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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)

Ours is a knowable universe because we can come to know it by sensing it. We are also a part of this universe because we can sense and come to know ourselves. 

If we are a part of this universe then how did the fundamental postulates of this universe come about?

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The Postulates

How the fundamental postulates of this universe came about can only be answered as follows:

1. The universe created itself, or
2. The universe has always been there.

These are possible postulates that attempt to explain the unknowable.

We come across the “religious” belief that God created this universe. However, God happens to be a part of the knowable universe, because God is knowable. This essentially means that the universe created itself. This is a variation of the first postulate above.

The answer from Kantian philosophy is that the ingredients of this universe exist as “thing in itself” independently of human perception, sensation, or sensory experience. This answer reduces to the second postulate above that the universe has always been there.

Phenomenology says, “What is sensed is the thing itself as experienced, not an inner proxy, but precisely as given in intuition—within limits.” This also reduces to the second postulate above.

Science says, “Sensations are effects of an underlying mind‑independent physical universe whose structure we infer.” This also reduces to the second postulate above.

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The Fundamental Postulate

For the universe to create itself, there must have been an earlier version of the universe. God could be an earlier version that transformed itself into the current universe. This adds the idea of a cyclic universe; but essentially it is also a variation of the second postulate above.

We may conclude,

The basis for the universe has always been there. How it was created initially is unknowable.

The Vedas assert rightly that the universe has neither a beginning nor an end.

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The Knowable Universe

The basis of the universe is made up of certain postulates. The postulates provide meaning in the form of sensations. The outcome of the sensations is the knowable universe.

So, the postulates that make up the SELF are the same that make up the UNIVERSE.

In the ancient Vedic religions, such as, Hinduism, the Nirākār Brahman uses Māyā to arise as Sākār Brahman. The Nirākār Brahman is considered to be a reality without attributes. Māyā is considered to be the process that generates attributes. And Sākār Brahman is considered to be the reality with attributes. We may say that the Nirākār Brahman is “unknowable,” Maya represents the basic “postulates.” Sākār Brahman is the outcome as the knowable “universe.”

Thus, the Postulate Mechanics parallels the Vedic religions.

In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) God is postulated as the source of all creation. God is then assigned the attribute of omniscient (all-knowing) among others. But God itself is presented as a mystery. Here God is something that needs to be unpacked and understood.

We come to the conclusion that,

The basis of the universe are certain postulates that give meaning to the universe in the form of sensations.

These postulates are inherent to the universe and also to us. So, the postulates that make up the universe are the same that make up the SELF. The self then assimilates the sensations to perceive the universe.

As sensations may assimilate differently from person to person, different perceptions and concepts of the universe may arise.

We may not know the postulates, but our perceptions and concepts can help us trace back to discover the underlying postulates. As we discover the postulates we come to know both the universe and ourselves so clearly that all our aberrations drop away.

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Considerations

The major concepts introduced in Chapter 1 are CREATION, GOD, VEDIC RELIGIONS, and ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.

1. The basis of this universe is eternally present.
2. This basis is made up of certain postulates.
3. These postulates underlie the self as well.
4. These postulates provide meaning in the form of sensations.
5. The self assimilates sensations into perceptions and concepts.
6. Essentially, these are considerations that arise from postulates.

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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)

Oneness may be compared to a state that is in equilibrium. When oneness is disturbed there is a natural effort to restore its equilibrium.

When something new is sensed, it may disturb the existing oneness of the mind. Assimilation is the effort to restore that oneness. Therefore, awareness is always accompanied by assimilation to maintain oneness.

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Oneness

In oneness there is a state of harmony among different elements. With such harmony, one finds a consistency where the elements overlap. As one looks more closely at the consistency, there appears a continuity at the boundaries where elements actually meet.

Thus, oneness equates to harmony, consistency and continuity among all elements in a context. The universe is described as, “all things combined into one.” That means,

There is a  harmony, consistency and continuity existing  among all elements of the universe in spite of its dynamic nature.

Oneness underlies in the harmony of all relations; in the consistency of all realities, and in the continuity of all dimensions.

When oneness exists the reality is very clear. But to the degree oneness is violated we have unreality.

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Knowingness

One encounters the superficiality of identification, when the deep awareness of oneness is not there, As awareness of oneness starts to develop, we have knowingness entering the picture.

The harmony, consistency and continuity of substantiality makes the confusion disappear and brings about the clarity of knowingness. This is the essence of oneness.

Knowingness that resolves all situations comes about with the awareness of oneness among all that is sensed.

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Anomalies

When the awareness of oneness is lacking, there are anomalies. Anomalies take the following forms:

(1) ARBITRARY DATA: Wherever there is disharmony, some arbitrary element is present. This is the case when a group of people says, “My God is the only true God. All other gods are false.” We look closely at the definition of God, this group is applying. We find their definition to be full of arbitrary ideas that are disconnected from reality.

(2) CONTRADICTORY DATA: Whenever something is inconsistent and does not make sense, there is contradictory data. This is the case when the president of a country insists that the country’s economy is booming; but most people in that country find their living conditions to be worsening. It is an indicator that something is not right.

