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Creative Function and Immanence of “The Word” in the Context of Emerging Quantum Cosmology
By Jojo Joseph
Abstract
These reflections of a Christian layman touch upon the evolving theories of quantum cosmology and compare the function of creation from a theological as well as scientific viewpoint. In Christian theology, “The Word” has been predominantly identified with the functions of revelation and salvation as revealed through the Word-incarnate, Jesus. But the Word also has a primordial cosmic role as the cause and medium of creation and as the immanent reality within creation. The unfolding of our universe takes place not from mere nothingness, but from God’s creative will or conceptualization of the entire universe in the form of an unseen dynamic “information field”. The Word is hence the creative will of God or the finite information field that is responsible for the unfolding of the universe. The essence of the universe is contained by and operated by the Word. All these correlate with the emerging scientific concept that the universe has derived from a pre-existent “information field” or “cosmic wave function”.
Key words: “The Word”, creation, universe, immanence, free will, conscience, religion, science, anthropic principle, quantum cosmology, information field, wave function, elementary particles, indeterminacy, omnipresence, omniscience, unified field, consciousness, Ultimate Reality
1.0 Introduction
The Bible uses many symbols and metaphors that yield rich dividends to those who meditate on them. “The Word” is one such concept that is better understood through contemplative practices than through a literal exposition of the scriptures. “The Word” or Word of God is synonymous with the will of God. Its root lies in the Greek philosophical concept of Logos. Thanks to the divine will, today the mystical dimensions of this very fertile concept are increasingly being expounded through theological reflections and pastoral discourses, throughout the world. The prologue to the John’s gospel gives a brief idea about the creative, revelatory and salvific functions of the Word. Several Biblical passages amplify these cosmic functions. This article is an attempt to reflect on the creative function and immanence of the Word in the light of the emerging scientific concepts about the universe. These reflections touch upon the evolving theories of quantum cosmology rather than on the laws of classical physics. It is hoped that the comparison of Biblical concepts with such theories will help in reducing the gap between religion and science.
2.0 Functions of the Word : Creation and Sustenance of the universe
Creation of the universe is one of the basic functions of the Word or the will of God, as established in the following verses:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John1:1-3). “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (Col 1:16,17). “For from him and through him and to him are all things.”(Rom 11:36). “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17). “.. through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Cor 8:6). “….whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe (Heb 1:1,2).
The following verses indicate that the physical universe was created out of an invisible eternal medium and that this medium remains unchanged even after the universe gets perished, dissolved or folded up.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Heb 11:3). “The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:18). ). “..the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same Word.….(2 Pet 3:7). “….the earth and heavens…..will perish, but You remain; they will all grow like a garment. Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same” (Heb. 1:10-12) “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).”Word of God… lives and abides forever…” (1 Peter 1:23).
2.1 Divine conception or “Information field” is the first step of creation
The above Biblical verses indicate that the visible universe was brought into physical existence through the medium of the Word, an unseen spiritual reality. Everything in the universe came through Him, is held together by Him, and lives through Him. There is nothing in the universe that exists apart from Him, or is beyond His Lordship. The essence or the totality of the universe is contained by and operated by the Word. Let us examine how all these correlate with the emerging scientific concept that the universe has derived from a pre-existent “information field” or “cosmic wave function”.
We know today that the universe is a finite dynamic system constituted by elementary particles, starting from its origin as a tiny super dense cosmic embryo, or as a system in quantum state evolving with time. While bringing this universe into existence, God would have previewed the free will or options that would be available to each constituent elementary particle to interact with each other and to form macro elements from beginning till end of our universe. Today we realize that the elementary particles of universe follow only probabilistic laws and not deterministic laws. God would have also conceived of all the physical laws through which the macro elements could evolve. At macro level, the system is found to follow certain deterministic physical laws, most of which have been worked out by humans through observation and experiments.
