The iron in your blood, for one, came from stars that exploded billions of years ago. And the carbon dioxide you just exhaled? Well, it may just feed a flower in Kenya next week.
“Everything,” he says in his Mindvalley A-Fest 2016 talk, “is actually connected.”
No wonder this deep-tech entrepreneur dedicated his life to perfecting and delivering planet-conscious inventions, such as Google Glass. Innovation, he believes, works best when powered by the conscience to optimize the “palette of being,” a.k.a. the range of possibilities that future generations inherit for how to live, create, and connect.
“The way that you live your life today can add color to this palette,” he adds. “So that future generations are able to invent, live, and be in a different way with each other.”
Watch the full talk:
Who is Tom Chi?
Google “Tom Chi, prototyping genius,” and you’ll immediately discover his forefront credentials: a renowned scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur in the field of deep tech. But he is best known for co-founding Google X and leading the famous 36-hour rapid prototyping initiative that resulted in the development of the groundbreaking Google Glass.
Today, he works with scientists, technologists, and founders through his initiatives like At One Ventures and Unreasonable Group to help bring climate solutions to life. His core focus? Making projects and businesses that aim to heal ecosystems profitable and scalable.
“The planet will not be saved by charity alone,” he points out. “It will be saved when regeneration is profitable.”
It’s no small feat, but then again, this is Tom we’re talking about. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, he taught himself to code at age eight, studied physics and electrical engineering at Harvard, and moved through Microsoft and Yahoo before supercharging Google X’s moonshot lab ideas.
From the get-go, it’s clear that this future-forward optimist was always wired for world-changing pursuits. And it’s this obsession that makes Tom somewhat of a cross between engineering wiz Elon Musk and astrophysicist Nassim Haramein.
As he shares in an interview with Mindvalley, “I’ve been a scientist. I’ve been an engineer. I’ve been through these sorts of things. But now I’m here to talk about how everything is actually connected.”
And his mission with all of this: to ultimately pave the way for a civilization whose every act replenishes Earth instead of taking away from it. Because the truth is sobering: humanity is now consuming 1.75 Earths’ worth of resources every year.
Tom is hopeful we can turn things around, though. As he points out, “Do not underestimate what you as human beings can do with that same sort of patience and that same sort of dedication.”
Tom Chi’s theory of interconnectedness
Tom’s theory is a science-rooted framework that shows how everything that exists in life, from our bodies and breath to our ideas and inventions, is physically and energetically linked. We’re talking across time, space, and species.
Sure, it’s tempting to dismiss it as just a good metaphor (which it is). However, the truth is that it’s an empirical reality that spans from tiny atoms to vast galaxies. And it’s been at the heart of his work in deep-tech sustainability.
Now, what exactly is this theory about? Here’s how he’d explain it, through what he calls “the three stories of connection”:
1. The story of the heart: We are, quite literally, stardust
Did you know that iron, the element at the center of every blood molecule in your body, can only be formed in supernovas, or exploding stars that lived billions of years ago? So, literally speaking, every heartbeat on Earth exists because of these celestial bodies.
Every single iron atom, Tom reveals, is at the heart of your hemoglobin cells. And each “came through a series of a dozen stars that were formed, lived their lives, exploded, formed into new stars, lived their lives, and exploded.”
This chain of events continues through galactic collisions, stellar nurseries, and gravitational flows in a galactic supercluster known as Laniakea. To date, it’s said to contain over a whopping 100,000 galaxies. (How’s that for interconnectedness?)
“From the very beginning,” Tom adds, “every one of our heartbeats is directly connected.”
2. The story of the breath: We inhale each other’s past
You can thank a microscopic genius called cyanobacteria for every breath you take. “All the green that you see in plants,” Tom shares, “are the direct ancestors of these bacteria from three billion years ago.”
In Earth’s earliest days, its atmosphere was thick with mostly carbon dioxide. Oxygen was close to nil. Life forms were microscopic, fragile, and limited to shadowy crevices.
Then, cyanobacteria showed up and changed everything… with photosynthesis. Sunlight became the fuel for carbon dioxide’s transformation into oxygen, which eventually filled the oceans and the sky and formed the ozone layer. That’s what made life on land and its capacity to breathe air eventually possible, as it is today.
