Did it ever occur to you that your sense of your emotional state has changed just by glancing at an object or a person? Where did that sudden, intense shift in your feelings come from? The answer, according to a new theory called the Fermionic Mind Hypothesis (FMH), might be how the simple, fundamental laws of physics act on your complicated life history. These are the same rules that govern tiny particles.
Think of it this way: Wave of Possibility: Before you decide what to order for lunch, your mind holds a "wave" of possibilities (pizza, salad, sandwich, skipping lunch). This is the mental chaos, or superposition.
Particle of Reality: The moment you say, "I'll take the salad," that mental wave collapses into a single, concrete reality—a particle-like decision. The mind constantly moves between this chaotic possibility and settled reality to maintain its core identity.
In this theory, emotions aren't vague, complicated feelings; they are measurable energy states that signal how far your system is from its resting, balanced baseline. When something happens—good or bad—your mind has to commit energy to deal with it. The direction of this energy is Psychological Spin: a binary orientation that determines your immediate path:
"Up-Spin" (Energy-Absorbing): This is the growth-oriented state. It's when you feel excited, determined, or motivated to approach. You're absorbing energy to engage with the world, solve a problem, or build a new idea. This state provides you with energy to grow and change.
"Down-Spin" (Dissipative): This is the decay-oriented state. It's when you feel fear, avoidance, or sadness. You're using energy to pull back, protect yourself, or reduce risk. For example, you respond to criticism with antagonism. Instead of growing, you waste your energy on anger, excuses, or avoidance.
The key insight? The mind can only truly be in one spin state at a time (approach or avoidance), just like a fundamental particle.
Why sequence matters: The most mind-bending part of the FMH is how it explains mental interference. The sequence in which you absorb information changes the outcome.
Imagine your boss asks you two questions in a row: Scenario A: First, she asks about your most significant success of the month. You feel an Up-Spin (confidence). Then, she asks for a major time commitment next week. Because you are in a confident state, you say yes enthusiastically.
Scenario B: First, she asks for a major time commitment next week. You feel an immediate Down-Spin (stress/avoidance). Then, she asks about your biggest success. You feel slightly deflated, and you either decline the commitment or accept it reluctantly. We all know which scenario will lead to a more successful outcome.
In both scenarios, the information was the same, but the order changed your emotional spin and the resulting decision. Your mind's energy state at the exact moment of commitment dictated the result.
The FMH offers a way to understand our complex, ambiguous, and sometimes "irrational" thought process as the consequence of the underlying probabilistic laws of energy.
Discover more about consciousness by ordering my book, "Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience."
Copyright © 2025 by Eva Deli