The first step of creation was the conceptualization of the totality of our universe with all probabilistic as well as deterministic laws by the self-existent eternal Divine Being. This conceptualization generated the total information content of the system of universe in the form of a dynamic wave function. After conceptualizing the full details of its space–time framework in an instant, God willed to impart physical reality to it. He filled the system with elementary particles or photons that would interact with each other with certain degree of freedom and give physical reality to the wave function. This can be perceived as the second step of creation.
The initial conceptualization may be called the unseen seed of the universe or the Word of God. It can be perceived to be a “real” and dynamic “information field”, who synthesized or derived physical matter out of Himself to manifest our universe. Our universe can be treated as a bunch of elementary particles driven by the medium of information field. Scientists have nearly concluded that our universe is a derivative of information and not vice versa.
Perhaps our universe is not the only one that God has willed into existence. If He perceives a new physical system with a wave function entirely different from that of our universe, and wills it to be manifested with immediate effect, it shall come into being as willed by Him. The supreme intelligence can instantaneously compute the full information potentialities of infinite number of physical realities if he so wills. What we understand as “the Word” is the will that proceeded from God to manifest specifically our universe with its unique physical constants characterized by scientists as the “Anthropic Principle” .
According to the Anthropic Principle, the physical constants of our universe are fine-tuned or balanced so delicately that life could be supported and humans could evolve and exist on earth. If the values of physical constants were different even by a negligible fraction, then chaos would result, the proton would decay, nuclei would be unstable, DNA could not form and carbon based life on earth could never happen. Some scientists argue that such fine-tuning of these constants is merely a coincidence whereas many believe that these values are chosen by the Cosmic Intelligence, so that intelligent life could evolve on earth.
2.2 A joint community of elementary particles evolves the system of universe
Quantum cosmologists are trying to formulate a mathematical expression that describes all the probable ways in which the elementary particles constituting the universe can interact with each other and evolve jointly as a single system. When they succeed, they will be able to explain every phenomenon taking place in the universe in a probabilistic manner. They are in the process of developing powerful computer models that simulate the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present. We will soon be able to witness the birth of the cosmos and watch the universe unfold, all from our desktop. It is hoped that the ultimate Theory of Everything (TOE) can be established after solving the remaining physical laws of the universe. This theory is expected to contain the mathematical expression for the “wave function of the universe” that drives the system.
TOE cannot predict the future of the universe in a deterministic manner. Only an external observer can do it. According to Laplace, if we know all physical laws governing the universe, and if we can get precise instantaneous information about every single elementary particle of the universe at any given point of time, we can make a prediction. But due to the presence of black holes, theoretically it is not possible for any observer within the system to get complete information such as position and momentum of the entire particles of the system simultaneously at any point of time, as acknowledged by Stephen Hawking. No matter how powerful a computer we have, if we put incomplete data in, we will get absurd predictions out.
God is the external observer that initiates the system of universe through a causal will. He commissions a group of elementary particles to execute a cosmic project or wave function with certain degree of freedom within certain overall targets and boundaries as specified by an information field or wave function. He acts as the witness or internal observer acting through the consciousness of all elementary particles to evolve the system. He gets instantaneous feedback from the whole system in the form of cosmic consciousness and hence is able to control it despite the physical laws established into the system and the free will provided to the constituent units.
It is interesting to speculate how God retains omnipotence despite the free will given to the individual elements of the system. Since all the particles of the universe are interconnected in the form of a web, and since micro events snowball into macro events, it is possible to effect a major change at the desired end by making a suitable minor change anywhere in the system. The now famous phrase that “the flap of the wings of a butterfly in China can give rise to a hurricane in New Mexico” is an illustrative example of the chaos theory. We can reproduce a similar event only if the entire chain of micro events is determinable and all the physical laws involved are known to us. Humans do not have sufficient capability to do this due to the apparent chaos or indeterminacy of the micro world. But for an observer who has access to the information about all the elementary particles of the universe, chaos is only a transitory state before order is established. Today scientists agree that chaos and order are aspects of the same basic process, the evolution of a system in progress.
