The Universe as an Intelligence

[Ellen Brown]

I don't care if anyone agrees with this supposition, it is only an idea.

I've been working on a Science Fiction story for a long time, and much to my surprise, as knowledge increases the idea behind the story seems more plausible. Ultimately, real science may be the answer to the Religions.

An article I was recently reading states that our Milky Way galaxy is one of 2-3000 Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, and the Virgo Cluster is a tiny part of the Laniakea Supercluster, which is itself a 'tiny' part of the known Universe. The Laniakea Cluster is thought to have perhaps 100,000 Galaxies. According to the article, we can likely only see less than 10% of the known Universe, and that we actually have no idea how large the Universe is.

The basic premise of the story I work on from time to time is that in the far distant future, man or his remote ancestors continues to explore, finally reaching the next Galaxy. Suddenly the exploration fleet, comprised of hundreds of vessels, returns back home to the Milky Way.

They've realized that the entire Universe IS an intelligence.

 

[Quintessence]

Intelligence is a fairly polysemic word. I've read a number of works over the years attributing intelligence to aspects of reality typically denied such things by most Westerners. In mainstream Western culture, it seems that intelligence, like personhood, is taught to be an exclusive purview of humans. This was not the perspective of many of our ancestors, whose indigenous religions that were heavily polytheistic and animistic. There are those in the West today aiming to reclaim those ways of thinking and reaffirm that personhood and intelligence are hardly exclusive to humans. I'm among them.

That said, I don't tend to use the term "intelligence" to refer to how I think about non-human persons because it causes too much confusion. Honestly, I often prefer to use more precise terms when speaking about cognitive processes and capabilities of things.

 

[ChristineM]

Something to think about

Neurofilament


A filament of the universe


The similarities are interesting but not related

 

[The Anointed]

I don't care if anyone agrees with this supposition, it is only an idea.

I've been working on a Science Fiction story for a long time, and much to my surprise, as knowledge increases the idea behind the story seems more plausible. Ultimately, real science may be the answer to the Religions.

An article I was recently reading states that our Milky Way galaxy is one of 2-3000 Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, and the Virgo Cluster is a tiny part of the Laniakea Supercluster, which is itself a 'tiny' part of the known Universe. The Laniakea Cluster is thought to have perhaps 100,000 Galaxies. According to the article, we can likely only see less than 10% of the known Universe, and that we actually have no idea how large the Universe is.

The basic premise of the story I work on from time to time is that in the far distant future, man or his remote ancestors continues to explore, finally reaching the next Galaxy. Suddenly the exploration fleet, comprised of hundreds of vessels, returns back home to the Milky Way.

They've realized that the entire Universe IS an intelligence.

Nothing Is Solid & Everything Is Energy – Scientists Explain The World of Quantum Physics

“Get over it, and accept the inarguable conclusion. The universe is immaterial-mental and spiritual” (1) – Richard Conn Henry, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University (quote taken from “the mental universe)

A fundamental conclusion of the new physics also acknowledges that the observer creates the reality. As observers, we are personally involved with the creation of our own reality. Physicists are being forced to admit that the universe is a “mental” construction. Pioneering physicist Sir James Jeans wrote: “The stream of knowledge is heading toward a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter, we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter. (R. C. Henry, “The Mental Universe”; Nature 436:29, 2005)

In fact, it has now been revealed that matter is no more than an illusion. Quantum physicists discovered that so called physical atoms are made up of vortices of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating, each one radiating its own unique energy signature.

Romans 1:18-23 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being etc.

The Logos God, the eternal evolving energy, manifests himself as this visible Cosmos, and is the collective consciousness of all life forms that it has become, and the MOST HIGH to have developed with his creation Is the Lord before who we kneel.

 

[Nimos]

I don't care if anyone agrees with this supposition, it is only an idea.

That is what is great about science fiction, you can bend the rules how you want

 

[David T]

I don't care if anyone agrees with this supposition, it is only an idea.

I've been working on a Science Fiction story for a long time, and much to my surprise, as knowledge increases the idea behind the story seems more plausible. Ultimately, real science may be the answer to the Religions.

An article I was recently reading states that our Milky Way galaxy is one of 2-3000 Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, and the Virgo Cluster is a tiny part of the Laniakea Supercluster, which is itself a 'tiny' part of the known Universe. The Laniakea Cluster is thought to have perhaps 100,000 Galaxies. According to the article, we can likely only see less than 10% of the known Universe, and that we actually have no idea how large the Universe is.

The basic premise of the story I work on from time to time is that in the far distant future, man or his remote ancestors continues to explore, finally reaching the next Galaxy. Suddenly the exploration fleet, comprised of hundreds of vessels, returns back home to the Milky Way.

They've realized that the entire Universe IS an intelligence.

