Shangra-la, everything is energy

Everything is Energy, and so What?

Why are the discoveries of Albert Einstein so important? To understand this, you need a bit of background information, so please bear with me. This will be brief, and you do not need a science degree to follow me.

Before Einstein, scientists believed the universe was made from two fundamentally different elements, namely matter (which was considered to be made from indivisible particles) and energy (considered to be made from waves). Matter and energy interacted to form the material universe, but they did not mix (one could not be converted into the other).

To the dismay of many scientists, a humble patent clerk (Einstein) came up with a simple formula, E=mc2, which rendered this world view obsolete. In fact, Einstein proved that the matter/energy dualism had been wrong all along.

Einstein’s formula states (and countless experiments have proven the formula) that matter can be converted into energy and vice versa.
You might have learned that a nuclear reaction converts matter (uranium) into energy. However, this statement is not entirely correct. In reality, a nuclear reaction simply frees up some of the energy that is already stored in the Uranium atoms. Why is the energy stored in the atom in the first place? Because atoms are made from energy!

Traveling into matter
The consequence of Einstein’s formula is that all matter is made from energy. To gain a visual idea of this somewhat abstract fact, imagine that you embark on a journey into the deeper levels of matter. You start at the surface, and at this level a block of iron appears solid. However, you know that matter is made from smaller building blocks, called molecules. As you jump to the molecular level, you see that the solid block of matter is made from a lot of smaller pieces and that there are open spaces between the molecules.

However, molecules are not the final or fundamental building blocks of matter. A molecule is made from a combination of several smaller building blocks, called atoms. As you jump to the atomic level, you realize that there is a lot of empty space between the atoms that make up a molecule. Furthermore, you realize that an atom is not solid. Most of the atom is empty space. It has a core, which from a distance appear solid, and then a number of electrons orbiting around the nucleus, much like planets around the sun (or at least this is how most people visualize an atom).

Before Einstein, scientists believed that the different types of atoms (108 to be precise) were made from only three types of particles. These elementary particles were thought to be the smallest building blocks of matter; that is they could not be divided into smaller parts. This is precisely the belief that Einstein shattered!

Particles or waves
Einstein’s formula proves that what was thought to be the smallest building blocks of matter, the elementary particles, are not indivisible. In other words, they are not simply very small, solid billiard balls. They can be broken down into smaller or more fundamental components, and when we do so, we move beyond the realm of matter and into a realm in which everything is energy!

Based on Einstein’s findings, a group of open-minded physicists developed Quantum Mechanics. This new branch of science investigates the most fundamental level of matter, namely the subatomic particles.

Quantum physicists quickly discovered a very interesting phenomenon which is in total contradiction to our sense-based world view. Our senses are designed to detect contrasts and differences. In other words, something is either round or square, solid or fluid. Matter is solid, and energy is fluid, therefore matter and energy are different.

Quantum physicists discovered that subatomic particles can appear as both particles and as waves. In other words, they seem to have a dual nature, and this is called the wave/particle duality. This phenomenon was discovered in the 1920s, and it has some very interesting implications.

Reality is in the eyes of the beholder
Quantum physicists have demonstrated (through countless experiments) that what we call subatomic particles can behave as both waves and particles. Whether they behave as one or the other seems to depend on how we study them. In other words, if a physicist is looking for a particle, the subatomic entity behaves as a particle. If the physicist is looking for a wave, the subatomic entity behaves as a wave.

This has led physicists to conclude that a scientific observation is the product of three factors:

The phenomenon being observed (a subatomic entity)
The instruments used to make the observation
The consciousness of the scientist making the observation

These three factors combine to form what scientists call “the entire measurement situation.” The observation is a product of all three factors, including the consciousness of the observer.

In other words, the consciousness of the scientist influences the observation! This conclusion has been accepted by most physicists. Unfortunately, most scientists avoid thinking about the philosophical consequences of this experimentally validated fact. Those consequences are nothing short of stunning, and they force us to rethink every aspect of our current world view.

In the following sections, we will examine some of the areas that are affected by these scientific findings.