At micro level all elementary particles act as willing servants who are ready to execute the cosmic wave function without any deviation. At macro level, surrendered servants of God act as agents of change. They listen to the prompting of the Spirit and remain ever ready to carry out divine plans through a collaborative, altruistic and corrective attitude.
3.0 "Consciousness Field” explains immanence of the Word in creation
The following verses indicate that “the Word” has a dynamic, penetrating and all encompassing presence within creation.
“The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him ” (Heb. 4:12-13). “..He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:27-28). “Can any one hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him? Says the Lord; Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jer 23:24). “..If I ascend into heaven, you are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there…”(Ps 139:8). “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16).
The Biblical principle of omnipresence or immanence of God in creation teaches that God has full reach and control over the system of universe and that every movement in it takes place through Him and in Him. The universe cannot be a run-away system, having isolated existence independent of its creator. The universe is not God, but it rests in God. How does God effect His omnipresence and omniscience? Pursuing the concept of immanence of God in the universe leads us naturally to consciousness and conscience. No wonder that mystics from time immemorial have experienced transcendence or “pure consciousness” at deep levels of their normal consciousness, after a long process of purification or spiritual formatting of mind.
3.1 Brain can access the universal field of consciousness
Consciousness has so far been believed to be a product of human brain. But such beliefs are giving way to new concepts. Consciousness is one of the most widely discussed and researched topics in the world. Princeton University has an advanced program called Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) program to study consciousness field. Another such enterprise is the International Consciousness Research Laboratories (ICRL), a research consortium of scholars from five countries. Consciousness is likely to become the alternate name for Ultimate Reality. We may perhaps visualize it as the eternal self-existent reality or field that is not limited within our brain or universe, but permeating within and beyond our universe.
The emerging concept of consciousness indicates that it is an unseen field. Our universe lies within the eternal field of consciousness as an information field or cosmic wave function with its finite space-time boundary. Consciousness is accessed and imbibed by all constituent parts of the universe starting from the elementary particles, which constitute the foundation of the universe. Each cell of our body is aware of its own existence and responds to its surrounding environment with a certain degree of consciousness and freedom. The consciousness or awareness experienced by us is the collective awareness or consciousness of all the cells of our body as integrated by our brain.
3.2 Consciousness of elementary particles is rudimentary but altruistic
Extrapolating the above principle downwards, the awareness experienced by each cell of our body is the collective awareness of all its constituent elementary particles having their own unitary level of awareness or consciousness. On a cosmic scale, the universe as a whole is expected to have a unified or collective awareness or consciousness, which we may call as cosmic consciousness. The evolving concepts point to the idea that starting from the lowermost elementary particle to the whole system of universe, all are logged on to the ultimate field of consciousness and consequently all are individually conscious in varying degrees. Human consciousness is highly evolved and complex and is not comparable to the consciousness or awareness of elementary particles, which is very rudimentary.
The elementary particles appear to be conscious due to several factors such as their freedom of action, “interconnectedness” or “entanglement” with one another and purposeful behavior. They have the freedom to increase or decrease their momentum in order to change their position. It has been established that all particles now in existence in the universe have originated from a single point. They display “quantum entanglement”, which means that they are always aware about what is happening to one another instantaneously regardless of the distance separating them. All the particles of a quantum system strive to complete a common task jointly with a whole-centric rather than self-centric attitude. These characteristics point to their awareness and an altruistic and collaborative consciousness. They derive necessary information about their position and goals directly from the field of consciousness or the Ultimate Reality.
3.3 Complexity of human consciousness
If all are accessing the same field of consciousness or Ultimate Reality, why is the consciousness not the same for all of us? The cells of our body interact with each other as well as with the environment. They get continuously flooded with information about our environment. Our brain integrates all these information and some of it gets recorded in our body. Each individual is a repository of large volume of data acquired during the present and previous generations. The awareness about our existence with reference to the surrounding environment is an interpretation provided by our brain, after comparing the instantaneous sensory data with the recorded data. Hence the perceptions or the interpretations provided by our brain are influenced or conditioned by this accumulated information content. The data bank of each person is different and hence the perception generated by the brain of each individual is different. Therefore the consciousness experienced by different persons is never the same.
