by Duane Elgin
Seventh, as interesting as psychic or intuitive functioning may be, the much more important insight is what it says about the nature of the universe—that it is connected with itself through the tissue of consciousness in non-local ways that transcend relativistic differences.
To summarize, evidence is accumulating across many levels, from the atomic to the human, that a field of consciousness pervades the universe and is mobilized by different living systems in ways that support and sustain their functioning. While the idea of an underlying ecology of consciousness and aliveness is quite remarkable, it seems no more extraordinary than the widely accepted view among scientists that the universe emerged nearly 14 billion years ago as a “vacuum fluctuation,” where nothing pushed on nothing to create everything.37
Freedom at the Foundations
Another attribute of living systems is their freedom to make choices. Without some measure of freedom of choice, we exist as meaningless machines. Is our universe a mechanical system without authentic freedom at its foundations? Or is it a living system that has the freedom to grow and develop in innovative ways?
The old Newtonian paradigm envisioned a deterministic universe where, once the laws governing things were understood, everything could be predicted. In striking contrast, findings from quantum physics tell us that uncertainty is built into the fabric of the universe. At the quantum level, where our universe comes into existence, the certainty that we find at the larger scales breaks down and, instead, we find only probabilities. At the foundation of the universe is the quantum foam seething with titanic energies, and this is where we enter a realm of likelihood, of possibilities and estimated outcomes. Freedom and uncertainty are basic to the quantum level, where the universe continuously recreates itself and provides us with an opportunity to exercise our freedom to do the same.
Freedom permeates our lives. We are playing jazz together. The world is a collective improvisation, and we have the creative freedom to transcend the habits of nature. While uncertainty and freedom are fundamental to our universe, freedom is not without limits. Everything that exists contributes to the overall cosmic web at each moment, whether it is conscious of its participation or not. In turn, it is the interrelation of all parts of the universe that determines the condition of the whole. We, therefore, have great freedom to act, but only within the limits established by the larger web of life.
Able to Reproduce Itself
An essential capacity for any living system is the ability to reproduce itself. How could our universe produce offspring universes? A startling insight from the frontiers of physics suggests the answer: Our universe may be able to reproduce itself through the functioning of black holes. Astrophysicist John Gribbin explains that the bursting out of our universe in the Big Bang is the time-reversed mirror image of the collapse of a massive object into a black hole. Many of the black holes that form in our universe, he reasons, may represent wormholes that lead to new universes: “Instead of a black hole representing a one-way journey to nowhere, many researchers now believe that it is a one-way journey to somewhere—to a new expanding universe in its own set of dimensions.”38 Gribbin’s dramatic conclusion is that our own universe may have been birthed this way out of a black hole in another universe. He explains:
If one universe exists, then it seems there must be many—very many, perhaps even an infinite number of universes. Our universe has to be seen as just one component of a vast array of universes, a self-reproducing system connected only by the “tunnels” through space-time (perhaps better regarded as cosmic umbilical cords) that join a “baby” universe to its “parent.”39
The insight that there could be many universes evolving through time is not recent. Philosopher David Hume noted in 1779 that many prior universes “might have been botched and bungled throughout an eternity [before our universe].”40 A growing number of cosmologists are now suggesting a universe evolves like other living systems—by passing along favorable characteristics to their offspring: “Universes that are ‘successful’ are the ones that leave the most offspring.”41 Many cosmologists now consider our universe to be one of many universes, all existing within a vastly larger universe that is sometimes called the “Meta-Universe” or “Master Universe” or “Multiverse.”42 I give this a friendlier name and call the generative source and sustainer of all the island universes the “Mother Universe.”
An Integrative View from Science
When we bring together these findings from science, an extraordinary picture begins to emerge: Our universe is a profoundly unified system in which the interrelations of all the parts determine at every moment the condition of the system as a whole. Our universe is permeated and sustained by an unimaginably immense amount of flowing energy; it is being continuously regenerated in its entirety while making use of a knowing capacity or consciousness throughout. The universe appears to have freedom as a fundamental property of the quantum foundations as well as the ability to reproduce itself by using black holes as wormholes for creating a new cosmic system.
Combining these key characteristics, we can now see the whole-systems logic of the definition given in the introduction: A “living universe” is a unified and completely interdependent system that is continuously regenerated by the flow-through of phenomenal amounts of life energy whose essential nature includes consciousness or a self-reflective capacity that enables systems at every scale of existence to exercise some freedom of choice. The universe also has other characteristics of living systems such as the ability to reproduce itself via black holes that provide the seed instructions for growing new cosmic systems.
