Today’s thought involves a scientific phenomenon called Two Photon Absorption. I will keep the science talk to a minimum, partly because I don’t completely understand it, and partly because I am using it as a jumping off point to compare physical light with spiritual light. Photons are the smallest units of light. They’re sort of the light equivalent of electrons in atoms. When a single photon is absorbed by an atom, this excites one of the atom’s electrons, causing it to leap from one energy level to the next. When the electron calms back down, a photon of almost, but slightly less energy is ejected from the atom. This is single photon absorption and happens all the time. It’s the main force behind everything that we can see. Two photon absorption, as you might guess, happens when an atom or molecule absorbs two photons nearly simultaneously. But instead of generating two slightly weaker photons like would happen if it absorbed each single photon one at a time, it generates a single photon that has more than twice the energy of the two original photons. Two photon absorption is used in imaging, especially in imaging organic tissue to get a more complete and detailed picture than would be possible otherwise. Normal imaging techniques that rely on single photon absorption use photons that are in the visible spectrum of light (since you wouldn’t be able to see the images if the photons were invisible), which don’t penetrate very deeply into organic tissue. But since two photon absorption relies on photons of different frequencies, one can be in the visible spectrum, and one can be in the infrared spectrum which can penetrate farther into the tissue and yield a clearer image. Infrared radiation is still technically light, but it cannot be seen by our eyes but we can feel it as heat. I know this all gobbledygook for people that aren’t science nerds, but the key takeaway as I transition away from the science is that two photon absorption is about absorbing one photon that can be seen in the visible spectrum and one photon that can’t be seen but can be felt as heat, and that working together, these two photons can produce more light and power and clarity than either could on its own. “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.” (D&C 8:2). If we consider the Lord’s promise to reveal His light and truth to us through the power of the Holy Ghost, and that He will tell us both in our mind and in our heart, then we can use the principle of two photon absorption to better understand this eternal principle of light and revelation. The Lord telling us in our mind is like the photon in the visible light spectrum. “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.” (D&C 88:67-68). We may often prefer this kind of revelation - crystal clear and to the point. But regardless of how single our eye may be to the glory of the Lord, we can only absorb so much visible light at one time. But that is where the second kind of revelation comes in, the second photon. The Lord also promises that He will reveal light and truth to our heart - light that is invisible and incomprehensible to the mind, but can nevertheless be felt as a burning in our hearts. Just as infrared light can penetrate deeper into the heart than visible light can, the knowledge of the Lord that surpasses all understanding can sink deep into our hearts. “And tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man the words which he prayed. And the multitude did hear and do bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed. Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man.” (3 Nephi 19:32-34). Some truths are so high that they can only be understood by our minds. Some truths are so deep that they can only be understood by our hearts. When the Lord tells us in our minds and in our hearts, we can absorb both kinds of truth and the light and knowledge and understanding and power that comes from such revelation is greater than we could receive if we received only one kind of revelation, just as an atom can absorb two photons and produce a single photon of greater energy than two original photons combined.
