For your consideration: perspectives on the possibility of realities beyond our ability to truly fathom.
For the past few years I've taken up the practice of meditation. Often, as I begin the process of "sitting", I'll venture down a specfic intellectual journey of reflection to clear my mind (a
non-sequitur if there ever was one). I start by contemplating the fact that my body, and indeed all physical objects of which I'm aware, consist purely of atoms hanging out together in particular configurations.
These impossibly small particles are themselves essentially
empty space: if an atom's nucleus were enlarged to the size of a golf ball, the closest electron would orbit nearly 3,300 feet distant. (Consider too that the nucleus itself consists of similarly void particles —
quarks and their kin.) Consequently it is literally the case that the entirety of the physical universe is virtually without substance.
At times, as I follow this path of awareness (with obviously vaguely-defined visualization) a sublime sense of floating astonishment and awe fills my sense of being: the very notion of existence, let alone consciousness, arising from and manifested from such nonsensical nothingness is an incomprehensible miracle. Shells within shells of
sub-microscopic architectures as the substrate of such concepts as Self-awareness and emotions (love, hope, joy, grief - the entire gamut) . . . this well-surpasses the Knowable.
And now this news, on the astronomically macro scale: it is increasingly plausible that our universe is but one of an unthinkable number of other
Multiverses — a vast reality as simply one bubble amongst untold myriads of others.
Truth is often far more bizarre than any fiction; perhaps no realms of consideration surpasses the domains of physics and astronomy in the richness of case studies supporting this thesis . . .
Untitled (Multiverse), #5188-7D
© 2012 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.
(click image for larger version)
Details: January 17, 2012; Canon 7D; f/4.5 @ 1/1300 sec; —2/3 EV; ISO 800;
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
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