Do you think Universe is self-conscious?

Question

And it is trying to discover itself through us ?

Thanks Auntb - Ok let me say " Trying to re-discover itself through us??"

Answer 1

Great question Aum.
I think Universe is self-conscious in different degrees, but still it is. Even an amoeba as a small degree of consciousness, an animal knows hurt, feelings etc... We are not the only ones to give input to the universal consciousness, I think.

Answer 2

I certainly think it is 'alive'.

Everything, in my opinion, is alive and a working model of science. As Human beings, or any other intelligent species are conscious beings, and also part of the universe, I suppose it could be said that the universe is conscious.

A human being is made up of many elements. Not all those elements are conscious. The water in us, for example, is not conscious. The atoms are not conscious. However, our minds are, which makes us conscious. If you think of a human being as a universe within itself, it is only the mind that is conscious so therefore we can be described as conscious. As only a part of the universe (namely us or any other intelligent species) is conscious, and working on the example I just gave you, then yes, I would say the universe is conscious.

Answer 3

Do you think that the universe exists out side of the mind that thinks that it sees it?



This is more easily understandable if one considers the actual scale of the components of an atom. If one takes into account the fact that the neutrons, protons and electrons of an atom actually have huge spaces between them it becomes clear that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are made up of 99+ percent empty space.

This alone does not seem too important till you add the idea that the atoms that make up seemingly solid objects are more of a loose conglomeration that share a similar attraction but never really touch each other.

At first glance this does not really seem relevant, but closer analysis reveals that this adds a tremendous amount of empty space to solid objects that are already made up of atoms that are 99 percent space. When so-called solid objects are seen in this light it becomes apparent that they can in no way be the seemingly solid objects they appear to be.

We ourselves are not exceptions to this phenomenon.

These seemingly solid objects are more like ghostly images that we interpret as solid objects based on our perceptual conclusions.

From this we must conclude that Perception is some sort of a trick that helps us to take these ghostly images and turn them into a world we can associate and interact with. This clever device seems to be a creation of our intellect that enables us to interact with each other in what appears to be a three dimensional reality.

I hope that helps to answered your question.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 4

"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance".
Sri Isopanishad, Invocation

See below some excerpts from the purport to above verse by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of ISKCON
(International Society for Krishna Consciousness)

Thus the Complete Whole is not formless. If He were formless, or if He were less than His creation in any other way, He could not be complete. The Complete Whole must contain everything both within and beyond our experience; otherwise He cannot be complete.

The Complete Whole, the Personality of Godhead, has immense potencies, all of which are as complete as He is. Thus this phenomenal world is also complete in itself. The twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation are arranged to produce everything necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. No other unit in the universe need make an extraneous effort to try to maintain the universe. The universe functions on its own time scale, which is fixed by the energy of the Complete Whole, and when that schedule is completed, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the Complete Whole.

All facilities are given to the small complete units (namely the living beings) to enable them to realize the Complete Whole. All forms of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the Complete Whole. The human form of life is a complete manifestation of the consciousness of the living being, and it is obtained after evolving through 8,400,000 species of life in the cycle of birth and death. If in this human life of full consciousness the living entity does not realize his completeness in relation to the Complete Whole, he loses the chance to realize his completeness and is again put into the evolutionary cycle by the law of material nature.

Further Srimad Bhagavatam 2.10.15 & 16 states,
From the sky situated within the transcendental body of the manifesting Maha-Vishnu, sense energy, mental force and bodily strength are all generated, as well as the sum total of the fountainhead of the total living force.

As the followers of a king follow their lord, similarly when the total energy is in motion, all other living entities move, and when the total energy stops endeavoring, all other living entities stop sensual activities.

Purport by Srila Prabhupada:
The individual living entities are completely dependent on the total energy of the supreme purusa. No one has independent existence, just as no electric lamp has independent effulgence. Each and every electrical instrument depends fully on the total powerhouse, the total powerhouse depends on the reservoir of water for generating electricity, water depends on the clouds, the clouds depend on the sun, the sun depends on creation, and the creation depends on the movement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes.

Answer 5

Oh yes, the universe is self conscious.

Imagine one mind/one thought splitting. Half that enjoyed the change; the other half wanted to go back to how it was.... thus you have light/dark; male/female, etc. The trinity came when we got the moon (man, woman, child).

We are not MADE in god's image - we are the image as the two sides continue to try and unite once again.

Answer 6

Yes. I think you are right. However, I think the "trying to" is a bit much: such a consciousness would necessarily already be self-aware, wouldn't it?

Of course, back in the sixties, we used terms like "discovering oneself" as a cliche meaning discovering certain critical facts about oneself, such as ones moral beliefs or gender identity, etc. But a universal consciousness would fit most people's definition of God, and be completely self-aware already.

I think we are trying to find our way back to awareness of being part of the One.

Answer 7

Quote from ALan Watts for you ;
"The individual is the aperture through which the universe becomes aware of itself"

Answer 8

Yes, absolutely. Each of us is a unique perspective through which the Universe may perceive each tiny piece of itself.

Answer 9

That's an interesting question...Like is there more intelligent life than us out there...I would like to believe that we are not alone and the others are not as hostile as we are and when we meet them it will be like Heaven..They will have money trees and industry that doesn't destroy or planet.And every has a say in democracy.

Answer 10

Yes, except there is no "trying" involved in it. It all takes place without any effort. The natural flow of life is the expansion of knowingness and we are all an intimate part of that natural growth. Live and enjoy.