“ Heaven above, heaven below; stars above, stars below; all that is above, thus also below; understand this and be blessed. ” Athanasius Kircher

“ Consciousness is a being, the nature of which is to be conscious of the nothingness of its being. ” Jean-Paul Sartre

“ Although each of us obviously inhabits a separate physical body, the laboratory data from a hundred years of parapsychology research strongly indicate that there is no separation in consciousness. ” Russell Targ

“ All speech, action, and behavior are fluctuations of consciousness. All life emerges from, and is sustained in, consciousness. The whole universe is the expression of consciousness. The reality of the universe is one unbounded ocean of consciousness in motion. ” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

“ All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force ... We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter. ” Max Planck

“ Let us admit what all idealists admit – the hallucinatory nature of the world. Let us do what no idealist has done – let us search for unrealities that confirm that nature. I believe we shall find them in the antinomies of Kant and in the dialectic of Zeno ... 'The greatest wizard (Novalis writes memorably) would be the one who bewitched himself to the point of accepting his own phantasmagorias as autonomous apparitions. Wouldn't that be our case.' I surmise it is so. We (that indivisible divinity that operates in us) have dreamed the world. We have dreamed it as enduring, mysterious, visible, omnipresent in space and stable in time; but we have consented to tenuous and eternal intervals of illogicalness in its architecture that we might know it is false. ” Jorge Luis Borges

Since Newton's apple, mass and gravity have been inextricably linked in our conceptual models of the workings of the universe. The foundational equations of classical physics make forces such as gravity dependent on mass. Remove mass from the equation and there can be no gravity because the equation solves to zero. And since the equations appear to accurately predict the dynamics of the visible massive universe around us, they are presumed to be 'true' to a large degree. However, this perspective has thrown up a number of intuitively unsatisfactory anomalies in astrophysics. For instance, it's been necessary to postulate the existence of superdense matter equivalent to the mass of several thousand Suns compressed into an area the size of the solar system to account for the gravitational forces in supermassive black holes. An invisible 'dark matter' has had to be invented to explain the strength of the gravitational forces surrounding and containing galaxies.

This mass-creates-force formulation excludes such things as psychokinesis from the conceptual map and, by extension, from our collective notions of what is 'real'. The bias (polarisation) in our collective scrutiny of psi phenomena emphasises their illusory qualities, while failing to appreciate that there is an equally illusory quality to what we take to be 'real' as well. (Much the same logic applies to the 'placebo' argument used in attempts to dismiss complementary therapies like homeopathy. Those doing so fail to appreciate the extent to which the placebo effect operates in conventional medicine or to realise that their perspective, while in many senses 'true', is mostly a function of polarisation.)

Einstein proved that gravity is a 'fictitious' force. This doesn't mean it has no experiential reality, but that it's an epiphenomenon, the product of a non-inertial reference frame, for instance a revolving planet. Through Newton's second law of motion F = ma (force = mass x acceleration), this is a force which is always proportional to the mass of the accelerating object. This has remained observably verifiable to a high degree of accuracy on the macrocosmic scale, despite the fact that Newton's laws are only strictly true within inertial reference frames and a rotating object is non-inertial. Its movement is equivalent to constant acceleration even if the speed of rotation is constant, since the direction of movement is constantly changing.

Mass we intuitively understand to be intimately related to solidity, density, weight, volume. We can see something's mass. We can feel it. How can it be so difficult to define? But as physicist Max Jammer said, measurements of mass are just ratios of other things. Suddenly mass seems to take on an aura of something less solid. It seems far too contingent and dependent, too much of an epiphenomenon itself to be primary.

Thinking on this brings up a number of interesting questions.

Mostly we take mass to be broadly equivalent to weight, but weight is a function of gravity. If the 'thingness' of mass is extraordinarily difficult to define independent of gravity, can gravity be defined without mass?

Einstein proved the equivalence, in special relativity, of mass and energy. E = mc² (energy = mass x speed of light squared). If gravity is the product of a non-inertial reference frame and mass and energy are equivalent, then why shouldn't gravity arise from revolving energy? Instead of just F = ma, why not F = (E/c²)a?