Because the universe appears to meet each of the key criteria for “aliveness,” current scientific evidence points toward the conclusion that the universe is a living system. While these combined properties do not prove the universe is a living system, they point clearly in that direction. Because our universe embodies core properties that are common to living systems, from a scientific perspective, it seems compelling to explore the universe as a unique kind of living system.
We have explored a scientific definition of the universe as a living system. Now we turn to consider how that connects with us as human beings. How is our understanding of who we are and the journey we are on transformed by living in a living universe?
Part Two
Who Are We?
Chapter 3
Spirituality as Intimacy with a Living Universe
At bottom, the whole concern of religion is
with the manner of our acceptance of the universe.
—WILLIAM JAMES
Who we are depends directly upon where we are. Are we an inseparable part of a greater aliveness? Or are we a small speck of life that is surrounded by a vast sea of deadness? How do the world’s wisdom traditions view the universe and our relationship to it? Do they see this world as a place of deadness to leave behind and move beyond? Or, do the wisdom traditions see the universe as a miracle of stunning aliveness? When people around the world and across the centuries offer their in-depth accounts of the nature of existence, what descriptions of the universe emerge? When sages and saints across cultures and history have come to a place of profound centeredness and quiet, what has become self-evident to them regarding the nature of the universe and our place within it?
For more than three decades, I have been exploring how the world’s wisdom traditions view the universe. At the outset, I did not know what I would discover. Although views of the world’s spiritual traditions are fairly well known when it comes to themes such as love and compassion, it was not clear to me how they regarded the universe. Might wisdom traditions regard the universe as something “out there” and largely separate from the spiritual quest “in here?” Or, is our relationship with the universe seen as integral to our spiritual awakening and development?
To show how wisdom traditions view the universe, I have drawn from a range of sources: Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Tao-ist, Confucian, Indigenous, and more.
I realize there are deep differences, both within these traditions and between them. The clash of religions is a powerful and unsettling reality in today’s world. Nonetheless, if we allow for their many differences, and look at the way each tradition regards the universe, I think the similarities we discover are striking and of immense importance in revealing a common understanding shared by all wisdom traditions. Common themes emerge as different spiritual traditions describe their in-depth understanding of our common home, the universe. Often it is the more mystical tradition within a spiritual family that explores these depths most fully. Given differences of history, culture, and geography, it is not surprising that each of the world’s spiritual traditions would have a different way of describing the universe. It is important to receive each tradition on its own terms and allow it to speak for itself and inform us with its unique insights.
We will explore views of the universe through the lens of a half-dozen wisdom traditions that comprise a majority of the world’s population. Although all belief systems deserve consideration, these few embrace the overwhelming majority of the human family and provide us with a strong foundation for this overview. As a cautionary note, I recognize that some people may not give much attention to how their spiritual tradition regards the universe. Nor do people necessarily hold a view of the universe consistent with their particular faith. With care to not overstate humanity’s beliefs about the universe, let’s explore how the world’s spiritual traditions view the universe and humanity’s relationship to it.
Judeo-Christian Views
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have common roots in the idea of a single God. Despite their differences, all three religions trace their lineage back to the Hebrew patriarch Abraham whose life is described in the Jewish Bible known to Christians as the Old Testament (in the book of Genesis). From Abraham we find the core belief in a single, all-knowing, all-powerful, and transcendent God who created the universe as “good” and continues to be involved in its existence.
It is important to acknowledge that, for many, the word God tends to evoke the image of a remote masculine authority figure who is separate from this world. However, another view runs through both Judiasm and Christianity and uses the word God to evoke the image of a powerful, boundless spiritual presence that infuses, sustains, and transcends the universe. It is this latter meaning of God that is the focus of this inquiry.
The Judaic view of the origin of the universe is described in the first sentence of the first book of the Bible. In Genesis 1:1, we read that G-d (a deity beyond words and whose name cannot be written) created this universe out of nothing. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.”1 The word created comes from the translation of the Hebrew word “bara” and means to bring forth out of nothing.2
In Exodus (3:14), God reveals his name as “I AM THAT I AM.” God is without limits or boundaries. God simply is. Also in the Jewish Bible (and Old Testament), we find this powerful description of a spiritual presence creating and sustaining the universe:
The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands . . .
—PSALMS 19:13
Another translation of this Psalm is written differently. Instead of saying “the heavens declare the glory. . .” it says, “the heavens are telling of the glory. . .” The phrase “are telling” suggests the heavens are being presented to beholders as an active, ongoing process.4 The heavens are proclaiming the magnificence of their creator as a continuing dynamic.