The reaction of different persons to identical situations in life is never the same, but widely at variance with each other. The data bank or information contained within our body is incomplete or insufficient to give a holistic perception or judgement about the objects or events encountered by us. Religious practices serve the purpose of triggering the spirituality of willing aspirants and to cleanse their doors of perceptions or to alter their state of consciousness. They learn to take part in their day-to-day activities by surrendering to divine will and by receiving instructions directly from the indwelling Spirit or the Ultimate Reality. This involves the wholesome transformation of aspirants until the mind gets spiritually reprogrammed or attuned to viewing all creatures and events dispassionately. The following verse reiterates that only a spiritual man has the ability to make holistic judgement or discernment.
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one” (1 Cor 2:14,15).
Normal self-centric individuals become whole-centric personalities as a result of spiritual transformation or enlightenment. They become sensitive to the needs of the overall system of society and follow typically altruistic, collaborative, and corrective behavior, as in the case of “entangled” or interconnected elementary particles of a quantum system. One of the main functions of “the Word” is to spiritually transform the corrupted consciousness of all the differentiated macrocosmic beings of the universe to the primordial unity or interconnectedness that exists between the undifferentiated elementary particles from the beginning of creation. The following verse demonstrates this cosmic function of “the Word”.
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Rom 8:19-22).
3.4 The concept of inner conscience and “pure consciousness”
The following verses indicate that a true conscience is prompted by the Spirit of God.
“.. my conscience confirms it in Holy Spirit” (Rom 9:1). “…when gentiles who do not have the law, by nature do the things contained in the law, ….who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness ..” (Rom 2:14,15). “Then God said to him in his dream, “Yes, I know you did this with clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me” (Gen. 20:6). “ I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man” (Acts 24:16). “I will maintain my righteousness and never go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live” (Job 27:6).
The concept of conscience shows that every individual has the option of an absolute or objective way of perceiving the environment and of responding to it in a proper manner by drawing guidance from the indwelling Spirit or inner consciousness, overriding the perception generated by the flesh or the body. According to the Gospel, a person commits sin when he does a wrong action knowing well what is the right thing to do. “Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). The question of sin does not arise when a person do it out of ignorance. Every human being has an inner voice or conscience that has the capacity to judge the morality of his own actions. Scriptures help us to understand this fact and to transform ourselves internally until we start listening to the indwelling Spirit and are led by it rather than by the incomplete or distorted perceptions provided by our brain. The presence of an impartial judge or witness within all humans points to the omnipresence of God among His creation in the form of conscience or pure consciousness.
God resides in the inner consciousness of all creation as the witness, observer or as conscience. He knows even the sublime thoughts of the least of creation. Though he gives freedom of action to all creatures, He knows everything that happens within the universe. He has to be the indweller of the universe and of all its constituent elements to be able to fulfill the functions of omnipresence and omniscience simultaneously. He has to be of the nature of Consciousness.
During our normal wakeful state of consciousness, we are actively aware about our existence relative to our surroundings. Hence our response to the environment depends jointly on the nature of sensory inputs that reach our brain and on the data stored in our brain. In contrast, during deep sleep we remain conscious, without taking cognizance of the external world and without taking any voluntary action. It is very difficult to re-establish such a dispassionate state of consciousness during our wakeful state. But many saintly people, who have attained mystical awareness or transcendental experience, find that it is possible to attain such a state of “pure consciousness” or a feeling of oneness with God during wakeful state as a result of true spiritual practices or service of mankind. During a state of pure consciousness a person does not shut himself out from the worldly events, but scrutinizes and filters the normal prompting of the flesh and respond dispassionately after listening to the prompting of the inner Spirit.
A state of pure consciousness is achieved when all negative attitudes are eliminated and the mind is filled with divine love towards all creation, without any preconditions. This is not achieved in a day or two, but after a long battle with our selfish desires and passions. It is possible for saintly people to be in communion with God while remaining in the world and actively engaged in their day-to-day activities. Worldly events evoke no response in them other than acts of love, compassion and sacrificial servitude of fellow humans.