And what if revolving energy is the product of the one significant factor missing (or marginalised as a largely insignificant, contingent and dependent by-product of mass) from our present scientific world view – consciousness? What if we've had the entire thing back to front and inside out? (Which, after all, would be wholly consistent with the Buddhist idea of the external world as a mirror to, and projection of, the inner. This is also echoed in Jungian psychology.) What if it's mass that's the contingent and dependent by-product of consciousness?

Returning to the 'fictitious' nature of gravity, since everything observable in the known universe is revolving within larger systems which are themselves revolving, does this mean that everything in material existence is an epiphenomenon, and hence 'fictitious'?

I first wrote about these topics in two earlier essays. Anyone wanting to follow the development of the ideas in detail would be advised to read these two first. Unscientific attachment discusses the self-similar self-referential spin which is a feature of the recursive nature of thought processes, while the existential mirror provides the introduction to Holed in one. Both were written 2 years ago, the latter added to last year as additional insights arose. Both emphasise the intrinsic property of spin affecting everything in the universe (and which seems insufficiently acknowledged in modern physics until very recently).

It was an emphasis on the importance of recognising the universal role of angular momentum (spin), together with the existence of multiple levels of nested recursive processes, which the proving at the time (Stangeria eriopus, the Natal Grass Cycad) was bringing to my attention. From that developed the idea that a black hole provided a highly useful model for understanding the nature of our individual realities, but I stopped short of addressing the nature of the singularity because I couldn't see it clearly at the time. Thanks to the current proving (substance unknown at the time of writing *), I've now been able to return to this point.

(* Rhodium metallicum)

Tautological torque

Briefly, the revealed understanding is as follows. For anyone coming across this page at random, please note that these statements are a report of direct perception and have no conventional 'proof'.

All matter exists in a sea of consciousness which organises itself in multi-dimensional nested toroidal flow patterns around seed 'ideas' out of which matter ultimately precipitates, anchoring the 'idea', and giving form and expression to the conscious imperative in all its myriad expressions. This creates a universe of infinitely nested looping energy processes from the galactic level to the subatomic within an overall hologram maintained by the consciousness of the universe in its entirety, and which is toroidal in its topology. (Note that a black hole and an electron possess the same gyromagnetic ratio.) The toroidal flow pattern – essentially the recursive nature of focused thought which, through self-reference and self-similarity becomes stable and self-maintaining – creates charge and spin. This is the gravitational force (acceleration of a non-inertial reference frame) which bends spacetime into its flow patterns, leaving its impression in the two-dimensional 'rubber sheet' image so poular in explaining Einstein's concept of gravity in general relativity (see diagram above left).

With the entirety of spacetime ultimately part of a toroidal process perpetually revolving and turning in on itself, spacetime curvature is universal. Time and space in any strictly linear sense cease to exist. They become solely a means of measuring the apparent linear distance between two points, relational vectors, and light only appears to travel in straight lines over relatively short distances (in universal terms). The same limitations apply as with any linear spatial vectors on a curved surface. Much as movement in several dimensions (forewards, backwards, sideways, up, down, and round and round) is possible in space, it's equally so in time. The main impediment to travel in time would appear to be our rigid adherence to the illusion of its unidimensionality and linearity.

Nested toroidal flow patterns, with their generation of charge and spin, set up vibration, resonance ("first there was the Word ...") which creates standing waves where opposing frequencies interact intensively in the eye of the torus. With the intense heat and pressure generated as a function of relative inertia at these points, active galactic nucleii energe, emitting electromagetic radiation of various frequencies by a mechanism similar to sonoluminescence on a gigantic scale and forming their own toroidal vortices as they gain further stability within the whole. Matter similarly coalesces out of resonance patterns, accumulating and building on itself as the force of a strong 'idea' subsumes nearby toroidal flow patterns of similar resonance to increase in size and gravitational strength.

