Exploring the Quantum Psyche: Unraveling the Wave-Particle Duality of Self in Devdutt Pattanaik’s The Pregnant King (2008) through Quantum Mechanics and Jungian Archetypes
摘要
In an era marked by the rise of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, this paper embraces a multidisciplinary approach by utilizing quantum mechanics to critically examine human consciousness through the literary text The Pregnant King (2008). The myth of Yuvaneshva, whose feminine nature is regarded as taboo, is analysed through the lens of quantum mechanical principles. Specifically, Yuvaneshva’s psyche is interpreted via the concepts of the double slit experiment, quantum entanglement, quantum actuality and potentiality, and wave-particle duality, which serve as methodologies to explore the Anima’s struggle. This study integrates Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious and Roland Barthes’ theory of myth within a quantum framework to analyse the formation of meaning, leading to hyperreality and depicting the Self’s struggle within this hyperreal context. By positioning these theories within quantum logic, the paper examines the Self-Other duality (akin to wave-particle duality) and how the collective unconscious reshapes the nature of the Self through quantum principles. This approach elucidates the concept of truth in terms of quantum actuality and potentiality, scrutinizing the ambiguous nature of the Self and how socially constructed ideologies (collective unconscious) obscure personal truth through hyperreal social constructs. Furthermore, it proposes a multidisciplinary method for the study of myths, thereby bridging the traditionally perceived gap between science and literature. By adopting an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspective, this method fosters collaboration between science and literature, paving the way for future research and promoting various multidisciplinary approaches.