David Bohm, the renowned physicist and philosopher, had profound insights into the nature of fragmentation and wholeness, particularly in the context of human thought, society, and the universe. His views were deeply influenced by his work in quantum mechanics, his dialogues with Jiddu Krishnamurti, and his broader philosophical explorations.
### **Key Aspects of Bohm’s Views on Fragmentation and Wholeness:**
1. **Fragmentation as an Illusion of Thought**
- Bohm argued that fragmentation—the division of reality into separate, seemingly independent parts—is largely a product of human thought and perception, not an inherent feature of reality.
- He believed that the mind tends to break things into categories (e.g., self/world, mind/body, science/religion), leading to conflict and misunderstanding.
- This fragmentation, he suggested, is the root of many societal and personal problems, including war, ecological destruction, and psychological suffering.
2. **The Implicate and Explicate Order**
- Bohm proposed that reality has two fundamental orders:
- **Explicate Order**: The visible, tangible world of separate objects and events (the "unfolded" reality).
- **Implicate Order**: A deeper, interconnected reality where everything is enfolded into a unified whole (the "hidden" dimension).
- He used the analogy of a hologram, where each part contains information about the whole, to illustrate how the universe is fundamentally undivided.
3. **Wholeness as the Fundamental Nature of Reality**
- Bohm believed that at the deepest level, the universe is an unbroken, flowing wholeness (which he sometimes called the "holomovement").
- Quantum phenomena (e.g., non-locality, entanglement) suggested to him that separateness is an illusion—particles behave as if they are connected beyond space and time.
- He saw consciousness and matter as two aspects of the same underlying reality, not as separate domains.
4. **The Role of Dialogue in Overcoming Fragmentation**
- Bohm advocated for **"dialogue"** (a form of open, non-judgmental communication) as a way to transcend fragmented thinking.
- In true dialogue, people suspend assumptions and collectively explore deeper meanings, allowing a shared sense of wholeness to emerge.
- He believed that such communication could help heal societal divisions.
5. **Science and Society as Fragmented Systems**
- Bohm criticized modern science for its tendency to study parts in isolation rather than seeing systems as interconnected wholes.
- He saw similar fragmentation in politics, economics, and education, where specialization and competition often overshadow holistic understanding.
- His vision was of a "participatory universe" where humans recognize their embeddedness in a larger, intelligent whole.
### **Quotes from Bohm on Fragmentation and Wholeness:**
- *"Fragmentation is the illusion that the parts are separate and can be dealt with independently, rather than as expressions of a deeper unity."*
- *"The notion of a separate organism is clearly an abstraction, as is also its boundary. In reality, the flow of life is a single, unbroken whole."*
- *"In the implicate order, everything is enfolded into everything. The explicate world is just a surface manifestation of this deeper reality."*
### **Conclusion:**
Bohm’s work suggests that overcoming fragmentation—whether in science, society, or individual consciousness—requires a shift in perception toward wholeness. By recognizing the interconnected nature of reality, he believed humanity could move beyond conflict and toward a more harmonious existence.