Have you ever heard that “The Universe is conscious,” Which some may call the universe being in someone’s mind. You see, our universe runs on different natural laws. Stars are born and die out, planets orbit different massive celestial bodies, Life begins and ends as well.
But what if, behind these natural laws, there exists a kind of hidden matrix, a kind of hidden code that molds and shapes our reality?
For a really long time, people from different eras and vast cultures have come together to figure out the fundamental rules of how things actually work. But what if there’s something more to it?
This is where the idea comes from That Our universe isn’t just a stage for natural laws; it’s like a painting created by our thoughts or, in this case, “Consciousness.”
And that’s what we are going to be talking about today: “Is The Universe Conscious?”
Universal Consciousness
“Nothing in the universe is contingent, but all things are conditioned to exist and operate in a particular manner by the necessity of the divine nature.” —Benedict de Spinoza
Well, the universe has not always been the way it appears today; over billions of years, it expanded from white-hot plasma, then transformed into atoms and molecules, and then into stars, galaxies, and planets. Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution.
Life came much much later, and it came with consciousness as well. You and I are conscious, but as for other creatures, they are, as well, but we don’t know to what extent. That’s not all, we don’t even know when we became conscious, self-aware creatures. Our brains, assumed to be the sit of our consciousness, took millions of years to develop. That much we do know, and the rest is still a mystery to us.
it’s possible that we humans, may be the only fully conscious, self-aware creatures in the universe, but that’s not very likely. We inhabit a planet that’s one of billions of planets in our galaxy, not to mention the trillions of planets in the entire universe. The truth is, whether we are alone or not doesn’t really matter in this case.
Our consciousness had to arise from something. It didn’t just happen.
There are people who believe that the entire universe and everything in it happened by chance, meaning that all the natural laws we see today, just came about randomly. But the very existence of our consciousness refutes this line of thinking. Cognition isn’t just an ordinary arbitrary process. More than anything else, our consciousness implies that natural order is real.
Panpsychism, a philosophical theory that suggests that all things have a mind or a mind-like (Conscious) quality. All things have a mind. Then maybe the universe does, too. Well, I guess I can define it like this: The theory that the entire universe is conscious.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, it’s likely that at least one of these three arguments will change the way you view the world. Although its just a brief discussion, you can watch my video about it “Here“
- Integrated Information Theory
- Quantum Consciousness
- Non-Emergentism
Integrated Information Theory:
You see, when I say consciousness, is a strange phenomenon, I really mean it. it doesn’t seem to fit anywhere, doesn’t fit in the reductionist approach of modern science, and can’t even follow components like neurons or atoms. it’s what I’ll refer to as an “Enigma.” All these lead to what scientists now call “The Hard Problem Of Consciousness“
Neurologist Giulio Tononi came up with a totally different approach; he defined consciousness as the integration of information (IIT). And it means that all systems, including animals, humans, machines, and even the internet. Can be assigned a level of consciousness based on how well the system can integrate information. Suggesting that the entire universe, with its innumerable information-processing events, might have a form or level of consciousness in it.
Quantum Consciousness:
Well, physicists love to connect things and come up with different theories, and they connect quantum physics with panpsychism. Suggesting that consciousness arises from the monitoring and the integration of information. Look at it this way, the phenomenon of entanglement in physics, where particles are interconnected regardless of their vast distances (even at opposite ends of the universe), implies a form of “monitoring.” Meaning a basic form of consciousness, may exists at the quantum level. And this quantum consciousness, connects and forms different integrated networks, Although this is still a challenge for researchers.
For instance, the phenomenon of entanglement in quantum physics, where particles are interconnected regardless of distance, implies a form of “monitoring.” This could mean that a basic form of consciousness exists at the quantum level. However, how this quantum consciousness connects and forms integrated networks, as proposed by Integrated Information Theory, is still a challenge for researchers.
Non-Emergentism:
This last theory, Non-emergentism, argues that consciousness may not be an emergent property but a fundamental aspect of matter. Suggesting that consciousness is present in most essential components of the universe, like particles. Linking consciousness to evolution in the process, implying that even simple organisms may have some level of consciousness.
This view (Non-Emergentism) challenges the idea that consciousness emerged at a specific point in evolutionary history and suggests that it has always been present in various forms throughout the evolution of life on our planet.