Dualism is dead
One might say that human beings have always been affected by two states of consciousness. There is the surface level of consciousness which is dominated by our senses and the conclusions we make based on what the senses tell us about the world. This is what Jesus calls the lower mind or the carnal mind.

This state of consciousness is completely dominated by dualism, relativity, barriers and boundaries. In this state of mind, we evaluate everything (from ideas to other people) by putting it on a relative scale, dominated by two extremes (true and false, right and wrong, good and evil etc.). We seek to judge everything based on this scale. We seek to label everything and put it in a nice little box as being true or false, good or bad. Once in a box, an idea or another human being is not likely to escape. The dualistic state of mind wants to keep everything under control.

However, we also have a drive for a deeper understanding, and this drive causes us to look beyond the senses, beyond surface appearances and beyond the material world. Through this state of consciousness, we often see beyond the dualism and relativity of the surface consciousness. We see deeper connections and a deeper unity. This is what Jesus calls Christ consciousness.

The psychologist Carl Jung called it "synchronicity." Instead of judging everything based on a relative scale, people in a higher state of consciousness simply don’t judge. They don’t label anything, and they don’t have any boxes in their minds. They are not interested in putting everything in a box; they simply want to increase their understanding of the world. They don’t want to control; they want to discover.

Before Einstein, science was dominated by the dualistic consciousness. Science had simply extended the reach of the senses, for example through telescopes and microscopes, but it had done little to challenge the dualistic view of the world.

The Theory of Relativity was the first serious challenge to dualism, and quantum physics has gone even further than Einstein. If everything is energy, then the world is not made from two separate elements. It is made from only one element which simply appears in different forms.

Many scientists reason that matter is another form of energy. However, quantum physics seems to demonstrate that there is something beyond what we normally call energy. Therefore, one might suspect that matter and energy are simply two different manifestations of a deeper reality. In other words, when we go beyond the matter/energy duality, we find a deeper level of unity.

Based on these findings, it is necessary to reevaluate our world view and break down the many subtle and artificial barriers that originate in dualism. Energy can appear in many different forms, but the only difference between various forms of energy is a difference in vibration. There is no real barrier between matter and energy, between body and mind or between mind and matter. These barriers were simply mental constructs resulting from dualism.

Why overcome dualism?
What is wrong with the dualistic state of consciousness; why is it necessary to go beyond it? Well, in this frame of mind differences inevitably lead to conflict and many problems seem to have no solution. If there is a difference between two belief systems, then one must be right and the other wrong. If there is a difference between two groups of people, one group must seek to force the other into complying with its way of life. If that cannot be done, the opposing group must be eliminated. An unbiased look at history quickly reveals that virtually all human conflicts spring from the dualistic state of consciousness. Untold atrocities have resulted, and this state of consciousness could eventually cause humanity to self-destruct.

By breaking down barriers, we can overcome some of the problems that seem insoluble from a dualistic state of consciousness. For example, we can begin to see a deeper connection between the mind and physical illness that might open up new avenues for detecting and curing disease. By recognizing that everything is energy, we can open new avenues for self-help techniques aimed at dealing with mental and emotional (psychic) energy. On a larger scale, we might start seeing beyond the artificial divisions, such as race, sex, nationality, status etc., that so often lead to conflict between groups of people. Perhaps this could eventually lead to a new form of peaceful coexistence?

Breaking down dualism could have profound implications for all aspects or our personal and interpersonal lives. It could increase the trend, which has been going on for centuries, of breaking down barriers to progress and cooperation. For example, a few centuries ago, most societies were based on some form of slavery or a division of the population into separate casts. This was clearly a dualistic approach, and as a result many conflicts seemed to have no solution. If people were inherently different, how could you solve the conflict between master and slave or between races?

Democracy is a direct result of a deeper understanding, namely that all human beings are created equal. Based on this understanding, slavery is no longer acceptable, and we can remove the conflict between master and slave by creating a society in which people cannot be owned as property.

Is science truly objective?
For over four centuries, Western society has been held hostage by a war between science and religion. This war is obviously the result of a dualistic world view. Modern physics has now proven that the dualistic world view is obsolete, and therefore the conflict between science and religion simply has to go.

