The vacuum and the soul


« Noön »  ©Philippe Quéau (Art Κέω) 2026



According to experimental results from quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the « vacuum » is not empty. The « vacuum » is actually a dynamic and complex medium, sometimes compared to a kind of « quantum molasses ». An infinite number of virtual particles constantly appear in it, including virtual pairs of quarks and anti-quarks, which explain the confinement of quarks in hadrons, as well as the emergence of their mass (hadronic mass). The « quantum vacuum » fills the infinitesimal spaces between atoms, but also between electrons and their nuclei, and even between quarks confined in protons, with virtual particles. In this « vacuum », pairs of virtual quarks and anti-quarks « condense », forming a « chiral condensate » whose symmetry they can occasionally « break ». When a real quark moves through the chiral condensate, it constantly interacts with virtual quark-antiquark pairs (qq̅ ) and thereby acquires an « effective » mass. The « barei » quark has an energy between 5 and 20 MeV, but when it interacts with the chiral condensate, it becomes a « clothed » quark with an effective mass between 300 and 500 MeVii. This mechanism of mass acquisition is general, and it is the role of the quantum vacuum to make it possible. The effective mass of a proton (also represented by its energy: E=mc²) can be analysed as consisting of the kinetic energy of its quarks plus the binding energy (the energy of the gluons that « glue » the quarks together and keep them confined). In summary, the mass of the proton is constituted by the interaction of the three valence quarks (uud) with an immense « sea » of virtual quarks of all colours and flavours (uū + dd̅+ ss̅ + …), gluons and chiral condensate. The interaction of real quarks with this virtual « sea » explains why the actual mass of the proton is 938 MeV, while the mass of the « bare » proton is only 23 MeV.

With these elements in place, and to illustrate the point, we could compare the quantum vacuum to a (giant) diamond. The chiral condensate of the vacuum would then correspond to the network of carbon atoms structuring the diamond; the excitations of the hadronsiii would be comparable to the vibrations of phonons in the crystal; the chiral symmetry breaks would be analogous to the translational symmetry breaks in the diamond; the « rigidity » of the vacuum, which is measured on the ΛQCD energy scale (approximately 200 MeV), could be related to that of diamond (which is represented by Young’s moduli), and hadronic masses could be compared to phonon frequencies. These structural and functional analogies, listed point by point, seem to indicate the presence of a profound form of isomorphism between two very different states of nature, that of the quantum vacuum and that of crystalline matter. This invites us to hypothesise the existence of archetypal structures in the physical world. I would like to propose generalising the hypothesis of these archetypal structures to other phenomena, which are even more complex and which are not of a « physical » but rather a « psychic » and « spiritual » nature. In other words, the analogies mentioned above could serve as models, for example, to heuristically explore the nature of the mind (or soul). By generalising the analogical method, we could consider that it would be possible to match the chiral condensate of the vacuum and the networks of atoms in crystals with an intensive noosphere structuring the universe. Hadron excitations and phonon vibrations could be compared to the « emotions », « intuitions » and « ideas » of minds immersed in the noosphere. Chiral or translational symmetry breaks could be analogous to the appearance or disappearance of volitions and decision-making or renunciations that determine choices and actions. The « rigidity » of the vacuum and that of diamond could be related to the « rigidity » or, conversely, the « flexibility » (intellectual, spiritual and moral) of personality, character and the mind’s capacity for evolution. The increase in hadronic masses and the different frequencies of phonons could serve as metaphors for the possible strengthening of the qualities of the mind (intelligence, memory, will). Without wishing to overstate the case, I will content myself with offering a few suggestions here.

What matters most is the proposed method, which consists of drawing on an extremely rich reservoir of concepts and images (in this case, related to the field of quantum physics, and more specifically, quantum chromodynamics), and attempting to deduce new insights into the nature of the mind and soul. Our ideas on this subject have too often remained limited by the conceptions and images that have been forged over thousands of years, without ever really being creatively renewed, subject to a certain conservatism inherent in these notions. This is certainly not a matter of comparing the soul to a phonon or the mind to a hadron. Rather, it is a matter of reflecting on the possibility of using a powerful set of interconnected metaphors, forming an incredibly effective theoretical framework, and undeniably representing one of the greatest intellectual achievements of ‘modernity’. We propose to draw freely on this framework to propose other explanatory models for the emergence of consciousness, the nature of the mind and the soul, and to attempt to spin new types of metaphors in the spiritual and psychological realm. For example, to remain faithful to metaphors related to quantum vacuum, just as we see that the mass of hadrons comes from the « rigidity » of the vacuum, just as the frequency of phonons comes from interatomic forces, so we could conjecture that the « power of love » could emerge from the « force of (moral) law » (and vice versa) . One could also imagine that radical breaks in symmetry in the psychic or intellectual order, such as those caused by « revelations », « trances » or « ecstasies », would be such as to predict the very real existence of a « spiritual » or « noetic » condensate, existing separately from the material world. Just as the emergence of « mass » is not a property of elementary particles, but results from their dynamic interactions with the quantum vacuum, so too could one conjecture that the « mind » does not emerge from neurons and synapses, but that it gradually emerges from the interaction of certain psychic, spiritual and noetic particles with another kind of vacuum, the « Divine Void », analogous in a sense to Hesiod’s Chaosiv. What would these « noetic » particles be? Just as we speak of phonons and hadrons, mesons and pions, why not imagine various types of « noöns« v and « psyons » that would be the essential components of all kinds of consciousness, all varieties of souls and all kinds of spirits, which the most ancient and diverse cultures have continually evoked in their spiritual, religious, cultural and artistic traditions for millennia.

