Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)

Gravity is not very different from Inertia. Inertia helps to maintain the intrinsic motion of a body as related to its mass (thickness). Gravity helps to maintain the intrinsic motion of a system of bodies as related to the distribution of their masses.

Just like inertia, gravity is an innate condition of harmony. If there is any force it arises only in case of deviation to restore the condition of harmony.

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Inertia

The sole purpose of inertia is to keep the intrinsic motion of a body in equilibrium with its mass. Inertial force arises only when that state of equilibrium is disturbed. That state of equilibrium is a harmonic of oneness.

Suppose there is a shopping cart, full of groceries, sitting at rest. When we push that cart we feel a resistance even when the cart can roll easily. That resistance is an inertial force that is trying the cart’s equilibrium state of rest not to be disturbed. That resistance makes us aware of the substantiality of the cart.

Suppose there is a rock floating in outer space in its equilibrium state of intrinsic motion. When we push that rock, we get a sense of its substantiality by its inertial resistance. We may push harder and increase the motion of the rock. But as soon as we stop pushing, the inertia of that rock acts to restore its intrinsic motion.

The speed of light is finite and constant. That is so because of light’s state of equilibrium. It has extremely small mass that is in equilibrium with its motion. If light had no mass, its speed would be infinite.

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Gravity

The moons revolve around their planet, the planets revolve around their sun, and the suns revolve around the center of their galaxies in perfect equilibrium. Such an equilibrium is dynamic in the sense that it continually adjusts to changing conditions. This describes the motion of the heavenly bodies in free space.

In this free space, an object with infinite mass shall be fixed in its location because its inertia is infinite. Another object with lesser mass shall have lesser inertia, and it will have motion relative to the first object. It may seem that the first object also has motion relative to the second object but that would be an illusion. We thus have a measure of absolute motion in terms of inertia.

The most massive body with maximum inertia shall be at the center of the galaxy. We recognize that as a black hole. All other bodies in the galaxy are in an equilibrium of motion relative to this black hole according to their mass or inertia. Their position in space at any instant is determined by this equilibrium. We recognize this equilibrium as GRAVITY.

Gravity is a phenomenon very similar to inertia. The sole purpose of gravity is to keep the intrinsic motion of bodies of a system in dynamic equilibrium with the distribution of the mass of those bodies in that system. The bodies maintain their individual paths. Any deviation from the paths immediately gives rise to gravitational forces that restore the bodies back to their paths. Thus, gravity keeps the whole system stable.

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Mathematics

Newton interpreted gravity as an innate force that acted at a distance. However, he was at a loss to explain how force acted so. Newton provided a formula to calculate the force of gravity between two bodies. But the moment a third body was introduced into the system, this formula fails to predict the motion. 

Faraday theorized that force acted at a distance through lines of force. This was as if the substantiality of mass was diluted with distance. Maxwell applied mathematics to this idea, and developed into electromagnetic fields that gave structure to light.

Einstein was also inspired by Faraday and looked at space itself as a dynamic field. He saw the lines of force as the curvature of spacetime related to mass and energy. Massive objects warped the fabric of spacetime, creating paths along which those objects moved. He used extremely complex mathematics to explain the dynamic nature of gravity.

Thus, a system of two or more bodies always forms a dynamic configuration such that their thicknesses and motions, by an inverse relationship, are in equilibrium at all times. For example, the Sun, all its planets and their moons are dynamically aligned in such a way that their masses and motions are in equilibrium.

But mathematics only provides an approximation.

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Postulate Mechanics

Postulate Mechanics does not see gravity as a force. Instead, it sees gravity as the natural tendency of a system to dynamically arrange itself such that there is an equilibrium among all the thicknesses of substance and its motions involved at all times.

Gravitational forces arise to restore the harmony of motion in a system only when it is disturbed.

There is no field of gravity because the concept of field applies to substance, which is diluted as lines of force. Gravity is neither substance nor force. Gravity is a condition of equilibrium.

It is misconception to think that there is a field of gravity, and that a particle called graviton is possible.

Thus, we see the manifestation of gravity in the dynamic configurations of the galaxies, the planetary systems, and in the internal structure of atoms.

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Earth’s Gravity

In gravitation, there is an equilibrium of movement as among the bodies of the solar system. The moon revolves around the earth on a path determined by this equilibrium.

The objects on earth also want to revolve around the earth, but their equilibrium path is less than the radius of the earth. So, they are pushed against the earth. This is not like the attraction between two opposite charges, as in electromagnetism. It is actually a movement that is restrained, which gives us our weight.

The intrinsic motion of objects on Earth pushes them against the surface of Earth. This accounts for Earth’s gravity.

This means that a body will levitate on the surface of earth only when it is so heavy that its natural equilibrium path will have a radius greater than the radius of the Earth.

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Considerations

The major concepts introduced in Chapter 9 is GRAVITY. This concept is defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.

