Quantum Change

I recently finished reading a book called Quantum Change which explores, pyschologically, a certain type of change people experience in which they do a complete 180, become an entirely new person in a matter of minutes. Probably the most classic example of this is Paul's conversion story, although this type of change is not limited to religious conversion.

What was particularly interesting about the stories of change that were depicted in this book was that many of those who told their stories ended up feeling much more interconnected with others following their change experience. They participated much more in acts of compassion and felt a unity with the world not yet felt before.

The book, at times, came close to what I would label as dangerous optimistic progressivism - Like the notition that we are all really good people, but we just have to hope to discover it...yet the book did include a great deal of talk about the role of God or a Higher Power in "quantum change."

I thought the following expcept from the book fits quite well with a ideal (I know that we are all selfish wretches in addition to being capable of good) Christian understanding of purpose, although it was describing simply the phenomenon that ocurred after quantum change for many people:

"...they were the natural result of experiencing, in essence, that love is what we are and what we are meant to be. It is our nature. The vision clashes with modern views of humanity as innately self-serving or a blank slate neither good nor evil. The experience is that we are already and inherently part of-or intimately linked to, or made in the image of, or bearing the seeds of-something named or nameless that is so vast as to defy our imagination and the fundamental nature of which is a love so great that it simply overwhelms our ability to comprehend it" (188).