We need to look beyond the artificial divisions created by this conflict and look for a deeper understanding of reality. The conflict between science and religion springs from a dualistic state of consciousness which sees differences as the source of conflict. If religion and science present different “infallible” doctrines, then one must be right and the other wrong.

A higher state of consciousness looks beyond such surface appearances. It simply sees a conflict as proof that we have not yet arrived at the highest possible understanding of the world. Therefore, we must look beyond the doctrines presented by both sides. Instead of proving one side right and the other wrong, we must look for a deeper understanding that removes the conflict.

How can we begin to find such an understanding? One obvious place to start is the findings of physics. Because quantum physics has proven that scientific observation can be influenced by the consciousness of the scientist, science can no longer distance itself from religion by claiming that science is objective while all religious ideas are subjective. We must consider the fact that scientific knowledge can also be influenced by the mind of the scientist.

It is interesting to see that modern science developed as a reaction against the medieval church and its infallible doctrines. Science sought to establish a method for gaining knowledge that could not be influenced by the superstitions or beliefs of the scientist. Therefore, materialistic science now claims to be in much the same position as the one held by the medieval church. The church claimed infallibility because the Pope was an authority not influenced by human consciousness. Science claims infallibility because the scientific method leads to knowledge that is not influenced by human consciousness.

Science proved that the church was not infallible, and now quantum physics has proven that science is not infallible. Perhaps the real lesson is that no human person or human institution should ever be seen as infallible. Instead of declaring that our present doctrine is the ultimate doctrine, we should constantly be looking for a higher understanding. Instead of defending the infallibility of our existing ideas, we might accept that our present understanding is but a stepping stone to something better.

In reality, the need for an infallible doctrine is the product of the dualistic or lower state of consciousness. By reaching beyond this state of consciousness, we can open new avenues for both science and religion. Instead of being the pawns of the eternal human power struggle, science and religion can become two complimentary tools for seeking answers. Perhaps the only way to find valid answers is to reach beyond the dualistic state of consciousness?

Human beings have always had a desire for a higher understanding. Perhaps the desire for a higher state of consciousness, one that is beyond dualism, is the real driving force behind both science and religion?

Human history can be seen as a struggle between two forces. One force is represented by the dualistic state of consciousness that reduces everything to a struggle for power and control. The other is the drive for unity and a higher understanding which is expressed through he positive side of human nature.

History has clearly proven that both science and religion can be used in this game for control and power. Yet, both science and religion can also be used as tools to develop a higher understanding. Perhaps this higher understanding is the key to uniting science and religion?

Science and consciousness
Science evolved as an attempt to reach beyond the lower human consciousness that is dominated by dualism, relativity and conflict. It sought to establish a method for gaining knowledge that could not be influenced by human superstition, selfishness and dualism. Obviously, science has achieved much progress in this respect, and it would be unfair to discredit this progress. However, because of the desire for objectivity, science has often ignored consciousness. Scientists often see consciousness as being outside the field of science, being too subjective for scientific study or as unimportant for scientific results and conclusions. Based on the findings of quantum physics, these viewpoints are no longer sustainable.

Science simply cannot continue to ignore consciousness. If consciousness can influence scientific observations of the most fundamental aspects of matter, then no scientist can afford to ignore consciousness. If everything is energy, then it follows that the human mind is made of energy. Therefore, there is no real barrier between matter and mind or between the world and the consciousness of the observer. We must look beyond these artificial barriers and start understanding how consciousness influences every aspect of our lives.

To the end of his life, Albert Einstein sought to develop a unified theory of physics. Many other scientist have sought to develop a Theory of Everything (TOE) that can explain every aspect of the world. So far, all of these attempts have failed. Perhaps the reason is that a TOE must incorporate consciousness. Perhaps future scientists will realize that while space might be called “the final frontier,” consciousness is the ultimate frontier and that no scientific theory can ignore consciousness.
Let us attempt to develop a new world model which incorporates consciousness and the fact that everything is energy.

To look at this new world model, click here.

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