It is not the saints alone that act as conduits for divine knowledge and information to unfold through pure consciousness. All those who are committed to servitude of humanity and all those who value their inner voice find that they are assisted from within by an unseen entity. All creative impulses and spontaneous bursts of creativity that push creation forward into progressively better and improved states of existence originate from pure consciousness. Evolution is the best example of the existence of an intelligent being that is pushing the creation forward through creative impulses and bits of intuitive information. All creatively talented persons including the artists, scientists, philosophers etc. are tapping the same source for unfolding virgin information that is not available elsewhere.
3.5 Artificially altered state of consciousness
Attainment of mystical awareness or transcendental experience is normally accompanied by a feeling of inner content and bliss. Only such spiritual aspirants who seriously follow scriptural guidance and effect permanent changes in their attitude to fellow human beings can attain such a state of oneness with God and with the universe. It involves a long drawn struggle against several inborn and self-learnt negative tendencies of the flesh. Meditation alone cannot take a person to transcendental experience, though it is a useful aid. There have been attempts to simulate transcendental experience through artificial means such as drugs, alcohol, magneto therapy, exercises etc. Artificial means can induce temporary effects in the brain such as a feeling of bliss but they are not comparable to the spiritual experience of oneness with God. No alternative technique can induce “pure consciousness” other than spiritual means.
4.0 The emerging scientific concepts in Quantum Cosmology
In our persistent search for verifiable truth, scientific concepts are evolving continuously accommodating the secrets of nature that are gradually being unearthed. If we care to study the emerging scientific principles, we can see that the Word of God is truth and that scientific truths do not contradict them. All truths are complementary, irrespective of whether they are revealed through scriptures or through scientific investigations. The emerging concepts in quantum cosmology such as the “ wave function of the universe” and the “Unified field of Consciousness” are analogous to that of the Christian concepts such as “the Word” and “the Father”. Some other concepts in quantum physics that are of interest to us in this discussion are “indeterminacy” or “uncertainty principle”, “reality is created by observer”, “human consciousness as observer”, and “ Consciousness as the absolute observer or Ultimate Reality”.
4.1 Uncertainty of the sub-atomic world explained by quantum Physics
Physics can be classified into two categories - classical physics and quantum physics. The laws of classical physics are well established, and have been successfully applied to the macrocosmic elements of the universe. But the microcosmic elementary particles or “wavicles” of the universe display wave/particle duality and they do not follow mechanistic or deterministic laws. Quantum physics has established a theory for their behavior and this too has become well accepted. But the concepts that are evolving through quantum physics are weird, revolutionary and shocking even to the scientists. There is a famous saying by Neils Bohr: "If it doesn't shock you, then you don't understand it”.
The belief that the universe is a collection of matter made up of well-defined building blocks with predictable behavior has been shattered now. At present, the universe is conceived to have originated as a quantum system, constituted by a bunch of identical or undifferentiated elements similar to that of the embryonic blastula stage of a living organism. This system is evolving or growing continuously by unfolding or manifesting the information potential or the cosmic wave function that existed beforehand. Matter is now known to have derived from information and not vice versa.
4.2 Efforts to construct Theory of Everything.
The mysteries of the universe are gradually being exposed and the concept of quantum universe has gained ground. Scientists are hopeful of mathematically expressing the wave function of our universe. However this can take place only when all the known phenomena of the universe are covered under a single “Theory of Everything”. At present the theory of relativity is applicable only at the macrocosmic scale and the theory of quantum mechanics is applicable only at the microcosmic scale. They are incompatible with each other indicating that our present scientific understanding of the universe is incomplete. Efforts are on to modify our theories and to arrive at an all-encompassing theory which can express mathematically the entire potentialities or the wave function of the elementary particles constituting our universe. In this process, the concept of consciousness has forced its way into scientific theories. It is pertinent to examine how consciousness has entered the precincts of science and secured a prominent place there.
