trail of the light
the truth is out there

“(...) maybe there is no ‘quantum realm.’ Maybe everything is essentially quantum, and we usually just don’t notice it.” ^{(Cynthia Sue Larson)}

From the get-go it was a very nice surprise that there is not one, but even more books by Cynthia on such an exciting matter as reality shifts. Even before I began to read the first one (Reality Shifts), I was very curious what in-depth knowledge could such books contain. Once I finished Reality Shifts, however, the curiosity remained, due to the next book (Quantum Jumps) awaiting and promising... what? Finally I’ve found out :) .

But before I’ll tell You all my conclusions and impressions, I’d like to address one more intriguing thing about this book, the one which may intrigue You even before You begin the reading: the title. If You are already familiar with the book preceding Quantum Jumps - Reality Shifts, You may wonder what does the very title mean. At first look it seems like a synonym, but is it really so? I wasn’t so sure and, since I like to know, I’m happy I’ve found the answer :) . And the answer is... for my understanding, during a few years between both books Cynthia decided to use another term (“quantum jumps”) to differentiate spontaneous phenomena from the ones which are definitely intended. She wrote:

“I’ve experienced being part of a small group of people who start off experiencing seemingly random reality shifts / Mandela Effects, and end up witnessing what would more accurately be called quantum jumps / manifestation.” ^{(Cynthia Sue Larson)}

Note the possible alternative wording: “Mandela Effects” for “reality shifts” - and “manifestation” for “quantum jumps”.

It doesn’t mean, however, that the first book does not include a consciously intended initiation of such a thing. This topic has been already addressed there, making the next book even more intriguing.

So now, once You learn the nomenclature, let’s talk about what new this next book - Quantum Jumps - brings in, what differentiates it from its predecessor?

It Does Not Discover Quantum In Your Life - It Uncovers It.

Quantum theme is definitely among the current trends of humanity interest, with a surprisingly wide field of influence (from science to spirituality, from personal development to spiritual growth). It seems to be a solid candidate to trigger a big paradigm change. On the other hand, however, while reading Quantum Jumps it’s inevitable to realize that... it has been that (quantum) way all the time (!). Because things described in Quantum Jumps are... surprisingly ordinary and common (!) - most of them You’re probably well-familiar with. It was, therefore, a funny thing for me during the reading: that for some time I was asking myself “Where are the quantum in all of that, finally?” ;) And then, at some point, it becomes obvious (and maybe this was the Author’s intention of the whole book) that quantum... have been there all the time. Not presenting to You as some spooky phenomena, not paranormal, not so strange, but... perfectly well-known, just with a different name.

Let’s Peg It ‘Quantum’.

Think about it. Placebo effect. dressing for success. power posing, faking ’til You make it. Body language in relation to the actual mood and performance. And even such broadly addressed topics like social engineering, power of the subconscious mind or positive thinking, and so on, and so forth. You probably know well of all those things, including the power of beliefs coming down to simple - but still powerful - affirmations. Things which on one hand may trigger some doubts by their glaring simplicity - on the other hand, however, are happily proven by science (although it’s not so commonly-praised knowledge, what’s a shame). So, in case at least part of those things make You a little bit leery - take a look on science, countless hours (years even!) of experiments and hard data. They will tell You that, however miraculous and fantastic it may seem, it is real and it does work. In other words, for a long time now You have everything You need to happily embrace the concept that Your thoughts are shaping Your reality, or, to be more precise, are navigating You throughout multiverse of realities always available at hand.

Find the Quantum in Everyday Life - It’s Been There All the Time :) !

So where the quantum are in this picture? The main realization is that You can find their nature mirrored within the macroscopic reality around You. Initially this was a surprise (and perhaps it still is for some scientists), but facts are speaking for themselves: there are disturbing ;) experiments proving quantum behavior performed by macroscopic world, even perceivable by naked eye. Quantum behavior performed by molecules larger than subatomic particles (teleporting rubidium atoms) - proven, Quantum behavior performed by macroscopic objects, like entangled diamonds - proven. The way plants grow (choosing optimal paths regarding sunlight) - has been proven quantum. The way birds navigate, the way You smell - proven quantum. Even such mind-boggling ideas like Can the past be influenced by the present? - has been positively proven, also nicely fitting quantum theory. All of those and more proves not only increasing attention which scientific world gives quantum physics, but also can lead to a conclusion that much more things around You may indeed have quantum nature - because the more You compare ‘spooky’ quantum phenomena with various ‘spooky’ ‘paranormal’ phenomena, they turn out to have surprisingly much in common. And this, therefore, might make You suspicious: may be more of a quantum nature into this reality “than are dreamt of in Your philosophy” ;) ? The amount of similarities seems to be sufficient to lay the fresh groundwork for a new paradigm of reality and life.

