Suggested Answers to 11 Deep Questions
This is a response to a recent article by Kimberly Fosu who asked 11 deep questions about the universe. She asked for responses, so I thought I’d try to do the whole package. Even though I believe most of what I say here, it is nevertheless meant to be somewhat light-hearted, and doesn’t have to be taken too seriously. (I’ve written more seriously about a lot of these questions in earlier articles.)
1. “What came before the Big Bang?”
First of all, we have to decide whether there ever was a Big Bang. Just because a lot of scientists believe something, that doesn’t mean it’s true. Try this test. Ask a scientist what the evidence or proof is of the Big Bang. If the first thing they say is the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, then start having doubts; they may not have done enough research. There are other possible explanations for the universe according to the great spiritual traditions of antiquity.
If there was a Big Bang, before that was the Mind of God.
2. “What is beyond what we can see? We know that the universe comprises of a solar system and that there are lots of galaxies out there. What lies beyond all of it? What lies underneath us? What lies above us? So above so below. Is this universe all there or is there is a multiverse?”
That’s a lot of questions. Hard to say what lies beyond the physical universe. Einstein said that space is curved, so that if we set off in one direction, we would eventually arrive back at our starting point. In that case, there is nothing beyond the physical universe; it is somehow self-contained.
If there is a multiverse, presumably the other universes would also be physical. It’s hard to know where they would be in relation to us. A more interesting question is, what lies above us? Other levels of reality, psychological and spiritual.
3. “Why are we here? Why are we here at this point in time? Did we choose/ask to be here? Did we plan all of our experiences? Is our presence here a learning experience that is to help our soul’s evolution? Or are we here simply because of what our parents did?”
Good questions. If you believe in reincarnation, we were not here at just this point in time, but at many other previous ones. There has been a long time-line for each of us, especially if the soul is eternal, as many believe. Our incarnations are planned, indeed as a learning experience to help our soul’s evolution.
4. “Is there something greater than ourselves? Does God really live in the sky? Is He real? Does He speak? Many of us feel connected to something greater than ourselves. What do atheists believe in? What are they connected to? Nothing at all?”
There is certainly something greater than ourselves. God does not live in the sky. New question, is God He? Answer no, not if by God we mean the ultimate creative source of everything that exists. Therefore God does not speak, except in mythological/symbolic language, e.g. expressions like “the Word of God”. Hard to know what atheists are connected to. Many of them are passionate about converting others to their beliefs.
5. “Are we bound by fate? Do you believe in fate or does the thought of it makes you uncomfortable because you don’t like the idea that you are not in control of your life? We have free will so do you believe you control your life or is your future written in the stars and set in stone? Can our fate change?”
Tricky one. The thought of it certainly makes most people feel uncomfortable for the reason stated. Do we have free will? Lots of neuroscientists and philosophers say we don’t. But we don’t have to listen to them. Referring to a previous question, our incarnation has been planned, with tasks to fulfill. Does that count as fate? Maybe. Or maybe, as the word implies, we’ve just been picked upon by some strange unknown force. The ancient Greeks certainly believed in fate. Also hexagram 5 (Waiting) of the I Ching, one of the most important books in the history of humanity, mentions the word twice: “Only a strong man can stand up to his fate… For only the man who goes to meet his fate resolutely is equipped to deal with it adequately”&¹. Such ideas have become unfashionable in the modern ‘scientific’ era. (Please also forgive the outdated sexist language.)
If fate does exist, it can be resisted. This issue is described on two cards from the Tarot deck, the Tower which shows humans resisting the Divine Will, followed by the Star where the person has surrendered to their ‘fate’, and in future will be guided by the stars.
6. “Is there life after death? … Our bodies decay but what happens to our souls? Where do souls live?”
Most certainly there is. The best evidence is children’s memories of past lives. Souls, or other levels of our being, must live in the non-material realms that we cannot normally see.
7. “Is there life on other planets?”
Why wouldn’t there be? Inorganic matter is an illusion. The universe, everything that exists is alive, a manifestation of consciousness. If we’re talking about intelligent life-forms vaguely like us, it would be extraordinary if there weren’t.
8. “Are there other dimensions? … Many shamans believe they alternate between this physical 3D and the 5D world where souls and spirits exist through meditation”.
Cosmologists certainly speculate that there might be many more dimensions. For example, advocates of string theory suggest either 10 or 26, 11 or 27 (I’ve seen both pairs in print). Are these extra ‘dimensions’ the same as higher levels of reality? It’s interesting that shamans make that connection.
9. “Do we live in a matrix? … Is life a simulation? Is there really some powerful elites that control everything? If we live in a matrix then how do we get out of it? If we do get out then what next?”
The word simulation suggests a computer, something machine-like. Are computers conscious of what they are doing? Probably not. So simulation is probably not the best word. However, we are living in a world brought into existence by a Supreme Programmer, the Divine Mind (sometimes called God). Plato’s allegory of the cave is still profoundly relevant as an expression of this idea.
There are forces outside of spacetime, at least trying to control everything we do; St. Paul called them powers and principalities. Hindus and Buddhists call the matrix maya, and suggest we meditate out of it until we reach Enlightenment. Then nothing happens, because we have been reabsorbed into the cosmic source.
10. “Will the world ever end?”
Who knows? Scientists and cosmologists say that eventually the universe will die. If by ‘world’ you mean our planet, then presumably it will carry on, even if humans manage to wipe themselves out. Then the dead planet will eventually disappear along with the rest of the universe, unless there is an earlier local disaster, like our sun dying or becoming a supernova.
11. “Is there heaven and hell?”
There’s certainly an afterlife, so our spirits must go somewhere. Heaven is a state of consciousness. Where other spirits go in the meantime is an interesting question.
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I hope you have enjoyed this article. I have written in the past about other topics, including spirituality, metaphysics, psychology, science, Christianity, politics, and astrology. All these articles are on Medium, but the simplest way to see a guide to them is to visit my website (click here and here).
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Footnote:
1. Richard Wilhelm translation, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968