We dont call it mother nature for nothing....and since we call it mother nature obviously no intelligence involved! Ha!!!!!

I am kidding!!

The problem with intelligence is that actually leaves my daughter out and narrows reality to an extremely small and newest l,youngest, most undeveloped, immature region of the brain. That region of the brain labels itself the "higher functioning" region. I see no actual evidence of that. just read many posts on RF.

That said i like you attempting to make the world around you more intimate and personal in story. Thats a good thing.

Our religion has depersonalized it massively, and many hold that proper science does that. NONSENSE, Jane Goodall proved that notion bizaaro. Religion nor science at this time has really caught up to her on that.

Make her your model of good sound science thinking and deeply personal at the same time!! Cant go wrong.

 

[Terry Sampson]

I don't care if anyone agrees with this supposition, it is only an idea. ... They've realized that the entire Universe IS an intelligence.

(a) Based on my previous training and brief employment as a school psychologist (certified in California), may I suggest that you come up with a definition of "intelligence" that has some authority behind it?
(b) Re: your preliminary supposition, i.e. that the entire Universe IS an intelligence, IMHO, seems unreasonable. HOWEVER, that the Universe possesses a substantial level of intelligence centered somewhere seems possible. After all we humans are part of the Universe and have some intelligence, no? Moreover, our whole bodies are not, technically speaking, intelligent, just a part our bodies are.

 

[Terry Sampson]

Nothing Is Solid & Everything Is Energy – Scientists Explain The World of Quantum Physics

“Get over it, and accept the inarguable conclusion. The universe is immaterial-mental and spiritual” (1) – Richard Conn Henry, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University (quote taken from “the mental universe)

A fundamental conclusion of the new physics also acknowledges that the observer creates the reality. As observers, we are personally involved with the creation of our own reality. Physicists are being forced to admit that the universe is a “mental” construction. Pioneering physicist Sir James Jeans wrote: “The stream of knowledge is heading toward a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter, we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter. (R. C. Henry, “The Mental Universe”; Nature 436:29, 2005)

In fact, it has now been revealed that matter is no more than an illusion. Quantum physicists discovered that so called physical atoms are made up of vortices of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating, each one radiating its own unique energy signature.

Romans 1:18-23 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being etc.

The Logos God, the eternal evolving energy, manifests himself as this visible Cosmos, and is the collective consciousness of all life forms that it has become, and the MOST HIGH to have developed with his creation Is the Lord before who we kneel.

(a) The common equation for "energy" for close to 100 years has been E = mc^2: i.e. Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. Take material mass out of the equation and insert "spirir" and you get Energy = spirit times speed of light squared. Looks like nonsense to me, in my not-so-humble-opinion.

 

[Ellen Brown]

Intelligence is a fairly polysemic word. I've read a number of works over the years attributing intelligence to aspects of reality typically denied such things by most Westerners. In mainstream Western culture, it seems that intelligence, like personhood, is taught to be an exclusive purview of humans. This was not the perspective of many of our ancestors, whose indigenous religions that were heavily polytheistic and animistic. There are those in the West today aiming to reclaim those ways of thinking and reaffirm that personhood and intelligence are hardly exclusive to humans. I'm among them.

That said, I don't tend to use the term "intelligence" to refer to how I think about non-human persons because it causes too much confusion. Honestly, I often prefer to use more precise terms when speaking about cognitive processes and capabilities of things.

Well then perhaps sentience? In the study of Navajo beliefs, I have grown more Animistic, though with my experiences with many known belief system, I save my jaundiced eye for examination of them. I would not see the intelligence of the Universe to be 'human' or even carbon based in any sense of the word. Many years ago, I saw a picture of a section of brain matter taken with an Electron Microscope. The intricate network was amazing.

That reminded me of an X-Ray image I'd seen of the Dark Matter in one section of the Universe. The two representations bore remarkable similarities, perhaps not good to prove anything, but certainly food for thought.

 

[Ellen Brown]

(a) Based on my previous training and brief employment as a school psychologist (certified in California), may I suggest that you come up with a definition of "intelligence" that has some authority behind it?
(b) Re: your preliminary supposition, i.e. that the entire Universe IS an intelligence, IMHO, seems unreasonable. HOWEVER, that the Universe possesses a substantial level of intelligence centered somewhere seems possible. After all we humans are part of the Universe and have some intelligence, no? Moreover, our whole bodies are not, technically speaking, intelligent, just a part our bodies are.

I dislike being harsh with anyone. My premise would be the beginning of a Science Fiction story for entertainment, and it not intended to be a Scientific Dissertation of any sort.

As to Psychology, I studied a considerable amount of it in College and abandoned that.

I got snapped up by an experimental Psychological program before there was any understanding of PTSD. I'd gotten it from being beaten, raped, and upbraided for 14 years during my childhood. The Psychological folk got me on very strong doses of psych medications, and then decided that I had GID. They were right in that I despised males, and was repulsed by my own anatomy. Looking back, I wish I had suicided.