And this cycle hasn’t stopped. Today, your exhales could land in a forest in Finland or feed a lotus in Sri Lanka, all in a matter of days or weeks.
“Every single time we breathe out,” Tom says, “one of these guys is going to take that in and breathe it back to us.”
3. The story of the mind: We shape each other’s future
The ideas you bring to life, Tom says, don’t just shape your individual world. According to him, they ultimately expand the “palette of being” on Earth for everyone who comes next.
Take the piano, for instance.
Before 1700, this instrument didn’t exist. Neither did the ability to experience spiritual transcendence through keyboard-based musical intelligence.
But once it did? It opened a whole new channel for human experience. Entirely new neural pathways formed in the minds of those who could master it, from Mozart to Maksim Mrvica. And the musical legacies they created would go on to enrich the lives of millions.
It’s the same thing with sculptors and seeing shapes in their minds before bringing them to life (that’s visual-spatial intelligence for you). Or coders whose hardcore algorithm mastery has paved the way for the no-code era today (now, everyone can easily learn how to become an AI engineer or how to make money with AI).
In short, what you create today could become someone else’s entry point to a better life tomorrow. In this sense, Tom says, you are life’s prototype behind such a ripple effect. As he sums it up, “You’re the tool for others to build with.”
4 ways to bring interconnectedness and quantum healing into life and business
If you ask Tom, nothing you do happens in isolation. Every action, idea, and breath connects to a larger system at the quantum level. Such is the power of interconnectedness… and also the root of quantum healing.
What happens when you align your body, mind, and energy in this profound way, at the intersection of quantum physics and spirituality? Simple: it becomes easier to manifest your world-changing ideas, leadership qualities, and ultimately, your lasting legacy on Earth.
The planet will not be saved by charity alone. It will be saved when regeneration is profitable.
— Tom Chi, a scientist, investor and former co-founder of Google X
And making interconnectedness the root of your purpose isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.
According to Burt Goldman, the founder of quantum jumping, even great minds like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking did the same through their theories on alternate universes. So, consider this your permission slip to, per his words, “imagine that somewhere out there… there’s a version of you for everything you’ve ever wished you could be.”
Not sure where to start? Consider these three surefire practices, inspired by Burt’s teaching in his Quantum Jumping program on Mindvalley:
1. Manifestation
At its core, manifestation is a quantum act. Why? Well, it’s about syncing your thoughts, feelings, and actions with a future that already exists so that you can bring it into form.
Perceiving your goals this way, Burt says, “helps expand your possibility filter, which is the subconscious block in your mind that stops you from achieving and being more than you are.”
Here’s how to remove the block and manifest your goals:
- Journal from your future self. Start with “I’m so grateful that…” and write as if your startup has scaled or your impact project got funded. Let your nervous system feel the win before it even happens.
- Know your “in it to win it” frequency. Before a call, pitch, or collaboration, tune into the version of you who already feels grounded, generous, and in flow.
- Set an energetic tone before your workday. Whether you’re pitching, hiring, or shipping products, see yourself already leading from a place of alignment and achieving whatever you set your mind to for the day.
- Speak your goals to the mirror. What you tell yourself influences your brain’s language and reward systems, which shape your inner dialogue over time. So, look yourself in the eye and tell yourself positive affirmations like “I’m building a net-positive business” or “I serve through my genius and get paid well to do it.”
Practice these steps long enough, and you’ll eventually start embodying the future, instead of chasing it endlessly.
2. Breathwork
If manifestation can bring you closer to your future wins, then mindful breathing prepares you to feel as though you’ve already won.
Here’s how it works: Research has found that just minutes of slow, intentional breathing can reduce stress, regulate your nervous system, and boost mental clarity. The ease it brings, in turn, helps you make better decisions, negotiate more effectively, and lead with more charm.
And since your brain often can’t tell the difference between what’s imagined and what’s real, this simple practice can prime your mind to believe you’re already succeeding.
Try these breathing techniques for good measure:
- Box breathing before a big pitch. Inhale, hold, then exhale, and hold—all for four counts. Repeat the whole cycle for a few minutes. You can use this to be zen before stepping into a high-stakes investor call or stage talk.
- 4-7-8 breathing in between tasks. Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale slowly for eight. It’s great for when you’re switching from deep solo work to team collaboration.
