Our Benevolent Cosmos: Embracing the Mystery of Life

By John Humphreys

I have always been inspired by Albert Einstein's quotation that 'the fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.'

Whilst this quotati

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Humphreys
• Release date: Aug 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9780645132212

John Humphreys

After ten years as Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Greenwich, London, John moved to the south coast of England where he is currently visiting professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences, Portsmouth and Chairman of the Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority: The latter statutory organisation being responsible for a sea area of which more than 50% is occupied by 15 marine protected areas with over 30 different overlapping designations. His main research focus is on the ecology of non-native bivalve species, but he has also published on various aspects of policy. His work in Africa won a Queen’s Award for his University in 2007. John is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and on the Council of the Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association.

Book preview

Our Benevolent Cosmos

Published by John Humphreys

First published in 2021

Copyright © John Humphreys

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review). No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

Disclaimer

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

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ISBN: 978-0-6451322-0-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-6451322-1-2 (ebook)

Contents

Author’s Note

Introduction

ONE

Connecting with the Cosmos

We Are Made of Stardust

Is the Cosmos Infinite?

The Beginning of Time

Is the Cosmos Benevolent?

The Concept of God

The Concept of Heaven and Earth

Science, Mystery and the Existence of God

Mass, Energy, Space and God

TWO

Unveiling Your Pure Essence – or ‘God Within Us’

Hard Landing on Earth

Philosophy and the Meaning of Life

Art, Creativity and Creation

Spirit and Soul

The Divine Light Within

Consciousness

Unveiling Our Divine Light

The Interconnection of All

What Happens Before and After Death?

Acceptance of Suffering and Surrender to Death

THREE

The Birth of the Next Reformation

Planting the Seeds of Change

Central Beliefs of Christianity and Pertinent Issues

The Symbolism of the Cross

Questioning the New Testament and the History of Christ

Losing Our Religion

The Issue of Sinfulness

Subjugation of Women in the Church

Answering the Sceptics

Towards the Intersection of Science, Spirituality, Religion and History

FOUR

Conclusion

What Is God?

Final Reflections

APPENDIX

Scientific Explorations in Our Cosmos

We Are Made of Stardust – A Scientific Perspective

Exploring the Cosmos

Unresolved Questions on the Cosmos

References

Endnotes

Acknowledgements

Author’s Note

What drives our life’s journey, our passions, inspirations and relationships? Are humans simply a small ‘blip’ in a world of trillions of expanding galaxies, or inseparable, creative children of the cosmos? Who or what is our authentic self? Our belief systems range from strict adherence to fundamentalism and historically based dogma to nihilism’s creed that life is meaningless. In our search for authenticity such beliefs may serve us extremely well, or in some cases very badly.

Encouraging an open mind in embracing life’s mystery and suggesting pathways to discover our pure essence are two of the principal aims of this book, which by necessity implies a serious reflection on entrenched secular, nationalistic and theological ideologies. It follows that a journey of this nature is impeded by any individual or institution that does not allow doubt and questioning. As the English literary critic and writer Cyril Connolly said, ‘In my religion there would be no exclusive doctrine; all would be love, poetry and doubt.’¹ More broadly, Alvar Ellegard (Professor of English at the University of Goteborg, Sweden) states it well when he says that the road to understanding the world we live in will only be reached through questioning the results we have obtained and exerting ourselves in our quest to expand one’s experience.²

My own religious and spiritual journey over many years, commencing as a child and a teenager in a conservative Presbyterian Church, has led me to question certain entrenched ‘truisms’ – which admittedly encompass some that are sacrosanct to many – including those held by religious traditionalists, atheists and agnostics. This odyssey has highlighted some of the discrepancies (and compatibilities) in the uneasy reconciliation between science and religion, as well as inconsistencies between traditional biblical teachings, more progressive understandings of religion, and empirical research.

