Heady stuff. Read at your own risk. (Originally written on 9/4/2014)
I came across three interesting articles, both published in the same volume of Cosmology in which an article written by John Furey and myself (Furey & Fortunato, 2014) was published. The first, by R. Gabriel Joseph (2014), provides a discussion of quantum physics and argues that not only are all things connected in space, but all of time is also connected: that is, space-time itself is entangled. All objects in space-time are subject to probability functions, which are instantaneously connected.
This is what Einstein referred to “spooky action at a distance.” Joseph (2014), citing others (Lee et al. 2011; Matson 2012; Olaf et al. 2003) stated that “It is well established that causes and effects can occur simultaneously and ever faster than light speed; a consequence of the connectedness of all things in the quantum continuum.” Essentially, in part because time is relative and not absolute, and, in part, because time and space are really one system, he argued and provided evidence demonstrating how the future can influence the past. More globally, space-time operates as a universe-wide set of probability functions that are entangled (in instant communication).
The second article, by Nelson (2014), describes the aggregated results of the Global Consciousness Project. In it, he reported how random event (number) generators become less random when events occur around the world that capture a large groups of people’s attention, such as the 9/11 event.
Both articles provide evidence of the interconnectedness of all things: space, time, and consciousness. Indeed, consciousness is considered to be a priori and has been referred to as ‘undivided wholeness’ and ‘cosmic consciousness’ (Kak, Chopra, and Kafatos, 2014); ‘primordial consciousness’ (Kafatos, Tanzi, & Chopra, 2011); and ‘undifferentiated awareness’ (Mitchell & Staretz , 2011).
In the article by Kak et al. (2014), the authors discussed the paradoxical nature of consciousness: that on the one hand, according to quantum physics, the source of all matter and energy is a “nothingness that contains all the possibilities of everything that has ever existed or could exist,”which collapse into ‘reality’ only when observed; and on the other hand, from our limited point of view as human beings, we view reality as self-evident and ‘real,’ a perspective that gives meaning and purpose to our lives.
Kak et al. (2014) go on to state that “consciousness-based reality is limited by a fundamental veiling [that] provides meaning and the appearance of [an] objective reality,” and that the enlightenment experiences of the great mystics and ordinary people involve seeing beyond the veil that separates our commonsensical view and limited perspective of the universe from that of undifferentiated consciousness. They concluded that “…nothing can be experienced without consciousness… everything to be observed in the universe implies consciousness…[and that] consciousness creates reality and makes it knowable…consciousness existed from the very beginning.”
As we argued in our paper (Furey & Fortunato, 2014), localized consciousness (e.g., that part of consciousness that differentiates objects from itself) is dependent upon time. To differentiate objects and events requires a perception of time: a perception that past, present, and future are temporal realities. However, when one drops one’s differentiating consciousness, what is left and experienced is that of a timeless undifferentiated wholeness: i.e., the entire quantum wave function of the singularity given rise by what we refer to as the Big Bang.
The paradox and our own conclusion is that it is the undifferentiated wholeness or consciousness that itself gives rise to the apparent increasing complexity of the universe as witnessed by the evolution of life and self-awareness; which in turn, by its very existence (itself an illusion) creates the very universe it perceives. We have argued that our perceptions of the past, the present, and future as temporal realities give rise to different patterns of thinking, which we referred to as Past thinking, Present thinking, and Future thinking, which, because they are integral in the encoding of our memories and the development of personal identities and belief systems, are the very mechanisms by which we collapse the primordial quantum wave function and create the realities we observe and experience.
We are the eyes, ears, and arms of primordial consciousness, manifesting itself creatively, and in turn, creatively manifesting reality. And by dropping the self and transcending space and time can we drop the veil that separates differentiating consciousness from undifferentiated consciousness.
Whew! I think its time to manifest another cup of coffee.
References
Furey, J. T., & Fortunato, V. J. (2014a). The theory of MindTime. Cosmology, 18, 119-130. Retrieved from http://cosmology.com/ConsciousTime102.html
Joseph, R. G. (2014). The time machine of consciousness: Past present future exist simultaneously. Cosmology, 18, 331-375. Retrieved from http://cosmology.com/ConsciousTime111.html
Kafatos, M. C., & Chopra, D. (2014). On the nature of reality, the self, time, space and experience. Cosmology, 18, 456-460. Retrieved from http://cosmology.com/ConsciousTime115.html
Kak, S., Chopra, D., & Kafatos, M. (2014). Perceived relativity, quantum mechanics, and consciousness. Cosmology, 18, 231-245. Retrieved from http://cosmology.com/ConsciousTime107.html
Mitchell, E. D., & Staretz, R. (2011). The quantum hologram and the nature of consciousness. Journal of Cosmology, 14, Retrieved fromhttp://journalofcosmology.com/Consciousness149.html
Nelson, R. (2011). Detecting mass consciousness: Effects of globally shared attention and emotion.Journal of Cosmology, 14.Retrieved from http://cosmology.com/Consciousness102.html