I would like to conclude (provisionally) by inviting the reader to meditate on a symmetry breaking that is particularly significant for any (human) mind, namely that caused by physical death. If we follow the logic of chiral symmetry breaking as the source of the increase in hadron mass, then the symmetry breaking represented by death is undoubtedly the cause of a significant increase in the « noetic » energy of the soul after death. Death, for the soul, would have an effect equivalent to the increase in hadronic mass for the quark. At the moment of death, the noöns and psyons of the soul would become particularly excited and their energy would increase tenfold, intertwining with other particles constituting the psychic « sea » and criss-crossing the noosphere….

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iCf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_quark

iiQuark masses: the masses of U and D quarks are solely due to the influence of the Higgs field. The influence of the gluon field must also be taken into account, which is responsible for an average of nearly 300 MeV.c-2 per quark, or almost the entire mass. In fact, when we divide the mass of a nucleon by three (the number of quarks), we find ~300 MeV.c-2 (with estimates of only 4 to 8 MeV.c-2 for the D quark and 1.5 to 4 MeV.c-2 for the U quark).

iiiHadrons are particles composed of quarks, the only « building blocks » of matter that participate in strong interaction. They can be composed of three quarks, in which case they are baryons, or of one quark and one antiquark, in which case they are mesons.

ivIn Hesiod’s Theogony, the « Void », called Chaos in Greek, has the status of a primordial deity: « Before all things was Chaos, and then Gaia, broad-breasted, ever-firm seat of all the Immortals who dwell on the snowy peaks of Olympus and in the dark Tartarus in the depths of the spacious earth, and then Eros, the most beautiful of the Immortal Gods, who breaks the forces and who tames the intelligence and wisdom in the hearts of all Gods and men. And from Chaos were born Erebos (Darkness) and black Nyx (Night). » (Theogony)

vI propose creating the neologism « nöon », formed from the Greek noos « mind », and « psyon », formed from the Greek psyche « soul », as « noetic » and « psychic » equivalents of hadrons, mesons, photons and other phonons.

Une réflexion sur “The vacuum and the soul

  1. Torah common law neither theological (Xtianity/Islam) nor philosophical (Greek). The Sinai oath brit wherein the tohor spirits of our god lives within the Yatzir Ha-Tov Mishkan/Hearts lives through the דיוק Oral Torah logic known as משל\נמשל. Just as covenant does not mean brit; repentance does not mean t’shuva. To cut a Torah brit requires wisdom discerning substance from form – spirits from words – שם ומלכות.

    This Sinai oath brit defines the boundaries of Torah common law judicial justice as the accepted Torah revelation of legalism among and between the bnai brit Cohen people. Goyim never accepted this oath brit upon their souls. Therefore just as an American does not dictate to Putin to get out of the Ukraine following the horrors of two European invasions of Russia through the flat plains of the Ukraine. So too and how much more so Goyim not under Torah common law do not shape nor determine Torah law, specifically not the mitzva of either Shabbat nor Moshiach.

    No such thing as “universally accepted history”. Like the saying goes: “the victors write the history books”. All real scholarship separates between Primary vs. secondary sources of information. “They are part of the derash tradition” – false. They represent components of rabbi Akiva’s kabbalah known as פרדס – Oral Torah which interprets both the T’NaCH and Talmudic משל “dream language” into the נמשל interpretation of k’vaana required to do wisdom time-oriented commandments.

    The false idea “historical‑linguistic peshat”, has no portion with the Oral Torah פרדס kabbalah. Both T’NaCH and Talmud command prophetic mussar NOT history. Just as common law legalism has no part with religious theology so too court-room established and imposed justice shares no common ground with religious theological creeds. The latter in a courtroom setting more resembles to a bribe.

    Jews do not demand that Goyim accept the Torah at Sinai. Goyim therefore cannot demand that Jews recognize their theological based belief systems as anything more than av tuma avoda zara. Specifically NT Goyim “not under the law” therefore these same Goyim cannot dictate the meaning nor intent of Torah commandments in general or the mitzva of Moshiach in particular.

    Medieval g’lut literature – Saadia Gaon, Rambmam, Yehuda Halevi, and later thinkers rely upon assimilated Tzedduki embraced Greek deductive logic rather than P’rushim פרדס inductive reasoning which defines the k’vanna of both the T’NaCH and Talmudic literature — both Primary sources as opposed to the post Sealing of the Sha’s Bavli secondary sources.