The so-called 'dark matter' which is postulated as the source of the gravitational forces which surround and contain galaxies is merely the outer edges of the toroidal flow pattern of the relatively individualised consciousness of that particular galaxy. (There is no 'dark matter' because gravity is not predicated on matter but the angular momentum of energy which may, or may not, manifest as matter.)

Even matter itself reflects a spiralling process in its evolution, as this presentation of the Periodic Table from Philip Stewart shows.

Reversing the original notion that black holes are collapsed stars with extraordinarily dense mass which is what creates their extreme gravitational forces, mass becomes a product of the gravitational forces of consciousness, in fact, is the precipitation of it which retains charge and spin (hence gravity) by virtue of the consciousness it embodies. Consequently any attempt to measure and quantify mass cannot be done independently of gravity. Black holes, however, do not have mass. They are all consciousness – an indication of the enormous amount of energy available in a system when none of it is tied up in mass – and are a formative element in galaxies rather than their end point. As such they serve as a model for the dynamics of consciousness in more concretised systems (as per Holed in one), which also have their own 'event horizons', 'accretion discs', EM radiation emissions and toroidal energy flow.

A progression of toroidal flow through the different classes of torus may define the evolutionary progression from consciousness to matter, the ring torus equating to black holes, the horn torus to active galactic nucleii and the spindle torus to material forms from planets to Earth-based lifeforms. The topology of the spindle torus may even give us the underlying explanation for the left-right cross-over between the two hemispheres of the brain and the distributed nervous system of the body in the nervous systems of higher metazoans.

The two-dimensional representation of the cross-section of a spindle torus, specifically a torus where the diameter of the spindle at its widest point is equal to the radius of the torus in cross-section, is the Vesica Pisces. Aside from being the geometric figure which is the dominant thematic source for the architecture of the Gothic cathedrals, the Vesica Pisces is "a form generator in that all the regular polygons can be said to arise from the succession of vesica constructions." (Robert Lawlor, Sacred Geometry. 1982. Thames & Hudson)

This means that we can now redefine 'mass' to allow Newton's second law of motion, etc, to remain true while providing an opt-out clause for actual material substance. The most elegant solution to this is possibly that our present idea of mass has unconsciously included consciousness, which would seem to equate to the apparently 'empty' space between atomic particles (the Buddhists describe the primordial inseparability of awareness and emptiness), not to mention agreeing with widespread First Nation knowledge of the consciousness present in all matter (which I've also found to be a wholly satisfactory explanation for the phenomena experienced in homeopathic provings).

In summary, the toroidal flow pattern is the curvature in spacetime that is gravity. It's not created by mass, but by self-referential recursive thought forms in consciousness which may eventually concretise into mass. Gravity is hence the precursor of mass, not the other way round.

Bringing consciousness into theoretical physics yields the only unified field theory ultimately possible, for the simple reason that everything observed and processed through consciousness becomes relevant and is unified into common understanding. Whichever way you look at it, this has to be the case. Even from the perspective of consciousness as an epiphenomenon of matter, any physical 'theory of everything' must, if it's 'true', find its reflection in all other areas of human knowledge and exploration, otherwise it remains deficient in explaining the products of consciousness. And unification, by its very definition, does not permit fragmentation.

Artists, poets and mystics have, of course, known of the primacy and universality of consciousness since time immemorial.

With consciousness as the universal medium, everything is correlated with everything else, so action at a distance becomes not just understandable, but the fundamental underpinnings of all action (which is implied by the findings of quantum theory). To observe non-local coupling in effect, it's only necessary to make the decision to observe it, for that act in consciousness creates the coupling. The scale of coupling observable in the physical realm is proportional to the amount of conscious energy that can be focused on it (the power of prayer). This has huge implications for our potential, using the combined focused consciousness of humanity, to restore our polluted planet to health. (See Masaru Emoto's work using the power of consciousness to purify polluted water.)

With consciousness as the defining force behind matter and action, all material manifestations become symbolic depictions of the conscious focus which created them. Thus events in our lives, symptoms of illness, etc, contain symbolism representing the various hopes and fears, the energy-in-motion or e-motion, that we're preoccupied with at any moment.