Although these theories are not perfect and, at the very least, are not conclusive, they do point toward some convincing possibilities.
John Wheeler, an American theoretical physicist, came up with an idea, that the universe exists in a state of “Uncertainty” until some sort of conscious being, like us, observes it. And this line of thinking is what he referred to as “The Participatory Anthropic Principle.” In simper terms, until we look at or observe something, it becomes real and clear. This suggests that our observations shape the world around us in ways that are hard to explain conventionally.
All Is Mind
Principle of Mentalism, one of the 7 Hermetic Principles, explains the nature of ‘energy,’ ‘power,’ and ‘matter’ as being subordinate to the Mind.
When you view everything you think, and therefore do, as an interaction of “thought with thought,” you develop an understanding of the principle of Mentalism.
“All is Mind” connects with Hermetic philosophy, revealing that the very essence of the universe is rooted in the power of the mind, leading us to think about how our personal consciousness is linked to the universe’s bigger intelligence.
What Hermeticism does is that it tries to explain the interconnectedness of the micro and macrocosms, which is similar to the idea that the universe mirrors our thoughts. And its brings the concept of “As above, so below; as below, so above,” a concept that aligns with “All is Mind.”
“THE ALL,” as it is put, are all subject to the laws of created things. This mental universe, could be explained as an infinite intelligence, an intelligent field, and even the nature of consciousness itself.
The Seven Hermetic Principles emphasize on the importance of our thoughts, as seen in the “Principle of Polarity,” which suggests that love and hate share a common energy thread. Understanding this concept and connection empowers personal transformation through mindful thinking and choice. They offer pathways for change, and it seems that our minds become a kind of laboratories, where thoughts mold our reality, influencing the twists and turns of life as we know it.
When we delve into the weird world of quantum physics, we come across a world where particles display behavior that defies all our conventional understanding. Subatomic entities seem to exist in multiple states simultaneously, and they only collapse into a definite state when observed.
Consider electrons; they dance around atomic nuclei (Like a mini solar system), their trajectories influenced by probabilities rather than a set, definitive path. This is one of the reason, so many scientists link consciousness, to the quantum world.
But the truth is that this “Link” goes beyond the quantum world. It may stretch out to the entire cosmos. You see,
Galaxies move in patterns, stars are born and die, and cosmic bodies interact like quantum particles. Galaxies group together and line up in ways that seem more than random chance.
All of this suggests that this organized cosmic dance could be a sign of a universal consciousness guiding everything.
Just like how our thoughts affect our own lives, our shared consciousness could shape the entire universe. And I’ll have to ask you this question. “Are we just watching the universe, or are we part of its story?”
And, of course, “Plato.” He had one or two to say about all of this. His Theory of Forms is a way we can understand reality at a deeper level.
According to Plato, our physical world is like a shadow of the “actual or true reality“ that exists in the Realm of Forms. In this realm, there are perfect and timeless ideas that go far farrrr beyond our everyday world.
His idea divided our reality into two parts: the world we see, which is constantly changing and imperfect, and the world of ideal forms. And this world of ideal form, is a place of unchanging perfection where timeless ideals exist. He believed that every single thing we see in our domain or world, is a kind of “Copy” of the perfect form that exists in this ideal realm.
He used that analogy of people in a cave to explain It to us. We can only access these perfect forms through thinking and contemplation, like people in a cave who can’t see the outside world. You can watch my video about it, “Here.”
However, he believed that we have an inborn (existing from birth) understanding of these forms, and our souls are connected to them even before we are born.
Key Takeaway
When it comes to understanding reality, consciousness, the mind, and basically everything, we’ve barely scratched the surface.
Consider the very nature of reality itself. Are we perceiving an objective external world, or is our reality shaped by our consciousness?
Does consciousness arise from the complex interactions of neurons in our brain, or could it be that consciousness is not even confined to our physical bodies?
Could consciousness itself be entwined with these quantum mysteries, shaping the very fabric of reality?
Can machines possess consciousness?
Could we replicate our own awareness in algorithms and circuits, like the internet?
Providing answers to these questions is a challenge for scientists today. All i can say is that; The true essence of nature is right in front of us, yet we often overlook it. Whenever we put aside or preconceptions, we can see nature for what it truly is. Nature’s consciousness cannot be fully expressed in words. And I’ll and it there for now. As always, you can subscribe to our channel to get exciting topics like this. Thanks.
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