(3) MISSING DATA: Wherever there is a discontinuity and gaps in reality, there is also missing data. This is the case when a justice department insists, “We have closed this case, because the person accountable has been prosecuted”; yet not all aspects of the case have been accounted for and many unanswered questions remain.

In general, all unrealities, confusions and sufferings in life contain anomalies. Such anomalies are a violation of oneness because they are primarily disharmonies, inconsistencies and discontinuities.

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Misconceptions

Underlying anomalies are misconceptions. These are things not understood, which then cause confusions.

In the subject of physics, there is no precise definition for SUBSTANCE. Substance is misconceived to be the same thing as matter. Therefore, radiation, such as light, is not recognized as substance, despite evidence presented by Einstein in his theory of Relativity.

The reason Physics cannot deal with spirituality is because the Scientific Method is not conceived properly. A physicist examines the experimental results for consistency with the physical universe because that is his criterion of truth. Spiritual phenomenon cannot be examined for consistency with the physical universe; therefore, physics ignores it. But when we accept Oneness as the criterion of truth, both physical and spiritual phenomena can be examined against it. This clarification expands the concept of the Scientific method.

Misconceptions can get deeply embedded in the mind when a child is not allowed to explore and appreciate things in his environment fully. His questions are ignored, and he is pushed into accepting things he did not quite assimilate and understand. These misconceptions then multiply as the child grows up.  This give rise to anomalies in his life.

The next chapter shall look at the resolution of misconceptions and anomalies.

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Considerations

The major concepts introduced in Chapter 5 are ANOMALY and MISCONCEPTION. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.

1. Oneness is harmony, consistency and continuity of awareness.
2. A violation of oneness produces anomalies.
3. An anomaly is disharmony, inconsistency or discontinuity.
4. All unrealities, confusions and sufferings contain anomalies.
5. Underlying anomalies are misconceptions.

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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)

Substantiality means something exists and it can be sensed. Substantiality refers not only to something physical made of matter, but also to something spiritual made of thought. A perception of rose is substantial; but a mental image picture of rose created by imagination is substantial too, because both exist and can be sensed.

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Substance

We may define SUBSTANCE as something substantial enough to be sensed. Generally substance is identified as matter, but substance is more than just matter. Einstein famously showed radiative energy to be equivalent to matter with equation, E = mc². Experiments have shown  that the light from the sun can push a large sail in interplanetary space. Thus, we may place radiation also in the category of substance.

When we think of a rose, and we get a picture of a rose in our mind. This mental image picture exists. It is made up of thought. Thus, we may place thought also in the category of substance.

Postulate Mechanics categorizes substance as follows: 

1. Matter
2. Radiation
3. Thought

Substance has two fundamental characteristic: (1) Thickness, (2) Motion

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Thickness

Thickness means a degree of density, firmness, viscosity, etc. Thickness is inherent to substance.

The thickness of matter is referred to as “mass.” Matter is made up of atoms. The nucleus of atom consists of “solid mass”. The surrounded field of electrons consists of “liquid mass.” And the enveloping field of radiation consists of “gaseous mass.” Therefore, from the center of atom to its periphery, we have a gradient of decreasing mass. While the mass decreases the volume increases. Mass of same amount appears to be distributed over a larger and larger volume.

When it comes to the “gaseous mass” of radiation, the thickness is so small that it cannot be measured as mass. So, it is measured in terms of “frequency” (m = 10^-50 f). On the spectrum of radiation, gamma rays have the highest frequencies—from 10¹⁹ Hz to 10²⁴ Hz; and, radio waves have the lowest frequency—from 10³ Hz to 10¹¹ Hz.

The science of physics does not acknowledge thought as a substance because it cannot measure it even as a frequency. But, there exists a spectrum of thought in terms of its “weightiness.” We are familiar with fixed, serious thought at one end of the spectrum; and the free flowing, buoyant thought at the other.

According to Postulate Mechanics, thickness decreases from matter to radiation to thought.

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Motion

Motion is also inherent to substance. It is the opposite of thickness. As thickness decreases, motion increases. Therefore, motion increases from matter to radiation to thought. It is well known that the speed of light (radiation) is many orders of magnitude faster than that of matter, and thought is comparatively instantaneous.

In case of matter, the black hole at the center of a galaxy has the highest thickness. As the distance from the black hole increases, the mass of the galactic bodies decreases and their inherent motion increases. We observe them rotating around the black hole.

The inherent motion of radiation is many orders of magnitude faster than that of matter, and physics gives it a constant value of 3 × 10⁸ m/s. But, according to Postulate Mechanics, the radio waves may travel faster than the gamma radiation in space.

The inherent motion of thought appears to be instantaneous. If it can be measured, it will be many orders of magnitude faster than that of radiation. Within the spectrum of thought itself, free flowing, buoyant thought may travel faster than the fixed, serious ideas.

According to Postulate Mechanics, the motion in the body may generated by infinitesimal changes in the thickness of thought.

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Considerations

The major concepts introduced in Chapter 3 are SUBSTANCE, MATTER, RADIATION, THOUGHT, THICKNESS and MOTION. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.

1. Substantiality manifests as the substance of Universe.
2. The substance ranges from matter to radiation to thought.
3. Matter has the most thickness and thought has the least.
4. Matter has the least motion and thought has the most.
5. Matter/radiation are physical; thought is spiritual (mental).

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