5. The Mind Changes Matter: Particle or Wave?

Let us delve deeper into the microscopic world and explore the smallest units of matter or existence.
In classical physics, atoms were once considered the smallest units of matter. However, with the advancement of science and technology, even smaller entities have been discovered—subatomic particles such as quarks. Surprisingly, these tiny entities sometimes behave like matter and at other times like non-matter. This observation led to the development of a theoretical framework known as quantum mechanics.

A particle refers to the smallest unit of matter whose movement (position and velocity) can be predicted. A wave, on the other hand, is a non-material state of energy that propagates and whose precise location is indeterminable. It is a concept strikingly similar to Qi (氣), which has been discussed in Eastern philosophy for thousands of years.

Quantum mechanics demonstrates the principle of wave–particle duality, which means that all matter simultaneously exhibits the properties of both particles and waves. Classical mechanics regarded waves and particles as fundamentally distinct, thereby separating matter and non-matter. In contrast, quantum mechanics integrates both into a unified concept. In other words, it suggests that mind and matter are one. A wave can become a particle, and a particle can become a wave—this transformation depends on the observer, i.e., the human mind and intention.

Our ancestors expressed this idea in phrases such as:

• “Heart communicates with heart (以心传心),”

• “All phenomena are created by the mind (一切唯心造),”

• “Even Heaven is moved by sincere intention (至诚感天),”

• “All things are born from the formless (无万物之母).”

They believed that matter and mind, particles and waves, influence each other organically.
In modern times, quantum physics in the West has begun to verify what Eastern traditions have long intuited.

One such emerging concept is Quantum Medicine, which remarkably aligns with the Eastern theory of Li-Qi (理氣論). It posits that the human being has an energetic field that connects body and mind. Unlike older models that treated the human body as a mere machine, this perspective includes both physical and mental aspects and aims to heal by regulating this energy field. One of the most representative therapies is acupuncture.

Acupuncture works by regulating Qi, which is why chronic migraines that persisted for decades may be completely cured in a single session. Historical records in Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经)—the oldest and most authoritative Chinese medical text—indicate that acupuncture actually originated in ancient Korea.

One diagnostic tool in Korean medicine, pulse diagnosis (脉诊), involves the doctor placing three fingers on the patient’s wrist to assess the balance of yin and yang, heat and cold, surface and interior, deficiency and excess. This is, in my opinion, a vivid example of reading waves to determine the state of particles—that is, diagnosing physical conditions through energetic patterns.

Rather than dividing the world into particle or wave, matter or mind, we must understand that particles become waves and waves become particles; mind becomes matter and matter becomes mind. The Li-Qi Monism (理氣一元論) of Eastern philosophy is now being confirmed by modern science.

— Dr. Jinman Kim, Director, Peace Oriental Clinic