Quantum fundamentalism and theological liberty

Quantum Mechanics (QM) is astonishingly successful as a theoretical framework,
underpinning countless scientific areas and providing the impetus behind entire
technologies. Many scientists suspect that physical reality is fundamentally quantum in
nature, even if we perceive little of this in our everyday human experience. This is the
viewpoint of “quantum fundamentalism”. And yet, the conceptual implications of QM defy
common sense, to such an extent that popular culture largely perceives of QM as a source
of counter-intuitive weirdness. At the same time, bestselling self-help manuals portray QM
as a source of hidden healing power within, while spiritual readings invoke QM as a bridge
to the divine, or as a source of theological analogies. Scientists often denounce these
mystical approaches as “quantum quackery”, but I will examine their serious side. I will
argue that, for quantum fundamentalism to function as a worldview it should inform a sense
of human purpose, something which theological analysis is well equipped to supply.