So, back to the question what may differentiate this book from the previous one - I would say that Quantum Jumps may be perceived as surprisingly down-to-earth (sic!). Because of both the amount of ordinary examples from Your daily life and a strong scientific background showing ‘the magic’. Now it’s up to You how You call it: whether You choose a buzzword of ‘quantum’ or something else, what does really matter are the implications of this new way of comprehending the world around You.

Initially, the down-to-earth character made me sad a little, because, especially once I’ve read Reality Shifts consisting of so amazing and incredible examples like bilocation and more, I’ve not expected a focus on ordinary things with which You’re probably already well-accustomed. On the other hand, however, don’t forget that they all are presented in new light, bringing the new understanding, the new meaning to the ordinary. Moreover, the omnipresent scientific background (a strong asset of this book) helps both to understand and embrace the new meaning of “an old thing”, and maybe even helps to get used to it - which is of a great value in the light of the current shift in science. Moreover, it may make You curious and begin Your Own research, unveiling even more examples of this new paradigm.

What Fascinated Me Most?

“(... ) we walk into another world of possibility the moment we make the decision to think, talk, and behave differently.” ^{(Cynthia Sue Larson, Quantum Jumps)}

Unexpected Face of Placebo.

Although You might find ‘placebo effect’ just another household phrase, You might not know that:

1. It works even if participants know that they are exposed to it (!).
2. It works for animals, too.

I find those two fascinating and thought-inspiring. Placebo working for animals is especially interesting for me, because I think it clearly shows the connection between human intent and environmental response. It’s a brilliant example of a different viewpoint introduced by quantum theory: that it’s not so much a pet which has believed that it takes the cure - but the human who has shifted/quantum jumped into a reality where the pet is healthy (and, in fact, it could not been sick before at all). Similarly like in case of lost things found simply by switching into a reality in which they haven’t been lost at all - or like in case of “changing” the past by jumping to a reality equipped with a more desired past, so to speak.

Past Recollection Changed.

Although Mandela Effect unfortunately seems to be difficult to hard-prove (although there are pretty well-documented cases out there, like the case of a missing dinosaur from the Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, UK), it has been scientifically investigated via simple experiments described in the book (the one regarding Challenger space shuttle explosion and another one - Kennedy assassination), which aimed to take a closer look on how serious discrepancies within participants’ recollection of the past may occur. The significance of such experiments lays in that it’s much harder not to pay closer attention to them.

Knowledge ‘Out of Nowhere’.

Another exciting experiment illustrating travelling through realities (or quantum jumping) in practice is the one involving a group of students informed before the test that they will be shown the proper answer just for a blink of an eye - too short to consciously recognize it, but long enough to be registered by the subconscious. As You probably guessed, it indeed affected the results of the test. One interesting thing, however, is that there haven’t been any answers flashed before students’ eyes at all, it was just gibberish consisting of random strings of letters. Therefore You might consider it just another placebo experiment, but how come that a knowledge needed to solve the test has been brought in from... nowhere but a belief that it exists? It’s much stranger to comprehend than placebo-driven health improvements - but it does exist, and it is documented.

Plants Act Quantum.

It’s fascinating how quantum mechanics is applied into everyday life. In fact it’s not so much of a new thing because it has been harnessed at least since early twentieth century, allowing to construct such things like computer chips, laser, GPS, or MRI. Now, in times of increasing development of quantum computers, science provides us with a completely different facet of the matter: how does nature itself incorporate quantum. One of the most amazing examples for me is the quantum nature of a photosynthesis process (long story short: plants being amazingly efficient with acquiring light energy from the sun - thanks to quantum coherence).

Another facet of plants acting quantum is similar to pets often being able to somehow know that their owners are just about to come back. Although You probably know well of that phenomena, You might not know that a similar thing takes place in case of plants (!).

There is yet another fascinating illustration of plants affecting the reality around them (although not described in the book): the experiment (conducted in Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab, I suppose) called ‘Plant RNG’ (from ‘Random Number Generator’), which shows a plant influencing an RNG in order to be provided with light in the room (the light source directed with the RNG itself).

Curiosities.

What World Lays ‘Behind the Code’?

“People know how to calculate with quantum mechanics, but that’s not to say they know what it means. Quantum mechanics is like poetry. The poem is right there, for everyone to see, but it has many different interpretations.” ^{(Daniel Sheehan)}

Among things I like in the book is that You’ll find there a brief introduction to a few major ways by which quantum physics is interpreted by scientists. The thing is that, despite of quantum mechanics being solidly rooted in and proven by mathematical formulas, it’s still unclear what a worldview it implies. Perhaps it’s just like watching the programming code without seeing the actual thing made up of that code. Currently scientists are still in the process of determining which way of interpreting ‘the code’ would be closest to the truth. It’s fantastic that in the book they all have been described in a brief and comprehensive manner, thanks to which You can understand it, even without a background in physics.