Each elementary particle or wavicle of the universe constituting the invisible or virtual foundation of the universe behave as if they are kept informed about their location and the goal of the system. They seem to be under the influence of the field of consciousness from which they access the above information. They have certain degree of free will to change their momentum and position. But Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle states that it is not possible for us to simultaneously determine the position and momentum of a particle precisely at any time. The more accuracy with which we try to ascertain information about one of their properties such as position or momentum, information about the other property becomes hazier.
This uncertainty of the building blocks of the universe is a fundamental invariable law of the physical reality. Despite this uncanny weirdness associated with the elementary particles, they all behave as though they know what all others in the system are doing and what joint action they are all expected to do as a collective system. They seem to be encompassed and driven by an invisible but dynamic information field or wave function.
Those who do not recognize the presence of the invisible wave function enveloping the elements of a quantum system get perplexed about the indeterminacy of the individual particles or elements. The wave function acts like a shepherd or as a lighthouse in guiding the elementary particles under its tutelage. If we happen to miss the shepherd alongside a herd of sheep and see only the structured behavior of the sheep, we are likely to get perplexed. If we happen to miss the lighthouse and notice how individual rowboats maintain their sense of direction during a star-less night in the sea, we are likely to get perplexed again. It is generally accepted that the indeterminacy of the elementary particles of the universe is not a flaw in the quantum theory or evidence of its incompleteness, but a fundamental feature of physical reality itself. These particles behave purposefully, guided by an unknown field or wave function, but as observers within the system, we are unable to make out a deterministic pattern out of their behavior.
4.3 Transition of elementary particles or wavicles from virtual quantum state to physical reality
The wave function that envelops and drives a quantum system does not impart physical reality to its individual constituents, but wraps them under potentialities or probabilities. Hence the microelements of a quantum system have only virtual existence. During their interaction, when they “observe” each other, react and enter into symbiotic relationships, they undergo differentiation from their original quantum state resulting in physical reality, and we say that the wave function for that particular event has collapsed. The interacting wavicles undergo transition from the virtual quantum waveform to the classical particle form. The microelements that transform into physical reality at macro level in this manner are still subject to the overall cosmic wave function at individual level, and they are instrumental in collectively evolving the universe to its logical conclusion.
Though the behavior of “undifferentiated micro elements” of a quantum system is indeterminate, the behavior of “differentiated macro elements” is amenable to normal scientific investigations. We can frame scientific laws for the behavior of macro elements of the universe after subjecting them to repeated observations and measurements. These measurements do not significantly affect or change their state of existence. They come under the purview of classical physics.
4.4 Observers create reality – consciousness is the observer
Unlike in the macro world, when we try to peep into the quantum world for scientific investigations, mere observation of a particle is enough to significantly affect its virtual quantum state and to collapse the wave function resulting in the physical reality of that observed particle or event. This has led physicists to the conclusion that the process of observation causes physical reality or in other words it is the consciousness of the observer that causes physical reality. This was the beginning of the historical entry of consciousness into the precincts of quantum mechanics.
Some of the scientists and philosophers who conceive of consciousness as a product of the human brain see the human mind as the creator of observed reality . Others, who conceive of Consciousness as a universal field or as the Ultimate Reality, recognize that every constituent unit of the universe imbibes varying degrees of awareness or consciousness depending on its evolutionary stage. They perceive that it is the mutual “observation” or interaction of conscious elementary particles that creates reality from virtual state. Today the concept of consciousness has become a critical ingredient of modern Physics.
4.5 Dilemma of scientists who believe that consciousness is the monopoly of humans
Scientists who believe that consciousness is the monopoly of living organisms or that of advanced human species are perplexed about the reality of the universe before they emerged as observers. They believe that the universe did not have reality before these conscious beings started to observe the world. This dilemma is revealed in the following remarks of Bell, referring to the involvement of observers in creating reality. “What exactly qualifies some sub-systems to play this role? Was the world wave function waiting to jump for thousands of millions of years until a single celled living creature appeared? Or did it have to wait a little longer for some more highly qualified measurer- with a Ph.D.?” The dilemma does not occur to those who acknowledge that consciousness is a global field, not generated inside biological assemblies, but imbibed by each and every elementary particle of the universe.
