In the previous chapters we have taken a closer look at a few aspects of everyday life. Quite ordinary things, really, but when you stop and think about it, they're also quite remarkable.
All of this is, of course, leading somewhere.
Take the details of everyday life. Observe them closely and stop to think
about it. Look beyond the first impressions and analyze what lies behind
them. A pattern starts to emerge.
Considering the developments summarized above, it seems safe to assume that
we need to revise our picture of the universe. Or more precisely, we need to
expand it.
When Einstein described how objects will behave as they approach the
speed of light, he did not invalidate the classical laws of Newtonian
mechanics. Instead, he expanded our knowledge to encompass those situations
that classic mechanics do not describe. Likewise, the view on the universe
that we have always had is not about to become invalid. However it is becoming
clear that not all of reality is adequately described by our present
view. There are aspects of the universe that we have overlooked,
and they present themselves now.
More and more often, people are forced to consider the possibility that
there exists more than just visible reality, that our physical universe is
part of a greater whole, with functions and purposes that we have just begun
to grasp.
At the moment there is little hard (i.e. objective and generally accepted)
evidence that proves the existence of a reality outside our physical
universe, or that tells us anything about its properties. On the other hand,
there is much circumstantial evidence that indicates that we are on to
something.
In any case, the near future promises to be very interesting indeed.
"The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it's even stranger than we can imagine."
- J.B.S. Haldane
Right now, the subject of reality is hotly debated among quantum
physicists. As Schroedinger was the first to suggest, reality on the
quantum level can be thought of as a complex of wave/probability
functions.
An in-depth discussion of quantum physics is beyond both the scope of this
text and my knowledge of the subject. To simplify, let's say that quantum
physics has proven that some aspects of the universe cannot be
exactly known, but must be thought of in terms of probability.
Until something is exactly known in quantum physics, all possible
realities are equally valid.
For example, it is impossible to predict the exact position of a
particle. If it can be in several possible places, then it will behave as
if it were at all those places at once. If we measure the exact position
of the particle, however, it will behave as if it is at that particular
place.
The implications of this are not yet entirely clear. There is a school
of thought that holds that our knowledge about the exact properties of the
particle makes the difference. Therefore, our consciousness must influence
reality to some degree. It may even be that reality is a product of our
consciousness. It could also be possible that consciousness itself is a
quantum phenomenon of the same class as energy, matter, and everything else
in the universe. This is known as 'quantum consciousness'.
There is, of course, also a school of thought that holds that this is
howling madness. As I said, it's hotly debated. Nevertheless,
this is just one example of how we are in the process of revising
our picture of reality.
Cosmology is a field of study that brings together the natural sciences,
particularly astronomy and physics, in a joint effort to understand the
physical universe as a unified whole. Major issues in cosmology are the
dimensional properties of space, and the origin of the universe.
Attempts to explain these matters often involve complex multi-dimensional
models. The essence of Einstein's work on general relativity, as applied to
cosmology, is that space has dynamic properties and may be uniformly
curved. In other words, it is seriously considered that the three-dimensional
space that we live in is curved in a higher dimension, i.e.
that higher dimensions of space may actually exist. Theoretical models that
describe the birth of the universe may be based on ten or more
dimensions of space.
Even more esoteric hypotheses propose multiple three-dimensional universes
that exist parallel, i.e. several three-dimensional 'subsets' of a
higher-dimensional space.
Obviously, we are revising our ideas about the properties of
space.
A few centuries ago it would have been easy to explain the human outlook
on the universe. Theology dictated the generally accepted picture of reality:
the universe was the creation of God, earth was the center of the universe,
and Man existed solely as a crown upon Creation, in honor of God and to
follow His rules.
As science and independent thought slowly replaced theological dogma, the
old certainties about our place in the universe were being questioned more
and more. At the beginning of the 20th century, existentialism was
born, responding to the need for a more concrete definition of individual
existence, subjectivity, freedom and choice.
At last we have begun to realize how vast and complex the universe is.
Astronomy provides us with facts about our physical location in it.
Cosmology tries to explain how it came into existence. Physics studies
the way it all works.
And more and more frequently, people wonder about the why of it
all. Philosophers have thought about the nature of existence for
millennia, but now the man in the street is pondering the same
question.
The cut-and-dried answers provided by traditional theology are no longer
accepted. More and more people are thinking for themselves now. The
level of education has gone up: students learn more than just the trade
they need to make a living. We have more general knowledge and more facts
to work with. We have new and better insights in the workings of our
own minds. And quite frequently we are baffled by the amazing complexity
of both the universe and ourselves.
Slowly, the general public begins to search for a reason for existence. And
while theological dogma has lost much of its power, the original religious
consciousness (the understanding that there is a higher reality inhabited
by higher entities) is still very strong. At the same time there are the
hints discussed previously, indicating that there may indeed be more aspects
of the universe than we can observe, and that our picture of reality isn't
as complete and rock-solid as we thought.
Clearly, we are in the process of revising our cosmic
consciousness; the feeling we have about the very nature of the universe,
the reason for its existence, and our role in it.
We tend to classify the past ages in terms of human development: the
prehistoric age, the stone age, the iron age. So far, ours has been the age
of steel and concrete, the age of industry and science, the 'information
age' where people can process information, communicate globally, and exchange
thoughts and ideas easier than ever.
The industrial revolution has left its mark upon our society. It has raised
our standard of living, provided work and income for the masses, and left
in its wake a technological, industrialized civilization.
On the other hand we have discovered the drawbacks of industrialization.
Natural resources and the environment have been sacrificed to increased
production, and economic interests are often being considered more important
than the general wellbeing. We have also noticed that a higher standard
of living might fulfill our material needs, but doesn't necessarily mean
that we are happier. Many people experience a vague dissatisfaction, a
nagging feeling that something important in their lives seems to be
missing.
Perhaps in reaction to this, we have started looking for a way to fulfill
our immaterial needs. We respond to our need for a purpose in life. We
turn less often to traditional religion and we start to look on our own for
a reason for our existence.
We change our lifestyles. Some people turn to mysticism, perhaps to fill
the void left by the decline of traditional organized religion. Some turn
to a holistic lifestyle, perhaps to regain the balance that used to exist
between Man and his planet. Some turn to alternative therapies instead of
conventional medicine to find a cure for their ailments, perhaps because
they feel that they need to remove the cause of their disease instead of
just dealing with the symptoms.
We search, we experiment, and we change. Whatever it is that people do in
response to their need for a more complete form of existence, it always
involves change.
It may very well be that this is the first step in completing our age of industrialization and materialism, and the start of another age, an age in which the immaterial will be more important.
"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live."
-- Mortimer Adler
I will risk a few predictions. I think that
It would indeed be justified to speak of a 'New Age'. And a relatively
small but rapidly growing group of people has already begun this
change.
Make no mistake. We're not talking about something that will take years, or
even decades. When we call it a New Age, that's exactly what we mean: an
age. It won't just start, last a few years, and then be completed. The
turnover will be gradual, and hard to notice when we're in the middle of
it.
But someday we will look back upon the past, and see how we have changed.
We will look at our former selves and note the difference.
And we will say to ourselves: "Yes. We have indeed entered a New Age."