Infinite-cosm
I seem to be transfixed with this idea of a pervasive thread that runs beyond every material thing and transgresses every boundary imaginable, to bind the whole theme of the universe together. And why just the Universe? Who has ever proved that there is just one Universe? maybe its just a part of the "Infinite-cosm" of cosmos. Just like a star twinkles upon the cosmos from a distance, and when you look closer and deeper into it, its a complete plethora of life, and nature, in whatever form; be it the icy satellite going by the name of Europa, or the raging fire within Saturn. Life is pervasive in itself, going beyond the description of words, and when seen at the higher level of consciousness, beyond physical form. And just as this star is just a part of the Cosmos, may be the Cosmos itself is just a part of the Infinite-cosm, as I like to call it.
Infinite-cosm is a spectacle that we can not see, but only feel and observe. The mystics seem to be a part of that cosm, (not that we are not), but they can feel it. Enlightenment gives you the power to see beyond the obvious, to feel rather than see. Before,m it gets confusing and I mix this theory of Infinite-cosm with teh transcendental nature of existence, let me elaborate on why to consider the cosm as infinite, and to that extent what reference to chose for Infinity?
Albert Einstein, of all the things that he gave to this world, the one that has categorically and drastically changed the way we observe and understand the World, is his theory of Relativity. And I'm concerned more with the essence of the theory rather than the mathematical representation itself. Before Einstein came up with this stroke of brilliance, it was assumed that Space is a 3-dimensional entity, studied much in accordance with the Geometer concept. And Time was treated as a separate entity. But with the theory of relativity, Einstein dissolved the separation between the two and created what we now know as the "Space-Time continuum". Space can never be separated from time, and vice-versa. And with this the whole concept of absolute entities dissolved into oblivion. Relativity became the norm of the day. Reference, instead of being the privilege of the Almighty, became the authority of self.
Infinity is in itself a disputed theme. How can you call something infinite if you can't measure it? But then that is what Infinity is, something that cannot be measured. But then again, the question that has the capacity to rip apart any conclusion presents the same dilemma in front of us...What reference? The stretch of a thousand kilometers would be infinity for a snail. and for that matter the measure of a few centimeters would certainly serve as infinity for the Bacteria. Infinity is a relative term. So when we talk of an Infinite-cosm, what reference shall we choose. The cosmos itself is as vast as infinity to us, and the mysteries of the cosmos serve as a happy hunting ground for the astronomers and the scientists. Then what is the need to further complicate things with an infinity beyond infinity.
At this moment, the integration of the micorcosm with the macrocosm becomes important. As you move from the micro to the macro cosm, the laws of physics repeat themselves, only what changes is the reference; from the minute entities of the mesons and the pi-mesons to the macroscopic planetary motion, the laws are the same at the transcendental level, but what changes is the reference and the interpretation of the laws. And it is in continuation of this theory that the concept of Infinite-cosm becomes relevant.
Physics has given us answers to the daily questions of how the universe sustains itself and carries out its daily activities. But the laws of physics have the interpretation that we observe only under the Reference that we use. If the laws within Physics are not bound by a fixed reference frame, what binds Physics itself into a fixed reference frame? Think of a world where gravity instead of attracting towards the center of a heavy body, repels stuff. Who can refute the legitimacy of such a world, if I invert the reference of attraction and repulsion. It is this thought that brings forward the possibility of an Infinite-cosm of Universes of which ours is just like any other star in the cosmos. We may invest our scientific acumen to find the minutest particle that constitutes our world. But if you enlarge the scale, we may be clamped down to the same minute level in terms of the Infinite-cosm. There must be some thread that transgresses this cosm to bind them together. Maybe it'll take another century for the world to accept the idea of such thread, or maybe it already has (String Theory), but the reference may change.
-Ashk
