Perhaps the reason we still have some of these questions about the inner workings of the universe is because we have so far only seen half the picture. – CERN

Supersymmetry is a theory of unseen connections that lets physicists fill in the blanks of what is seen. It’s perhaps the deepest mystery the universe has to offer and sheds light on the connection between particles that were previously thought to be unconnected. As it turns out these opposite particles of force and matter actually have a complementary relationship to each other. They need each other, and each plays a necessary part in the construction of the larger whole. Supersymmetry unravels their relationship with each other that sheds light on the nature of the universe, its complexity and balance, pattern and proportion, and could answer a lot of the lingering questions about its structure and workings. The truth it tells is that we need the coming together of these opposites in order to get the complete picture. And although this quote is from physicists, Carl Jung has said the same thing about the human psyche.

Jung would say we need what is unconscious in order to balance what is conscious. What he means is that what we don’t know is just as important as what we do know. All that is unknown, that which remains unconscious within ourselves (the shadow) is necessary to uncover and incorporate because it rounds out the more superficial and surface parts of ourselves (the ego). These two opposites taken together form the greater whole of who we are, and both are equally necessary in order to have a complete picture of our inner universe. It is always a pair of opposites or opposing forces coming together that creates the complete picture of the larger reality.

Just like every particle has its opposite partner, another to balance it out and create a deeper connection and symmetry, so does our psyche. And we often experience this in our relationships. We are naturally drawn to people who balance out what we are lacking. But aren’t we also in a relationship with the universe, consciously or unconsciously bringing what we need into our lives in order to evolve into more of who we are. Wholeness is maintained thorough opposites balancing each other out to create what is seen and known through that which is unseen and unknown. And by the way this is exactly what all the mystics talk about, finding the balance between all of life’s negative and positive aspects. Eastern philosophy talks about yin and yang, dark and light, feminine and masculine, Jung talks about opposites within our psyche, and synthesizing them. Physicists talk about matter particles and force particles and the link between what appears to have nothing in common. In the end everyone is talking about the same thing, the same thing physics is trying to prove, that the connections and relationships we don’t see form the foundations of the world we actually live in.

We each have our opposite, whether we want to call it spin, shadow, or Tao. There is an intricate balance of opposites weaving the universe together. There is the seen and unseen, the known and unknown, and we need all of it, not just what we deem good or appropriate or only what we can understand. Physics and depth psychology push us to think deeper, bigger, and in ways that make us uncomfortable. But what is unseen and unknown is exactly the missing ingredient we all need.

Here’s to finding our opposites that bring us greater wholeness.

kb