there is only empty space.

Democritus believed that all things, including subtle phenomena such as light, consisted of these indivisible, indestructible atoms.

However, it didn’t take long for an alternative viewpoint to be proposed. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC) proposed the theory that light is composed of waves that travel through the “element” of air. (Aristotle posited four elements: earth, water, air, and fire.)

Fast forward nearly two and a half millennia to today, and we’re still trying to figure out whether the phenomena we see around us in this material world consist of some sort of fundamental particles, or whether reality is more of a wave-like thing. Sometimes it looks like everything is made of waves; other times it looks like everything is made of particles. And in some famous experiments in which a beam of light is passed through two slits, light seems to behave like both waves and particles at the same time.

Twin slit pattern – Computer generated

(Images courtesy of http://www.hotquanta.com/wpd.html)

This has given rise to the idea that reality involves a “wave-particle duality.” Sometimes particles explain things better, other times waves do, and sometimes it’s necessary to put waves and particles together, resulting in the coined term “wavicle.”

In modern physics, our general experience is that as we look deeper and deeper into the nature of reality, instead of getting simpler, things only gets more complex.

What’s going on here?

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) offers some insights and theories that may help to put “wavicles” and the other strange phenomena that occur at the borders of physical reality into a more spiritual and universal perspective. Swedenborg began his adult life as a scientist and ended it as a theologian. As he saw it, science and theology are not in conflict, but form a unified whole.

For more on wave-particle duality and spiritual reality, please click here to read on.