Apart from an interest in spiritual growth through reading and personal reflection, 50 years spent in the science, technology and innovation environment (the latter 8 years involving a close connection with the development of the world’s next radio telescope – the Square Kilometre Array – and its exploration of the cosmos) has sharpened my need to question and comment on what I term ‘status quo’ thinking and actions. To evolve as we are meant to do, the ‘business as usual’ adage must continue to be questioned, despite the words of Machiavelli (1469–1527) when he stated:

‘There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of thing.’

Certainly, Columbus in 1492, Copernicus in 1543, Galileo in 1609, and countless other groundbreaking pioneers and sages would agree! More recently Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger in the 1920s broke new ground in the birth of quantum physics – a field that few people can claim to fully understand, even today.

Apart from my own perspectives, this book presents a distillation of thoughts from the experiences of a significant number of past and present authors, with pertinent quotations sprinkled throughout to add emphasis. These authors include scientists, sages, spiritualists, sceptics, philosophers, artists, anthropologists, theologians, and historians. This approach is based on the fact that speculations from more than one expert in disparate yet interconnected fields reduce the possibility of unlikely assumptions being made. Its broad aim is to highlight recurring themes on the mysteries of our birthplace, the cosmos, as well as foster an intuitive reach into our ‘pure’ essence, shared by all on this earth.

Can research which addresses the challenging topics covered in this book be considered empirical? Empirical research answers questions that cannot be studied in the laboratory – rather the researcher derives knowledge from direct and indirect observations or experiences. In this sense it could be argued that the assumptions and hypotheses therein are based on an empirical approach. Adopting this methodology may add to the ongoing quest for answers to the world’s greatest questions and provide benefits to humankind through facilitating a greater degree of consensus. This is particularly true in discussing the vexing topic of ‘What is God?’, exploring the growing field of studies in human consciousness, and suggesting the way forward for all those seeking a grander purpose in their life.

Researching this treatise has been challenging, considering the nature/breadth of the topics addressed, and the consequent need to bring together the sections as a readable narrative. Naturally, it is easier in genre-specific works to follow the traditional authors’ recipe for success, aimed at producing a piece of work that flows easily from introduction to conclusion. It is also recognised that the sections included in this book merely provide a snapshot of the topics addressed, with each subject to a plethora of books and articles, past, present and undoubtedly future. The content is focused on stimulating further dialogue, suggesting alternative propositions, stirring our soul, and supporting our shared human evolution. It is suggested that the book be read slowly and mindfully, to allow its content to penetrate beyond the thinking, intellectualised mind.

Importantly, the book is also aimed at engendering enthusiasm on the part of the reader to further explore the insights of the many inspirational ‘pathfinders’ mentioned. They show us the way, often in adversity, and include those who ‘stand on the shoulders’ of their learned predecessors, to break new ground on our evolution.

There are two meanings for the Cosmos – capitalised it means an alternative expression for our observed universe. When it is in the lower case, it refers to both the seen and unseen universes beyond our own – the multiverse (or multiple universes). To clarify, the title ‘our benevolent cosmos’ refers to the latter. Most of the references in this book refer to the broader view of the cosmos, as we are all part of the ‘whole’. However, for the sake of emphasis, it is capitalised in headings.

There is a fine balance to be reached between intellectual pursuits in a number of disciplines and the broad, often contentious insights regarding the ‘Unknowable’. Through that ‘ether’, and in moments of serious meditation and stillness, we can transcend human reasoning, begin to recognise the oneness of all humanity, and understand the need to hold this world and beyond in a more loving embrace. Only then can we begin to glimpse into the nature of the ‘universal mind’ and our own place in eternity. The artist van Gogh expressed it well:

‘I know nothing with any certainty, but the

sight of the stars makes me dream…be clearly

aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then

life seems almost enchanted after all.’

– Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

I have been truly blessed that Janice, my wife for almost 50 years, has shared my life’s journey – her love, strength and commitment have been a source of inspiration. In dedicating this book to her, I recognise her immense contribution, as we travel down the same path together. Thanks also to our three daughters, six grandchildren, other family members and friends for being so tolerant and loving.

Introduction

The Nobel Prize Winner Eric R. Kandel quotes the molecular physicist C.P. Snow in his declaration that ‘Western intellectual life is divided into two cultures: that of the sciences, which are concerned with the physical nature of the universe, and that of the humanities – literature and art – which are concerned with the nature of human experience.’³

Science, religion, spirituality, philosophy and artistic expression fall within these two broad categorisations, with literature written in each of these genres typically reflecting the cultural and methodological disconnect between the disciplines. For example, scientism advocates would attest that life’s deepest mysteries can only be solved through science, whilst others would disagree, saying the nature of God cannot be understood through the laboratory test tube.

This lack of consensus and the intellectual differences between disciplines suggest the need for an overarching, transcendent view on some of the greatest contemporary challenges and mysteries that exercise the human mind. Whilst Kandel in his book Reductionism in Art and Brain Science emphasises that new approaches to brain science will answer some of these challenges, this emerging science alone will support, rather than replace, the disparate observations of learned practitioners in a range of other disciplines.

There are many mysteries of our life’s experience, including the true nature of God; comprehension of dark matter; what is inside supermassive black holes; gravitational waves and dark energy in the universe; how we can access our inner, pure essence; determining what happens to this ‘essence’ after death; and whether our souls exist eternally. Such challenging questions can only be partially answered by extracting broad and often recurring lessons from a large and diverse range of reputable writers from a number of disciplines and observing how these insights resonate with one’s own inner instincts. Regardless of any understandings offered by this book, as one shines a torchlight on these challenging topics, mysteries will still remain – which is the ‘enchantment’ in van Gogh’s dreams and Einstein’s ‘fundamental emotion’. The much-persecuted beguine mystics, who were a significant influence on the great German mystic Meister Eckhart, were also comfortable with the sense of mystery.

Certainly, luminaries such as Stephen Hawking have attempted to address the mysteries. In his final book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, he grapples with the following questions – Is there a God? How did it begin? What is inside a black hole? Can we predict the future? Is time travel possible? Will we survive on Earth? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Should we colonise space? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? and How do we shape the future?⁴ Hawking admitted that these and other questions are still unresolved, yet believed emphatically that science would ultimately find the solutions. Whilst he relied predominantly on science to solve the most pressing issues in the world, others have argued that science is simply catching up with ancient wisdom, and is in a constant state of evolution as one theory and scientifically based practice is replaced by another, or undergoes an ongoing correction.

As the pioneer violinist Stephen Nachmanovitch noted:

‘Einstein did not overthrow or invalidate Newton’s laws, but rather uncovered a deeper context that encompassed both the familiar laws of mechanics and the new, strange phenomena of electromagnetism. As ideas evolve, there occurs a rhythm of systole-diastole between the rejection of mistakes and accidents, their acceptance as oddities, and their incorporation along with the old system of beliefs into a richer, more complex system.’⁵

However, it is also true that a developing system doesn’t always accommodate new ideas – existing systems may collapse and be replaced by new ones, reflecting a fundamental change in a scientific discipline, as articulated by the American philosopher and physicist Thomas Kuhn.

Our understanding of the cosmos has grown exponentially through scientific endeavours. Regardless of the groundbreaking science, one instinctively understands that there is a splendid natural order underlying the chaos of the universe, our own planet earth, and in every human being. To adequately commence our journey in understanding the interconnection between every individual and between his or her ‘Source’ demands an overriding literary approach which seeks a universal consensus – not a more narrow, genre-specific view which often fosters a greater disconnection between potential ‘bedmates’. Therefore, as mentioned, the reference material accessed is drawn from a broad spectrum of writers, who have been chosen as representative of the relative positions of the disciplines they represent.

What is this universal consensus – the recurring themes from