O misticismo quântico no ensino superior: uma pesquisa exploratória acerca das ações de pesquisa e extensão das universidades públicas brasileiras

Abstract

Consolidated modern science has contributed to overcoming human limits in the most diverse areas. The advances – and consequent successes – of the scientific method have given this field of knowledge credibility and legitimacy. However, synchronously with the development of the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, movements emerged that appropriated this legitimacy to commercialize quackery. An example of this is the cultural phenomenon of quantum mysticism. In the last decade, mysticalquantum themes have gained a prominent position in the media and social networks. Furthermore, there was an expansion in the production, consumption and dissemination of theses related to quantum mysticism in the academic field. For this reason, it was dedicated to investigating how the themes concerning quantum mysticism are presented both in the publications of articles in formal academic environments and in university extension actions. For this purpose, an exploratory research was carried out on the CAPES Journal Portal, on Google Scholar and on the Google search engine associating the word “quantum” with seven other words (spirituality, consciousness, love, meditation, disease, practices, mind), as which, taken together, represent misappropriations of quantum mechanics. Mario Bunge’s philosophy was used to discuss the criteria for demarcating scientific knowledge, as well as the work of Osvaldo Pessoa Jr for the characterization of mystic-quantum theses. Regarding the publication of articles, the descriptors that returned the highest number of results were spirituality (6), awareness (6) and disease (5). In contrast, the descriptors that returned the lowest number of results were practices (3), mind (2) and meditation (2). Half of the mined articles referenced at least one of the following authors: Amit Goswami, Deepak Chopra or Fritjof Capra. With regard to extension actions, few results were returned, and the science-spirituality and quantum health relationships figured the top of the topics covered. From this exposition, the role of scientific education is highlighted in the face of the consumption of information and the development of skepticism (without prejudice to scientific curiosity) in individuals, whether at different levels of education or in teacher training.