I'm idealistic and said to be extremely strong, so I tried to do the right thing.

Being extremely suggestible because off the medications, they suggested I had the mind of a woman and needed surgery. I did that. In many ways, the life of a woman suits me, and I'm not around men often. The tragedy is that all this destroyed my life. Years later I find that I'm XXY, Non-Kleinfelter's, AIS of unknown severity and who knows what else. All this when perhaps just helping me with PTSD would have been enough.

That's what I think of psychology. Science Fiction is much less risky.

 

[Brickjectivity]

An article I was recently reading states that our Milky Way galaxy is one of 2-3000 Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, and the Virgo Cluster is a tiny part of the Laniakea Supercluster, which is itself a 'tiny' part of the known Universe. The Laniakea Cluster is thought to have perhaps 100,000 Galaxies. According to the article, we can likely only see less than 10% of the known Universe, and that we actually have no idea how large the Universe is.

Cool!

 

[The Anointed]

Wikipedia...…..The Great Attractor: what is this thing?

The smallest unit of galaxies out there is our local group, comprising the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy and about 50 others. The Local Group is in turn part of the Virgo Supercluster containing some 40,000 members. Beyond all this is an unseen object called the Great Attractor which is pulling the Milky Way and all else towards it at the terrific speed of 14 million mph. What is this thing, how far away is it, and what will happen when we reach it? No one knows.

Detailed observations of the galaxies around us indicate that there is superposed on the Hubble flow a large-scale streaming motion of about 600 km/s in the general direction of the constellation Centaurus.

This mass migration includes the Local Group, the Virgo Cluster, the Hydra--Centaurus Supercluster, and other groups and clusters for a distance of at least 60 Mpc up and downstream from us. It is as if a great river of galaxies (including our own) is flowing with a swift current of 600 km/s toward Centaurus.

Calculations indicate that ~1016 solar masses concentrated 65 Mpc away in the direction of Centaurus would account for this. This mass concentration has been dubbed the Great Attractor. Detailed investigation of that region of the galaxy cluster Abell 3627) finds 10 times too little visible matter to account for this flow, again implying a dominant gravitational role for unseen or dark matter. Thus, the Great Attractor is certainly there (because we see its gravitational influence), but the major portion of the mass that must be there cannot be seen in our telescopes.

Enoch, the only man recorded in the Scriptures to have been carried to the throne of the Most High in the creation, and who was anointed as his successor, was then escorted to the ends of time, where he witnessed the universe burn up and fall as massive columns of fire, beyond all measure in height and depth into the GREAT ABYSS, which is described by Enoch, as the prison of all the stars and the host of heaven, beyond which, there was nothing, not even the space in which the universe had existed.

In 1935, Einstein and physicist Nathan Rosen used the theory of general relativity to elaborate on the idea of black holes and worm holes, proposing the existence of "bridges" through space-time. These bridges connect two different points in space-time, theoretically creating a shortcut that could reduce travel time and distance; Billions of light years to mere metres.

According to general relativity, the gravitational collapse of a sufficiently compact mass forms a singular Schwarzschild black hole. In the Einstein–Cartan–Sciama–Kibble theory of gravity, however, it forms a regular Einstein–Rosen bridge.

The gravitational collapse of a single star such as the star of our solar system, can form a White Dwarf, the gravitational collapse of bigger stars can create a neutron star, or a Black Hole, depending on its mass, but not necessarily a Worm Hole.

A worm Hole could theoretically be used as a method of sending information or travellers through space, unfortunately, physical matter which includes humans journeying through the space tunnels would appear to be an impossibility as there are strong indications that material objects travelling through a worm hole is forbidden by the law of physics.

But now that it has been discovered that Physical matter is but an illusion, and all is, but the eternal energy, perhaps one day new technology may develop a way to teleport bodies of energy along light beams and reconstruct them to their original form, with no damage done. Wormholes may not only connect two separate regions within the universe, they could also connect two different universes.

 

[wellwisher]

In relativity, reference is relative, while the laws of physics are the same in all references.

If we extrapolate these two principles to say a black hole, black holes, by contracting local space-time, create a personal reference where everything in the universe appears closer, compare to how we see it. If you could sit on a black hole, the universe would appear highly contracted, with everything appearing closer.

Say we calculate that there is 1 light year separating two black holes; based on our earth reference. The two black holes will see each other, as being much closer, due to the highly contracted references. With the laws of physics the same in all references, since the two black holes see each other closer, as far as they are concerned, gravity is stronger between them, then we see, based on our reference.

The distance; d, is closer to the black holes, thereby making gravity, between them, stronger in their reference, compare to what we see in our reference, since distance; d seems farther.