- The three-part breath for vision clarity. Breathe into the belly, the ribs, and the chest. Then, exhale in reverse. Doing this can help center you before making long-term decisions, such as hiring a business partner, launching a new product, or choosing a new market to serve.
- Breath of fire for midday momentum. Quick, rhythmic inhales and exhales through the nose, pumping the belly. Reach for this oxygen booster whenever you hit the 3 PM energy crash but still have magic to create.
Breathe like everything depends on it, because through Tom’s vantage point, it clearly does.
3. Quantum healing meditation
Meditation helps you quiet the mind and focus on your intention… which is why it’s the cornerstone of quantum healing. When you’re relaxed, it’s inevitable to feel a deep sense of interconnectedness in your bones, powering you through launches and speaking gigs.
The science of it all? Neuroplasticity. By imagining your desired outcome, you activate new pathways in the brain. And according to Martin L. Rossman’s book, Guided Imagery for Self-Healing, focusing on the right mental imagery helps your nervous system relax, which in turn speeds up emotional and physical healing.
So, in the thick of the daily rush, meditation can lift you up in these ways:
- Start or end your day with a five-minute reset. Sit still. Breathe with rhythm. Let your mind settle down away from the daily grind.
- Dare to visualize a win before a big move. See yourself acing the investor pitch, shipping the app updates, or leading an uncomfortable conversation with presence.
- Anchor the feeling of success. Imagine what your body feels like after a deal closes or your product goes live. Let that sensation feel real.
- Use a guided tool you trust. Pick a meditation that helps you rehearse success. You can choose from the 1000+ meditation tracks available on the Mindvalley app.
Let it all land deep in your body… because the future you’re calling in needs to feel safe in your body first.
4. Creative visualization
This is where imagination meets intention. You may think it’s just daydreaming, but it’s more than that; it’s structured visioning. Here, you use mental imagery to pre-live your desired outcomes so your body, mind, and energy can align behind the scenes.
The key to visualizing well, Burt says, is emotional fidelity. This means the more real you can feel your future, the faster it syncs with your now.
“Your imagination is your most powerful tool,” he explains. “You can be anywhere you want to be, do anything you want to do if you let your mind take you there.”
Some great ways to rev up your mind’s power in life and at work:
- Before a keynote or sales call. Close your eyes and see yourself walking into the room, voice steady, words landing, and energy clean. Picture the handshake, the head nods, and the “yes” at the end.
- While mapping your vision. Visualize your startup already scaled, well before it can be. Imagine the dashboard metrics, the Slack pings from a thriving remote team, and the emails from impact partners asking what’s next. The sky’s the limit.
- In your daily sit-downs. Set a timer for five minutes. Picture your life and business a year from now: clients aligned, team culture vibrant, and health on point. Then, repeat and let the imagery imprint into your belief system.
Forget faking it till you make it. As Tom says, everything boils down to your personal growth, which happens when you dare to rewrite the old stories you tell yourself, overcome your limiting beliefs, and preserve what he calls “your felt sense of possibility.”
And the truth is, the life of purpose you’ve long dreamed of is already a reality somewhere, patiently waiting for your green light. You only need your imagination to guide you there.
Great change starts here
In a universe of infinite possibilities, there’s already a “you” who’s already building a thriving business legacy, leading with clarity, and living the dream. All that’s left to do is to be like Tom and dare yourself to jump into it.
Whenever you’re ready to take the plunge, you can unlock a free class from Burt Goldman’s iconic Quantum Jumping program on Mindvalley.
Inside, you’ll learn to unlock the version of you already leading from deep alignment through:
- Tapping into your natural intuition,
- Setting goals that align with your highest potential,
- Manifesting outcomes you once thought unreachable,
- Healing yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally, and
- So much more.
And you don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what Kristine Damskalne, a transformation coach from Riga, Latvia, had to say:
Last year, the course helped me unlock potential I didn’t know I had. I noticed significant improvements in my personal and professional life… It feels like I am peeling back the layers of an onion, revealing more and more about myself and my capabilities.
So, if there’s a quiet restlessness keeping you up at night or a deep knowing there’s more meant for you, don’t sit on it. Let your imagination lead you through. The version of you who’s already winning in life is closer than you think.
And Mindvalley gives you the map to meet them… with clarity, power, and quantum precision.
