Who Are We: A Psychological Perspective on Quantum Emptiness
When we think about who we are, we are often led by questions of meaning: Who am I? What is my place in the universe? Yet, if we delve deeper—not into metaphysics but physics—we uncover a whole new dimension of understanding our essence. Quantum physics, revealing that most of our bodies consist of empty space, offers a profound foundation for psychological reflection on meaning and existence.
The atomic structure of our bodies is astonishing in its apparent emptiness. The nuclei of atoms, containing almost all of their mass, are unimaginably small—smaller than a millionth of the atom itself.
Neutrons and protons, which make up the nucleus, are themselves composed of quarks. But this complexity deepens as we dive further. If we go even deeper, individual particles in the Standard Model are described as different vibrations of strings in space (string theory). Whether a particle has mass depends on its interaction with the Higgs field—particles interacting with this field gain mass, while those that do not remain massless (e.g., photons).
If we combined all the nuclei in a human body and removed the empty space between them and the electrons, the volume of a 100-kilogram person—me (now you know my weight!)—would be less than a grain of sand: approximately cubic millimeters. (The nucleus occupies less than 0.0000000000001% of an atom’s volume, meaning more than 99.9999999999% of the atom is empty space.)
To put this into perspective, if the nucleus of an atom were placed in Ljubljana (at the size of a balloon with a radius of about 2 meters), the position of the electron could extend all the way to Vienna—for a hydrogen atom. Within this probability cloud around Ljubljana, the electron could be anywhere and nowhere simultaneously. The probability of where it is located is described by Schrödinger's equation:
The average number of atoms in a human body is about 7 × 10^27. If the average nucleus occupies a volume of about 10^-45 cubic meters, their combined volume would be approximately 7 × 10^-18 cubic meters—less than a speck of dust (although the weight of this speck would remain 100 kilograms in my case). This means that, on a physical level, we are almost entirely empty.
What Does This Tell Us About Meaning and Our Inner Nature?
First, it reminds us that meaning should not be equated with material substance. If our physical form is predominantly “empty,” why do we seek the value of our existence in external things—status, wealth, possessions? Psychologically, the emptiness of our physical nature directs us to more essential questions: What fills this space? What gives "nothing" value?
One answer is consciousness. Human consciousness, operating within this "empty space," creates meaning, linking the atoms of our experiences into coherent wholes. The body, which is almost entirely empty, becomes a vessel for thoughts, emotions, relationships, and ideas. Paradoxically, this realization of emptiness can lead to a deeper sense of connectedness. If we are essentially empty, we are not separate from the world around us; we are part of the same quantum network that permeates everything.
Quantum mechanics reveals an even deeper paradox through Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Electrons in our atoms are not fixed points but clouds of probability. Their positions and speeds can never be precisely determined—only predicted. At the subatomic level, we are more a network of possibilities and potentials than material beings.
When we ask who we are, perhaps the answer lies in this: we are not merely material beings. We are consciousness transforming emptiness into meaning. We are interconnected particles of the universe, collectively creating something greater than ourselves. Quantum emptiness is not just a scientific fact—it is also a metaphor for our quest for meaning and the profound nature of our existence.
Zlatko Bojanović, B.Sc. Chem. Eng., Transactional Analysis Consultant (TA), Psychotherapy Trainee
P.S.
Schrödinger’s Wave Function:
Electrons in atoms cannot be treated as classical particles. Instead, their positions are described by the wave function, which represents the probability of an electron being at a specific point in space at a given time. However, we cannot simultaneously determine an electron’s position and velocity with precision.
An electron is not precisely localized; it moves in "probability clouds" around the nucleus, known as orbitals. These orbitals are solutions to Schrödinger’s equation, defining where an electron is most likely to be found.
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