Here is another Psalm that describes an infusing spiritual presence throughout the universe:
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my
bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the
dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand
will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
—PSALMS139:7-105
Overall, Judaism views the universe as a divine creation and humans as having a direct relationship with its creative unfolding. Christianity has drawn from these roots and, with roughly one-third of humanity as adherents at the turn of the twenty-first century, it is the world’s largest religion. To explore the connection between Christianity and the cosmos, it is important to begin by acknowledging the theological complexity of Christianity, with its many voices, institutions, and shifting emphases over time.
As theologians reexamine Christian history, one of the themes being explored is the idea that God not only creates and sustains the universe, but that the universe actually participates in the being of God. Here are quotes from the Bible that suggest a view of “God” as a divine spiritual presence that creates the universe and continues to be present within it.
In him we live, and move, and have our being . . . . We are his offspring.
—Acts 17:28
Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him.
—JOHN1:3
Christianity sees the universe as a divine creation permeated by a spiritual presence that celebrates the glory of its creator. In the New Testament book of Hebrews 11:3 we read, “. . . the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”6 What we see around us is not made of anything visible. Recalling the preceding chapter, this is congruent with modern cosmology describing the birth of the universe from nothing as a “vacuum fluctuation.”
The idea of a living universe is found explicitly and powerfully in the Eastern Orthodox Churches that comprise the world’s third-largest Christian community after Catholicism and Protestantism. Eastern Orthodox Christianity holds the view that God’s energies are vital for anything to exist at all and, for things to continue to exist, God’s active involvement is essential. God’s active presence is required to sustain the universe at every scale, from the most minute to the most grand. Because everything is upheld equally and without favor, this means that the entirety of creation is equally valued and sacred. God’s energies sustain even those beings who reject the idea of God. God will not abandon creation, as nothing is viewed as existing separately from God. Beings may not be conscious of their communion with God, but God is ever conscious of us.
The idea that God is not separate from this world but is present within it is found in other Christian sources. Perhaps the most exciting was the discovery in 1945 of a collection of fifty-two religious and philosophical texts, not far from the village of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt. Experts estimate that they had been hidden in an earthenware jar for roughly 1,600 years. This was an enormously important discovery as it includes texts that were thought to have been destroyed during the early Christian struggles to define orthodox Christianity. The Nag Hammadi texts did not fit the accepted views of the times, so they were apparently sealed in a jar and hidden in a cave until they could be safely brought back to the public.
The most famous of these texts, The Gospel of Thomas, opens with these stunning words: “These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke,” and continues, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.” What does Jesus have to say in this gospel that shifts our view of death from an ending to a transformation? In the Gospel of Thomas, when Jesus was asked, “When will the new world come?” He replied, “What you look forward to has already come but you do not recognize it.” Elsewhere Jesus says, “. . . the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and people do not see it.” Jesus is clearly saying that what we are looking for—the divine presence—is around us and within us. Jesus says, “The kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that you are the children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.”
Moving forward in history, in 1215 the Catholic Church put forth the idea of creatio ex ni
hilo as official church doctrine, declaring God to be “Creator of all things, visible and invisible . . . out of nothing.” In the 1300s, the great Christian mystic and theologian, Meister Eckhart, expanded on this theme and wrote “God is creating the entire universe, fully and totally, in this present now. Everything God created . . . God creates now all at once.”7 No declaration could be more specific or explicit concerning our universe as a continuously renewing system.
A number of Christian theologians now hold the view that God created our vast cosmos from nothing (ex nihilo) and that God upholds the universe through time (creatio continua).8 Continuous creation is the pouring forth of the universe in a continual flow, without ceasing, over billions of years.9 The world around us is seen as an ever-emerging miracle of divine generosity, continually emerging from an invisible source. Creation is always new, always fresh, and always alive. The Catholic Church now teaches that creation is always journeying towards its ultimate perfection. Evolution, therefore, poses no obstacle to genuine faith, as Pope John Paul II said in 1985. Instead, he said, “Evolution presupposes creation . . . creation is an ever-lasting process—a creatio continua.”
Although there are many differences within the Christian tradition, there exists a strong thread that sees our universe as a sacred body upheld by a divine presence in a process of continuous creation.10
Islamic Views
Islam has its roots in the same tradition of a single God as Christianity and Judaism. The word Islam means submission in Arabic, and Islam asks its followers to surrender their lives to Allah or God. This dynamic faith emerged in the seventh century with the prophet Muhammad (570–632), a native of Mecca in Arabia. Within a century of his death, an Islamic state stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to central Asia. Today, with nearly one and a half billion followers, Islam is the second-largest religion in the world.