1. Inertia and gravity represent condition of equilibrium. 
2. The constant speed of light is due to its equilibrium with mass.
3. Any forces arise only to restore the condition of equilibrium.
4. There are no forces when there are no deviations from equilibrium.
5. There are no external forces moving the bodies in space.
6. The intrinsic motion of objects pushes them against the surface of earth.

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Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)

Planets in our solar system move around the Sun on their own, without being pushed. Similarly, the electronic field swirls around the nucleus on its own; and so does light that travels at a tremendous speed in a straight line. 

All these are instances of intrinsic motion. This is a natural property of substance. Intrinsic motion is visible in an environment where no friction and other external forces are present.

It is a misconception that substance has no intrinsic motion.

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Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s three laws of motion apply to matter of fixed mass only. These laws may be stated as follows:

(1) “Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”

(2) “The change of motion is proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the direction of the right line in which that force is impressed.”

(3) “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction: or, the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.”

Newton’s laws do not take into account any variations in mass. The variation in mass corresponding to the range of motion of matter is infinitesimal and cannot be measured.

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Inertia

Newton attributes to matter an “innate force” that makes each body persist in its state of rest or uniform rectilinear motion, yet he explicitly denies any active internal principle that can generate new motion without external forces. Newton thus introduces “vis insita, or innate force of matter” as a power of resisting changes of motion. This is what we now call inertia, codified in the First Law of Motion.

According to Newton, if a body is accelerated by an external force to a higher velocity, then the body shall continue to move at that higher velocity even after the external force is removed. The removal of force shall not change the higher velocity, which shall be maintained due to inertia.

This is like saying that if a spring is compressed by putting load on it, then the spring shall remain compressed even after that load is removed. There seems to be something missing in this picture of inertia. 

For Newton, motion is explained by the interplay of inertia and forces in absolute space and time, codified in his three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. According to Newton, motion does not need a continuing cause; only changes in motion do.

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The Fourth Law

But Newton was not aware of the motion inside an atom, which is intrinsic to it. That motion is not being generated by some external force. From the center of the atom to its periphery, the volume increases, and with that increase in volume the mass thins out, and the intrinsic motion increases. There is some law hidden here that relates the mass of substance to its motion. The motion relates to the extents of that substance. If Newton had known this he could have come up with the following fourth law of motion:

(4) “There is a dynamic equilibrium between mass of substance and its motion in space. As mass decreases the motion in space increase.”

There is a lot packed in this fourth law. It seems to define the mass (thickness), and intrinsic motion (space) of substance in terms of each other. There appears to be an inverse relationship between mass on one hand and motion on the other. This relationship is maintained dynamically.

This means that an external force may temporarily disturb the equilibrium of mass and motion of the substance, but when that force is removed, the equilibrium shall return. If Newton’s inertia resists the change in motion caused by an external force, then it should also restore the original motion after the external force is removed. If a body is accelerated to a higher velocity by an external force, then, upon removal of that force, the body must return to its previous velocity, provided the body has not changed.

In other words, inertia is not just a one way street. If it resists an increase in motion by an external force, then it also restores the motion after the force is removed. 

It is a misconception to think of inertia only as a resistance to change in motion of a body. Inertia also acts to restore intrinsic motion whenever it is changed.

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Motion

Motion needs to be redefined under the fourth law:

Motion has to do with thickness and volume of substance. Motion is continuous yet finite like the surface of a sphere. Therefore, it must repeat. This relates motion to space and time and gives it a cyclic nature. As volume decreases, the cycles increase and the substance becomes thick and increasingly centered. It then takes force to change that centeredness of motion. That resistance is called inertia. When that centeredness of motion is disturbed by an external force, it is restored when the external force is removed.

Nucleus of an atom has very small surface; motion is highly cyclic motion and centered; inertia is very high. In comparison, an electron has as much larger surface (equal to that of a hydrogen atom); motion is less cyclic and centered; inertia is much lower. Light has an extremely large surface; motion is low in cycles and centeredness; inertia is infinitesimal. 

In a galaxy, the central black hole is extremely dense. As the distance from the black hole increases, the average thickness of the galactic bodies decreases and their motion increases. The galactic bodies appear to rotate around the black hole. 

The velocity is low when highly centered and very high when not centered at all. Thus, velocity of substance depends on its thickness. The thickness of substance is difficult to change; therefore, motion of substance has a tendency to be restored after it is disturbed.

It is a misconception to think of motion limited to the velocity of a body or a particle. Motion is also occurring within the body or particle. 

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Considerations

The major concepts introduced in Chapter 8 is INERTIA. This concept is defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.

1. Substance has intrinsic motion. 
2. Intrinsic motion varies inversely with thickness of substance.
3. Newton’s laws of motion apply to matter of fixed mass.
4. Motion of matter may vary with infinitesimal change of mass.
5. When the mass does not change, any change in motion is restored.

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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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