Entanglement.
Usually we think of an entanglement as something bad. Here’s an alternate definition.
Have you ever noticed that when someone you know well does something wrong, makes a mistake, messes up – you can understand and forgive them MUCH MUCH more easily than when someone you don’t know does the exact same thing?
OR how about when you bump into a stranger on the street you say (and mean) “excuse me” but when someone cuts you off in traffic you begin to froth and fume and maybe throw out an obscenity? (check out this comic to perfectly illustrate this point. Do not click this link if you are not ok with curse words)
Here’s the thing. We do this because of entanglement.
What is entanglement? Entanglement describes the phenomenon that happen in the quantum field when two separate particle become intertwined on a sub-molecular level. Once the two particles are entangled, they stay entangled even when they are not in direct proximity to each other. This entanglement is so powerful, that when you do something to one particle, the other particle will experience the same effect. Even when it is nowhere near the other particle.
What?
It is because once they are entangled, the two particles are in essence, the SAME THING.
You want this broken down even more and with better science details (and amazing stories) check out this stunning podcast about entanglement from Invisibilia. Be sure to listen to the whole episode including the intro, because that is where they explain the physics.
When I first heard this episode, I cried. I’m not sure why I cried. I just thought “YES” – because this is how the universe works and it is so IMPORTANT that we understand and lean into this powerful connection.
I thought of my grandfather and his twin sister. On the night my grandfather died (of a heart attack), he was in a VA hospital in Wisconsin. His twin sister – who he seldom spoke to and was no longer close – was living in California. That night, she woke up with heavy chest pains and thinking of her twin brother. In the morning she called my grandmother and found that her brother had died during the night.
Entanglement.
How do we get entangled?
Proximity. Exchange of ideas. Contact.
We are powerfully entangled with our friends, our lovers, our children, our families.
We are entangled with the people around us.
Recently I was performing with my band (I sing) and I totally screwed something up and skipped a whole portion of a song. I looked over at the lead guitarist and we instantly communicated to each other what we would do to fix it. We didn’t make a single hand gesture or even a facial expression. We just nodded at each other and then fell into perfect sync, co-creating a plan on the fly. With no words at all.
Entanglement.
What does this have to do with storytelling? Everything!
Story creates entanglement. Story connects us powerfully. This is not just an idea. This is science my friends.
Entanglement. It’s amazeballs. Go entangled your particles with someone today.