    Islam has no more a foundatin in Torah than Ishmael dedicated at the Akadah or JeZeus replaces the Avot as “the son of God” that subsumes the chosen Cohen people and oath brit land. Both the TN church and still later mosque openly reject the revelation of the Torah at Sinai. A point not subject to negotiation. Torah does not apply to their av tuma avoda zara worship of other Gods.

    Goyim ignorant of Hebrew neither a Torah nor Jewish problem. Post Shoah both Xtianity and Islam now qualify as stateless dhimmi populations without a country of their own. Xtian now wait for their pie in the sky 2nd Coming and post defeated Arabs in ’48 & ’67 Wars directly compare to Jewish refugee population prior to Israeli Independence as a nation-state in the Middle East.

    Goyim bible translations utterly dismissed starting with the virgin birth Zeus raping a married woman “Marry” to father JeZeus. The kabbalah of Oral Torah known as פרדס preantidates both the NT and Koran Harry Potter religious fictions. Rabbi Akiva received the kabbalah of פרדס from the P’rushim who commanded the mitzva of lighting the lights of Hanukkah.

    Goyim who never accepted the revelation of the Torah – tohor middot live within the Yatzir Ha-Tov within the hearts of the chosen Cohen people – their mythologies Jews likewise reject. Measure for measure as the definition of the 2nd Sinai commandment which Goyim all reject to this very day. As Adam and Hava a married couple so to in the Loom-warp/weft T’NaCH and Talmudic relationship פרדס affixed as pairs: דרוש\פשט to aggadah and רמז/סוד to halacha; no different to the משל of Israelites making bricks from straw to the נמשל of middot affixed to both T’NaCH and Talmudic literatures. This kabbalah defines how the Talmud and Midrash interpret T’NaCH and employ halachot contained in specific sugyot as בניני אבות to make a משנה תורה – Legislative Review – re-interpretation of the language of “Home” Mishnaot to which the Amoraim scholars attached their Gemara commentaries thereto.

    TANaKH and Talmud command prophetic mussar, not history. Meaning: all legal reasoning, narrative, debate, custom, memory, social history etc serves as משל roads which all lead back to “Jerusalem”. Covenant does not corretly translate brit which means “alliance cut through sworn Torah oaths”. Hence the couterfeit faiths employment of “covenant” as false as the Goden Calf-אלהים word idolatry. Substitute theology does not replace the oath sworn by the Avot to cut an oath alliance to eternally father the chosen Cohen people. Neither Yishmael nor JeZeus can replace the Avot in this the definition of the Torah oath brit faith upheld every Yom Kippur where Jews remember the oaths sworn by the Avot as our t’shuva.

    The Torah does not require “Jews” to defend it against avoda zara – such an idea utterly absurd. Jews have a Torah obligation to keep the Torah brit לשמה. The curse of g’lut, Jews cannot do mitzvot לשמה – hence the Wilderness generation has no portion in the world to come.

    פרדס predates NT – the lights of Hanukkah Jews dedicate to never again forget the Oral Torah/פרדס inductive logic. Hanukka before the NT. Saadia, Rambam, and Halevi all highly influenced by the re-discovery of the ancient Greek philosophies concealed by the Church after Constantine became emperor. The Muslim invasion of Spain released the ancient Greek texts concealed by the church for 4 or more Centuries – fact not rhetoric.

    Historical speculation does not concern Talmudic scholarship but far more akin to German Protestant Higher Criticism of the late 19th Century. The Books of Maccabbees not included within the sealed masoret. Rabbi Akiva taught the kabbalah of פרדס which all Torah scholars in both the Yerushalmi and Bavli respect and obey. Herein the sages refer to the Talmud as the “Oral Torah”. Only a טיפש פשט fool argues that the Talmud exist as a Horev Oral Torah revelation! Rather the revelation of inductive logic so completely alien to the ancient Greek deductive logic – herein defines the revelation of the Oral Torah at Horev through the introduction of middot.

    Influence does amount to betrayal because the 2nd Sinai commandment both the Book of Kings and Ezra serve as precedents wherein the Talmud defines avoda zara as 1. ערב רב-assimilation and 2. intermarriage as found in the Book of Ruth. Ruth defines ger tzeddik the other Moavite wife – simply a Shiska married to a Jew.

    While its hard for g’lut Jews to accept the fanatical: “all” assimilation “all” Greek logic “all” medieval rationalists – Karaim arguments. None the less, the 2nd Sinai commandment stands as judge. Any Jewish thinker who uses Greek deductive logic models violates the 2nd Sinai commandment. Proof: the Siddur instructs that on Hanukkah that the ערב רב רשעים sought to cause Israel to forget the Oral Torah. Therefore, “influence = betrayal”. The brit defines the boundaries of legitimate thought, as defined by the 1st Sinai commandment. Jews who remain in Egypt (לאו דוקא) worship other Gods. Meaning, assimilated and intermarried Jews adopt Goyim cultures and customs and abandon Jewish cultural traditions no different from the Hanukkah blessing which condemns the Syrian Greeks לאו דוקא for attempting to cause the Jews to forget the Torah – משמע – Oral Torah.

    J’aime

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