The net result of the same laws of physics, acting in different references, besides our own, appears to be mysterious hidden forces. The force is more obvious in exotic references, like the black hole. This impacts the universe, for all references, even though not directly obvious in our expanded reference.

For example, the superstructure in our universe coordinates over vast distances, where the speed of light limit of the gravity, should take so long, that it should not coordinate as observed.

However, highly contracted references, like the black holes, see everything much closer, so the speed of light and distance limitation, we see, is not the same. Superstructure is doable because of those extreme references. We see the result, but not a direct source in our reference. If we could sit on the black hole, we could see the attractive source.

 

[Wandering Monk]

I don't care if anyone agrees with this supposition, it is only an idea.

I've been working on a Science Fiction story for a long time, and much to my surprise, as knowledge increases the idea behind the story seems more plausible. Ultimately, real science may be the answer to the Religions.

An article I was recently reading states that our Milky Way galaxy is one of 2-3000 Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, and the Virgo Cluster is a tiny part of the Laniakea Supercluster, which is itself a 'tiny' part of the known Universe. The Laniakea Cluster is thought to have perhaps 100,000 Galaxies. According to the article, we can likely only see less than 10% of the known Universe, and that we actually have no idea how large the Universe is.

The basic premise of the story I work on from time to time is that in the far distant future, man or his remote ancestors continues to explore, finally reaching the next Galaxy. Suddenly the exploration fleet, comprised of hundreds of vessels, returns back home to the Milky Way.

They've realized that the entire Universe IS an intelligence.

Ask Ethan: Is The Universe Itself Alive?

 

[Wandering Monk]

I have been thinking along these lines myself lately.

The universe is supposedly a closed system which means that, according to the laws of thermodynamics, it is becoming less orderly and eventually 'die.'

BUT, in this universe there are planets. These planets are open systems, meaning they get energy from nearby suns. With energy input, states of increasing order are possible, thus life!

I was watching a documentary in which oceanographer Bob Ballard and a marine biologist were diving on volcanic vents on the floor of the Pacific. These vents were giving off so much heat that they destroyed the instruments Ballard was using to measure things. BUT living on these vents was a new life form never seen before.

Later, the marine biologist said during an interview, 'It's like life WANTS to happen.'

This was an epiphany for me. What if what we call 'God' is really just that force that makes life 'want to happen.' In other words, life is a principle or property inherent to the universe we live in.

 

[Quintessence]

Well then perhaps sentience? In the study of Navajo beliefs, I have grown more Animistic, though with my experiences with many known belief system, I save my jaundiced eye for examination of them. I would not see the intelligence of the Universe to be 'human' or even carbon based in any sense of the word. Many years ago, I saw a picture of a section of brain matter taken with an Electron Microscope. The intricate network was amazing.

That reminded me of an X-Ray image I'd seen of the Dark Matter in one section of the Universe. The two representations bore remarkable similarities, perhaps not good to prove anything, but certainly food for thought.

Haha... I find the word "sentience" even more problematic.

In any case, I've found the sorts of things you've witnessed inspiring as well. One of the stories I came across once spoke of how intelligence in essence is communication and awareness. All matter in the universe must in some sense communicate with each other in order to make all the myriad of substances we observe within it, whether those substances are what we call "alive" or not. Something has to be communicated through individual atoms to bond with each other, and together they become something greater than the sum of their parts too. Being inspired by the wonders of the world we live in is part of why I gravitated towards contemporary Paganism when I learned it was a thing. The idea of all reality being sacred or viewing all things as gods was just appealing to me. Certainly not so for everyone, though.

 

[Ellen Brown]

Ask Ethan: Is The Universe Itself Alive?

View attachment 30317

That appears to be the same two pictures that I saw just yonks ago. There may be a copy of the photos together lurking somewhere on my computer, though I have no idea how I would find it. It may be a similar concept to that of Isaac Asimov, when he penned "The Foundation Trilogy". I hear that it is now some seven books.

The premise of the story I am working on has as the conclusion that a huge exploration team returns back to the Milky Way galaxy, completely defeated, having realized that the Sentience of the Universe had been there watching life for a very long time. "There is nothing new under the Sun".

 

[Ellen Brown]

Haha... I find the word "sentience" even more problematic.

In any case, I've found the sorts of things you've witnessed inspiring as well. One of the stories I came across once spoke of how intelligence in essence is communication and awareness. All matter in the universe must in some sense communicate with each other in order to make all the myriad of substances we observe within it, whether those substances are what we call "alive" or not. Something has to be communicated through individual atoms to bond with each other, and together they become something greater than the sum of their parts too. Being inspired by the wonders of the world we live in is part of why I gravitated towards contemporary Paganism when I learned it was a thing. The idea of all reality being sacred or viewing all things as gods was just appealing to me. Certainly not so for everyone, though.

Quite.