Q&A.

“The easiest way to quantum jump is to DO something in keeping with the reality you’re jumping to.” ^{(Cynthia Sue Larson, Quantum Jumps)}

This is definitely one of my favorite part of the book - and the nicest surprise in the same time. The last part written in a ‘Question-and-Answer’ manner, giving the whole thing much more ‘real taste’ and authenticity, so to speak. It’s an interesting feeling to suddenly switch from theory to a good bunch of real-life examples, questions and concerns, provided by various people. The selection is very interesting and diversified, letting You to take a closer, in-depth look into the quantum applied into everyday life. There are fantastic stories, including mind-boggling and thought-provoking. Much appreciation to such a good choice! :) which gives the whole book a kind of ‘open ending’.

Controversy.

‘Love Engineering’.

This one I find the most controversial topic. There are a few examples in the book addressing the matter of falling in love... on demand (sic!). To make matter worse ;) , they have been scientifically proven, therefore leading to highly disturbing conclusion that love can be initiated. This one is hard to grasp for me since I strongly believe in the unique nature of true love between two souls destined for each other. I can take that a romantic relationship, a closeness of some kind may be achieved by such techniques mentioned in the book - but to consider it the one-and-unique lifelong love with Your Second Half self-engineered out of almost any person...??? I asked Cynthia on that particular matter:

Cynthia: The value of ‘faking it until you make it’ comes from realigning oneself at all levels of consciousness (head, heart, gut) without attempting to foist some decision on parts of oneself that, for example, one's head might think is best. Best long-term results will come from each person practicing ways to experience alignment of head, heart, gut and all other aspects so that each given individual is truly doing what they love and most wish to become. At that point, the individual is not pretending, but rather is finally fully aligned with their highest level of being. From such a true place of inner alignment, two people both doing this could experience True Love. Involving two people instantly creates a great deal more complexity, as each individual is a multitude that most likely is not yet in internal alignment.

Thomas: Ok, but do You believe that True Love may be “obtained” simply by acting close with any other human being, if the two persons involved are both aligned with all aspects of themselves (I don’t mean aligning with aspects of one another)?

Cynthia: Yes, such a thing could be possible; yet in the cases of True Love I have observed, it seems to me that larger ‘forces’ appear to be operating which actually serve to bring those people together, much like there being an underlying higher order consciousness that has free will, and is selecting to bring certain people and events together.

It Knows What You’re About to Write.

It wasn’t so long since I begin to read Quantum Jumps and encountered this mind-boggling example of “anticipating what the [e.g., novel] author is about to write”. And it goes even further, toward trend-predicting... But the ‘quantum-aided’ writing I find especially intriguing and hard to believe. Although AI-driven journalism does already exist and it’s not so difficult to understand that it can be possible simply thanks to AI being provided with enough data (source articles written by humans) and then recognizing patterns present within it, laying the solid groundwork for any further work (‘follow the pattern, just replace facts’), I find hard to believe that it could be genuinely possible to predict the exact further writing of a, say, talented novelist. It may sound highly similar to per style, perhaps even impossible to distinguish, but... in reality it isn’t hacking Your mind (or soul), so to speak, in order to predict what You could have written in the future. It just seems to be a strictly mechanical thing, recognizing patterns and being able to mimic them, like a soulless golem...

Practice.

“(...) write down some exercises you can start doing on a regular basis to keep practicing quantum jumps. While ideas are still fresh in mind, this is the perfect time (...) to remind yourself of simple ways to improve your life.” ^{(Cynthia Sue Larson, Quantum Jumps)}

As I loved the concept of each and every chapter equipped with exercises, as also this time I’m happy to find a bunch of exercises which You might find of a great help to ensure the proper understanding of the matter - or turn it into a habit. All the exercises are tailored toward improving both Your personality and life, and in the light of quantum mechanics, toward quantum jumping.

I took Cynthia’s advice and chose exercises I like the most:

Remember What You Desire.

You might find a brilliant idea and a great mind hack to view Your desires as... memories (!). I guess it can be of a great help to make them come true.

Imagine Excellent Health.

It’s amazing how simple this exercise is in relation to the matter of our health which we usually consider pretty important. It may be especially good for people having difficulties with visualization, especially the more complex and convincing one - because this time the only thing You need is just to breathe and attach the particular belief to the breath. You don’t need to elaborate on that, just acknowledge the role of Your breath in connection with quantum jumps and Your health and... that’s all :) ! Therefore I find it especially fantastic, for me it’s much simpler than envisioning desires as memories - although it’s a fantastic idea, either.

Write What Went Well Today.