5.0 The emerging theory of Information leads to a new theory of consciousness
Current thinking among leading scientists supports the idea that information is the true fundamental feature of the universe and not physical matter. This naturally leads to the concept of quantum universe and a new theory of consciousness . Here are some excerpts.
Physicist Paul Davies says in his guest editorial in the “New Scientist” dated 30.1.1999, “Normally we think of the world as composed of simple clod like material particles and information as derived from phenomenon attached to special organized states of matter. But may be it is the other way around. Perhaps the universe is really a frolic of primal information and material objects a complex secondary manifestation. This idea was first proposed by the American Physicist John A Wheeler and expressed in 1989 in his pithy phrase “it from bit”. A decade later, Roy Frieden’s project to unify physics based on R.A. Fisher’s definition of information is one attempt to develop Wheeler’s proposal……..If information is indeed poised to replace matter as the secondary “stuff” of the world,….. then an even bigger prize may be in store. One of the oldest problems of existence is the duality between mind and matter…. If matter turns out to be a form of organized information, then consciousness may not be so mysterious at all”.
Roy Frieden’s book, “Physics from Fisher Information – A Unification” develops a theory of measurement that incorporates the observer into the phenomenon under measurement. Under this theory, the observer becomes both a collector of data and an activator of the physical phenomena that gives rise to the data. These ideas were best stated by J.A. Wheeler (1990,1994), “All things physical are information theoretic in origin, and this is a participatory universe…. Observer participancy gives rise to information and information gives rise to physics”. The new scientific concept indicates that phenomenon and observer are inseparable parts of a complete system like the two sides of a coin.
D.J. Chalmers proposes the double aspect theory of information based on Wheeler’s doctrine of “it by bit”. He says: “If so, then information is a natural candidate to also play a role in a fundamental theory of consciousness. We are led to a conception of the world on which information is truly fundamental, and on which it has two basic aspects, corresponding to the physical and the phenomenal features of the world” (D.J. Chalmers, “Explaining Consciousness – The Hard problem”). W. Seager says in the same book “. Here perhaps, we find a new, non-trivial and highly significant sense in which information is truly fundamental feature of the world (may be the fundamental feature of the world)”.
6.0 The genesis version of creation
The creation story as narrated in the book of genesis is a highly metaphoric version of the process of creation. For example, the seven days of creation refers to several stages of creation and not seven earthly days. This is clear from the sequence of narration in which the creation of the sun and the earth occurs later, not on the first day of creation.
According to the book of genesis, God created heaven and earth in the beginning (Gen 1:1). But when we carefully look into the verses that follow, we find that the earth continued to remain without form, and void. This indicates that in the beginning the universe remained unseen or unmanifest with the Spirit of God hovering over the “waters” (Gen 1:2) before it assumed physical form. This correlates well with the postulation that the first step of creation involved the conceptualization or creation of the universe in the unseen form of “the Word” or the cosmic wave unction.
In the book of genesis the second step of creation involved the formation of light. God said, “Let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from darkness” (Gen 1:3). We may notice that when God created “light” in this manner, the rest of the universe including the glowing stars was yet to be formed or created. Hence the “light” mentioned in Gen. 1:3 couldn’t be the light emitted from any glowing star. The biblical version about the creation of light and separation of light from darkness can be correlated with the emerging scientific theories. The universe during its initial stage remained as a totally opaque “sea” of photons . They are nothing but light in the form of wave/particle that fills up what we call as empty space. They occur as pairs of particles and antiparticles that separate and come together constantly.
