David Bohm's Implicate Order

Implicate order and explicate order are ontological concepts for quantum theory coined by theoretical physicist David Bohm during the early 1980s. They are used to describe two different frameworks for understanding the same phenomenon or aspect of reality (source: Wikipedia).

1. Implicate Order: This refers to a deeper level of reality where everything is interconnected and enfolded into a single whole. In this order, the distinctions we perceive in the explicate order (the world of separate objects and events) are merely surface manifestations of a more profound unity.
2. Explicate Order: This is the observable world, where things appear distinct and separate. Bohm suggests that this order emerges from the implicate order, much like a flower unfolds from a bud.

Key Themes

• Interconnectedness: Bohm emphasizes that all aspects of reality are interconnected, and understanding this can lead to a more holistic view of existence.
• Consciousness: He explores the relationship between consciousness and the physical world, proposing that thought itself is part of the flow of reality rather than a separate entity.
• Language and Thought: Bohm critiques conventional language and thought patterns that promote fragmentation and division, advocating for a more fluid and dynamic understanding of reality.

David Bohm argued there is an underlying order he called the "implicate order" that gives rise to the separate objects and events we observe in the visible world (source: here).

Bohm suggested that what we see in the physical world is just a projection or “unfolding” from this deeper implicate order.

"Wholeness and the Implicate Order" is his book on the topic.

Photo from: Wholeness and the Implicate Order - Wholeness and the Implicate Order - Wikipedia