Before reading Quantum Jumps I harnessed a few methods of practicing gratitude, so to speak - such as Gratitude Diary or ‘Magic Rock’ (from Rhonda Byrne’s The Magic). What draws my attention in case of Cynthia’s “What Went Well” exercise is that it has been proven helpful even in cases of the most severely depressed people. It has intrigued me how such a simple thing may trigger such serious betterment from such a serious condition... Finally it lead me to return to the practice and create my own “What Went Well” diary, which I did (at the time of writing this sentence it reached over two weeks now). In my case I don’t notice any significant improvement, but on the other hand I remember well Cynthia’s point on ‘plateau’ in learning new things, which I agree that it may be the case. One way or another I’d like to continue the exercise on a daily basis because it is simply a nice thing to remind Yourself of any good achievement or thing which took place in Your day.

Life-Changing Advice.

Apart from the whole quantum jump idea perfectly fitting into set of things which may virtually change Your life - the book contains also smaller piece of advice which also may be considered potentially life-changing, at least for some people. I realize that more probably this is an individual thing - below I’ll show You examples of Quantum Jumps pieces which I find life-changing in my own case.

Enjoy Pleasant Distractions When Life Gets You Down.

Although this has not been put as exercise, it may be a good idea to practice it as a habit, which therefore You might consider an exercise, at least in its initial stage. I’ve decided to include it due to its significance. Throughout this lifetime I’ve realized how important is to break any negative, “heavy” state as soon as You become aware of it. Engaging in such states does not give You any good - it can only make things worse. Regardless of how justified You may feel diving into any bad mood/dark thoughts, their result is coming (I like the ‘Toyota Trooper’ anecdote from Quantum Jumps, which illustrates this well). Therefore I find breaking this theme as soon as possible key and crucial. It’s not having one’s head in the sand, but highly reasonable decision (or even better: a habit) oriented toward Your wellbeing on multiple levels.

The fact that Cynthia has brought this point forward, seems to finally encourage me not only to take this approach more bravely, but also to turn it into a strong habit. Either way, the final question is: how much do I care about my life experience...?

Create Your Own Customized Meditation.

When it comes to demystifying “mysteriousness” and “elite character” of meditation practice, triggering thoughts on Buddhist monks or sophisticated lotus position, I am on the same page with Cynthia, meaning: I perceive meditation as a widely accessible, more likely being practiced by many people even without being aware of it. Such things like washing dishes or gazing out off into the distance are already nothing else but a meditative state (!) :) - meaning: You already have the ‘know-how’, at least Your habitual mind/the subconscious has. From there it’s just one little step to take thing further into a full-blown meditation. Moreover, Cynthia points out a great method of designing Your Own custom meditation - I am truly amazed of its simplicity and brilliance :) . So if You’re interested into beginning meditation practice or just giving it a try - in the book You’ll find a piece of advice which may turn the matter 180 degrees :) .

The Most Significant Message.

There is an interesting contrast in the book: on one hand it is packed with down-to-earth examples ready to be applied into ordinary everyday life. On the other hand, there is a sneaking message emerging from all of that (especially out of “Q&A” section): the new way to view Your consciousness or even Yourself, Your true self operating through this world. It’s interesting that one is pretty much entangled with the other: it’s hard to skip the part of ‘who You are’ or at least it’s too tempting not to address it while embracing the idea of quantum jumps into Your life. Note that redefining or re-viewing our own consciousness has not been a new idea: it has been around for a long time now. The difference today is that it’s not enclosed within an esoteric box anymore - being so tightly linked to discoveries and insights of contemporary quantum science. As a result, once You take a closer look on the matter, You might wonder what seems to be more incredible: the concept that You’re living in a multiverse and superposition of states - or that You - the true You, who is now reading these words - always remain kind of outside of all of those countless realities and You’s anyway, but picking and choosing out of them all the time, consciously or not, empowering and directing Your life simply by Your attention paid through beliefs, feelings and emotions You carry. Once You acknowledge this, it may bring You the detachment so often advised by Cynthia as a necessary factor to switch realities/You’s at least easier. But will this really be the most important thing then? Because, when to think of it, not only Your life may be changed, not only You may improve - but the whole way of how You are used to perceive and comprehend the world around, Your identity and life, may completely change. And what’s funny about it is that Cynthia explains this as if it’s not so much of a big deal - just embrace it and live Your life happier, more content and satisfied. The thing is it’s not the same life anymore, requiring some ‘adjustments’ here and there to make the whole picture more accurate/closer to the truth. Including the definition of the world around You, Your life, and finally You Yourself. Once You do that, nothing will be the same anymore (although it may stay the same at first glance); it’s like one huge reality shift/quantum jump even before You start jumping.

For me such a change into status quo is a good thing. I’m glad that there are already people who write and talk about those things in a natural, obvious way - I view them as pioneers who pave the way for the new paradigm, more and more grounded by the contemporary science. It’s great that with Quantum Jumps You can apply this new emerging worldview right now, joining the pioneers for a new, hopefully better world.