tags: philosophy, pantheism, personal, thoughts
(2022-04-16) hi everyone. this is a little “manifesto” I wrote back in 2019 when I had a sudden epiphany about the world around me. it might be somewhat outdated, so this will likely end up being re-written at another time. however, I enjoyed writing this and would like to share it with everyone.
I have been born and have died countless times, and I will continue to do so for all eternity, or at least until the universe ceases to exist. I am unsure of when the latter will or would happen, though that is a debate for another time. Now, I do not mean that I have been reincarnated in the religious sense, such as that seen in Hinduism. I mean something much different. To convey such thoughts, explaining would have to be done beforehand in order for a sufficient context to be given.
I am the universe. I do not mean this in an egotistical way, however. I am not trying to say that I am god. Well, I am. And you, the reader are, too. So are the bacteria on your face, and the animals outside. And so are the viruses and the stars. We are all part of the universe, acting as one conscious unit. Everything that is happening, has happened, or will happen, is because of a series of events that had happened before, affecting everything related, all according to the laws of nature. Everything that exists, including you and I, are expressions of nature, and by extension, the universe. As such, under the right philosphical light, the universe would seem to have some form of intention. And in a sense, that would be correct, since as mentioned before, everything that happens is acting all according the the laws of nature. From cosmic events such as the big bang, to the seemingly insignificant such as what you had eaten for breakfeast, are all affected by such laws. And as such, will also affect future events in a similar manner.
I am not claiming to completely understand the human psyche or even all the laws the cosmos. I am, however, claiming to understand that the universe has fundamental rules that are set in place which everything obeys. Considering that we, and everything else, are in the universe, we are also set to obey these rules. However, it would be innaproptiate to say that we are “in” the universe, strictly speaking. I feel that it would be better fitting to describe us as part of the universe. After all, what is to separate you from a chair, or the sun, or the countless nebulae? The answer at first may seem obvious. “I am made of flesh, bones, and blood, that chair is made of wood, the sun is made of plasma, and the nebulae are made of cosmic dust.” This idea, I feel, would be giving the universe a disservice. Think about the question again, but think of such things at a fundamental level. Yes, you are made of flesh. And the chair is made of wood. But what is your flesh made of? What is that of the wood? Flesh is made of elements, atoms. Such elements are also seen in wood, plasma, and cosmic dust. “But I have a brain, a consciousness,” you might think. I am not here to debate that, for that is true. You are thinking, so you must have a consciousness. However, your brain, or the peripheral for your consciousness for that matter, is made of the same materials as everything else. It just so happens to be arranged in a matter that allows for your stream of conscious thought to be manifested through action. Does this mean that everything else has the potential for conscious thought? Yes, if it were to be arranged in such a way. Our brains are simply machines created by the universe, obeying the laws of nature in the same exact way everything else does. The copper in a computer has the potential of being copper that is used as a roof, but because of its current circumstance is used being used a certain way.
What I was trying to convey with the previous paragraph is that you and I are the same. That I am the same as that chair, or the sun, or the nebulae. Everything, at the end of the day, is made of the same fundamental parts, just being utilized differently. However, the parts that make up “you” are not going to permanently stay that way. We are constantly changing and shifting, including the universe. The parts that make up “you” have been in countless other arrangments before. And the cycle will repeat. They will be used in countless arrangements after. But at the same time, they are still you. But what separates you from everything else? After all, we just established that everything is one and the same. The answer is nothing, really. Nothing really separates you from a chair, the sun, or the nebulae. But because of that, you are the chair. You are the sun, and you are the nebulae. You are the universe. You were created as a manifestation of it, and so is everything else. You are the universe, and the universe is you. Though our bodies and minds may die and rot, we will continue to exist in this cosmic dance until the end of time.
As mentioned before, the universe would seem to have intention based on the way it acts (as it follows the laws of nature and we are expressions of such laws). However, it is also possible to view the universe as without intention. Just like our brains, the universe is simply following a predetermined set of rules. It did not nessesarily mean to create us, the stars, or Earth. It simply did so as a side effect of abiding to the laws of nature. So with that said, it would seem that we were created as expressions of nature, unintentionally. However, the laws of nature could be interpreted as intention, so in a sense, the universe is with and without intention. It does things according to its laws.