The letter Ψ originated a very long time ago, and with every century the field of its application, as well as the symbol, expands. Where did the letter Ψ come from? What is the meaning of it? In what areas of knowledge the psi sign still does not lose its relevance? The article will help to answer these questions.
The origins of the letter Ψ, the first mention
The duration of the psi letter (Ψ) has been measured for centuries. It first appeared in the 9th century BC. e., when the Greeks created their alphabet based on the Phoenician. Greek differed from Phoenician in the presence of vowels and five new characters, including the letter psi (Ψ), which was added to the last but one in a sequence of 24 characters.
It is a known fact that the ancient Greeks wrote the number 700 using the Ψ symbol, the difference from the letter was marked with a dash on top: so, the number 700 looked Ψ '.
From 863 to 1708, thanks to the founders of the Cyrillic alphabet Cyril and Methodius, the letter Ψ became part of the Slavic alphabet and was pronounced “ps”. When compiling the Russian alphabet in the time of Peter I, a civilian font was approved, and Ψ was excluded from it, but it can be found in the Church Slavonic alphabet, where it was preserved.
Appearance of the symbol Ψ
There is a legendary version that the spelling of the sign Ψ denotes the trident of the sea god Poseidon, worship of which was met en masse in ancient Greece. About the water symbol, the instrument of Poseidon, there are many different myths. For example, according to legend, thanks to the trident, the God of the seas was able to protect the girl from the satyr, who annoyed her, by directing his scepter at him so that the satyr was nailed to the cliff from which the spring clogged. Another legend says that as soon as Poseidon held a trident deep on the ground, water pools formed in this place: straits and bays.
The main meanings of the sign Ψ are power, influence, authority. The trident of the sea God personifies the division of the world into spiritual, heavenly and earthly spheres, which absorb the three initial elements - earth, water and air.
The connection of the symbol Ψ with psychology
The term “psychology” came from the sign “psi”, the morphology of which is contained in two words: the soul (ψυχη - psyche) and knowledge (λογος - “logos”). At the end of the 18th century, the German philosopher Wolf Christian mentioned the word “psychology” in the title of his books. They received the name "Empirical Psychology" (1734) and "Rational Psychology" (1732).
After the recognition of psychology as a science, this subject was soon taught at philosophical universities of countries where students used the abbreviation to compress the volume of lectures, replacing the word "psychology" with the Greek letter Ψ. Thus, the sign of psychology is denoted as Ψ, and this reduction is widespread both abroad and in Russia.
The symbol "psi" has a sacred meaning in psychology. Three lines up indicate the presence of three differently directed forces of the human soul (will, feeling, soul), which develop, open throughout life and accompany the person. Forces form a unique mental and mental state, and life is subordinate to their disclosure. From the moment a child is born to the state of the utmost psychological development, soul powers diverge from each other to the maximum when you think one thing, feel the other, strive for the third. This describes the transition from bodily to spiritual. But this is not an ideal state of the body, because here the connection with God is lost.
A person can achieve a spiritual state, which is possible by folding the three forces of the soul together. This return to the initially triune spiritual state, when you think, you feel, and you direct your soul and thoughts, is a huge internal work, supported by faith, baptism. As you move from a physical to a spiritual state, the percentage of passions, which are an obstacle to spiritual reunion of the forces of the soul, decreases.
As a result, the expression of the psychology of spiritual salvation is two “psi” signs one above the other, visually looking like the letter “F”. The starting point is in a passionate and physical state, and the peak is in a spiritual and sinless state.
The relationship of the symbol Ψ with the soil
Ψ widespread in geography and physics. Scientists designate them the potential of soil moisture, which includes the work that needs to be done to extract an infinitely small weight of water from the soil, and this work is complicated by the need to overcome the water-holding soil forces (gravitational, capillary, osmotic, adsorption). Measured in j / kg or kPa. The potential of pure water is 0, as well as the potential of soil saturated with water. As the water content of the soil increases, the potential grows and, conversely, as it dehydrates, it decreases, that is, the soil absorbs moisture with even greater force.
Most often, it is capillary pressure that determines the overall potential of the soil, so scientists use a tensiometer to measure the latter. Calculation of the difference between two such indicators allows us to understand by calculation whether there will be water in the soil or plants will move from one point to another.
The connection of the symbol Ψ with quantum mechanics
The psi function is used in physics in the section of quantum mechanics. The basis for its finding was provided by Schrödinger, who developed as part of the study of wave-particle duality the basic one-dimensional equation of quantum mechanics (formula 1), where m and x are the mass and coordinate of the particle, U and E are the potential and total energy of this particle, Ψ is psi function (wave function). Schrödinger found that the solution of the wave equation allows us to calculate the probability of finding a microparticle at any point in space when it moves one-dimensionally (for example, when moving along the y axis). A meaningful solution is the psi function (Ψ).
The variety of the symbol Ψ: its use in various fields
Three “psi” symbols can be simultaneously found in the image of the Jewish seven-pointed menorah candlestick, the burning of which is carefully monitored by priests, because the extinction of the fire, according to God's command, is unacceptable, otherwise the people will be in misfortune. The menorah symbolizes the light of souls who feel the grace of God. The miracle of burning menorah is observed 7 days after the celebration of Hanukkah.
In fact, the sign “psi” () has found application in many spheres and areas of life. The outlines of the symbol can be seen: in the national emblem of Ukraine (since 1992); in the state emblem of the USSR - sickle and hammer; in the astronomical sign of the planet Neptune; in the alchemical sign of mercury; in the Quake video game series icon.