In course of time a part of the primordial photons that originated at the Big Bang interacted with each other and entered into joint relationships, differentiated from the original state and evolved into the celestial bodies that we observe today. Some of the photons that started their journey at the beginning of the universe still continue their journey through space and time. Scientists in the Bell laboratories, Penzias and Wilson were the first ones who “observed” or detected the presence of these remnant photons in the universe. These photons give rise to the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR). After being stretched by the expansion of the universe for roughly 14 billion years, this radiation has cooled to a chilly 2.73 K (minus 270.43 degrees Celsius!). Cosmologists consider CMBR to be one of the clearest signatures of the Big Bang.
The concept that God created man out of the dust of the earth (Gen 2: 7) correlates well with the scientific version of evolution. All living beings on earth including man have been formed out of the elements of the earth through a gradual process of evolution. Even today, the elementary particles that constitute our physical bodies are getting replaced on a continuous basis through metabolic processes. The particles that make up our bodies today shall be found tomorrow in the soil, river, plants, animals, or even in a remote star. Similarly the particles that are residing in the cows, plants, air, and so on today are likely to become part of our body tomorrow. We are being renewed out of the elements or dust of the earth on a continuous basis.
7.0 Harmony between religious and scientific thoughts
Considering the emerging scientific version of the creation of universe, we can postulate that before our universe came into physical existence, there existed God, the Ultimate Eternal Being, of the formless nature of Spirit, Intelligence, Awareness, or Consciousness. Out of Him, was born the divine will to manifest our universe. This first-begotten son called “the Word” originated undifferentiated from the Ultimate Being as a “wave function of the universe” containing the entire blue print or information potential through which our universe can be formed and evolved from “Big Bang” to “Big Crunch”. The Word, though spiritual in nature, functions as a dynamic metaphysical reality, manifesting the will of God through the splendor of our universe from Alpha to Omega.
The concept of “the Word” matches very well with the emerging scientific concept of the “cosmic wave function” or “information field”. In the search for the foundation of our universe, the attention of quantum physicists has been focused on “Consciousness”, as the “Observer” that creates reality. But the issue whether consciousness is the ultimate unified field or a product of the brain needs to be settled. If scientists settle this issue in favor of the former, it will become clear that Consciousness is the Ultimate Reality that materializes the universe through mere will or a dynamic “cosmic wave function”. Information theorists view the universe as a gigantic hologram created by information.
We may say that in the beginning, the infinite eternal field of Consciousness willed our universe into existence. Through a wave function, the ultimate Being or Consciousness imparted its own nature of consciousness or awareness into a system of elementary particles constituting the primordial embryo of the universe in quantum state. This singular event called the “Big Bang” is seen as the beginning of our universe. Not even a single elementary particle can manifest and no micro-event can happen within the system unless they are envisaged by the cosmic wave function.
The baby universe that existed immediately after the Big Bang is expanding or growing slowly towards its final destiny. The same cosmic wave function that caused the formation of the universe is sustaining it dynamically and it is likely to wind up the cosmic show through another singular event called the “Big Crunch”. The Biblical concept of “the Word of God” rhymes with the above concept of the “cosmic wave function” or the “information potential of the universe”.
The principles of modern physics necessitate the existence of an “observer” to initiate the material reality of the universe through a wave function. The evolution of the universe proceeds through the mutual interaction or “observation” of the elementary particles within the system. Each of them, deriving a certain degree of self-awareness or consciousness from the ultimate field of Consciousness, act as independent observers that evolve the reality of the universe dynamically. We may postulate that Consciousness is the external observer that has willed this universe into existence through the cosmic information field.
8.0 Summary
“The Word” has a primordial cosmic role as the cause and medium of creation and as the immanent reality within creation. The unfolding of our universe takes place from God’s creative will or conceptualization of the entire universe. The Word is hence the totality of the information content or blue print of the universe. It originated undifferentiated from the Ultimate Being as a wave function, forming and evolving our universe. The eternal field of Consciousness acted as the external observer while willing this universe into existence. All these correlate with the emerging scientific concept that the universe has derived from a pre-existent “information field” or “cosmic wave function”.
Posted by editor on November 25, 2003 11:26 AM