With matter being understood as essentially concretised consciousness, and consciousness as the universal medium connecting and infusing the entirety of existence, we immediately have a theoretical framework supporting all the various psi phenomena which science has so far struggled to explain. Not to mention validating the premises of more ancient sciences such as astrology and medical methodologies such as homeopathy. The potential inherent in this perspective for delivering a comprehensive understanding of the nature of our existence in which all past and present knowledge on any subject is relevent, and nothing 'invalid', is truly exciting. We stand on the threshold of finally appreciating the whole elephant. There is nothing to argue about any more.

Where's 'God' in all this?

The inevitable question then arises as to how various ideas and formulations of 'God' fit into this scenario. The Christian idea of an anthropomorphised and polarised male epitomy of 'goodness' intimately concerned with the fate of humankind, emphasising 'good' over 'evil', 'love' over 'hate', and locked in eternal battle with a similarly polarised representation of 'evil', appears in the context of the model to represent little more than a projection of the collective recursive expression of the 'idea' of humankind, rather than anything more universal. Naïve but valid theological questions, such as if God is love how can he allow innocent children to die horribly, thus highlight the incongruities in the formulation. The Muslim conceptualisation of Allah is not dissimilar. While the various mystery schools of both traditions venture further, the principal understanding of a patriarchal creator-deity who is entirely separate from 'sinful' humankind prevails. In many ways it's no wonder this conceptualisation has been so widely rejected in recent years because it's incongruent with the fundamental unity of existence and the lack of polarisation inherent in pure consciousness. In trumpeting the superiority of their one God, it seems these religions have made the error of conflating the ultimate unity of existence with a limited, polarised and purely antropocentric idea of it.

Polarisation is relative and contingent, a function of e-motion, itself a product of consciousness in motion arising from the recursive flow pattern set up by the central 'ideas' of a relatively individualised system. Specifically, emotion is energy movements of opposing polarity (love/hate), collectively creating an alternating current which maintains the conduction of ideas through the various levels of nested donuts and a state of dynamic equilibrium as regards the overall charge and spin of the local sytem. We may like to believe that 'love makes the world go round', but our polarised concept of love makes the existence of hate not only inevitable but necessary. It creates a dualistic (bipolar) experience of 'reality', and draws like to like (opposites being but different polarities of the same issue), either in conflict (mutual repulsion between poles with the same charge) or union (attraction between poles of opposite charge), which by virtue of collective conscious engagement reinforces a particular perspective and continues to hold all participants hostage to its spin. Love/hate are just human experiences of the opposing polar forces generated by recursive looping of collective thought patterns within the overall system.

The pantheistic religions, such as the ancient Greek and Roman, and the Hindu and Buddhist traditions are different. Here, archetypes within consciousness are given recognisable but mutable form, by no means exclusively anthropomorphic, and are less dualistic in their expression. Instead, the laws of action and reaction are expressed through the concept of karma and its equivalent. The meditative practices of the Eastern spiritual traditions train individual consciousness to focus on the still point at the centre of the donut, thus eliminating polarisation and e-motion and apprehending consciousness in the purity of its essence, the primordial non-dual ground of being.

In experiencing the essence of consciounsess, it becomes possible to experience a different kind of love, a force of attraction which is engendered by a recognition of the unity of life. In other words, it is the experience of the gravitational field of the universe in its entirety. In focusing on the centre of the donut, it is simultaneously both the inner and the outer, the point of nothingness and everything in existence. This, perhaps, is the love that really makes the world go round.

The 100th monkey?

Given the holographic nature of the universe, we can witness the same dynamic in action as 'spin-doctors' generate sufficient momentum in ideas that they become attractive (ie. acquire gravity, and gravitas). The model also illuminates the mechanism by which scientists working intensely but separately on similar ideas are able to bring them into manifestation almost simultaneously. This is related to the 100th monkey syndrome -- the point where the force of an idea in the stream of consciousness gains sufficient momentum to fold in on itself, become stable and self-maintaining, generate gravitational attraction within collective consciousness, propagate non-locally and finally take material form. This is the nature of becoming a hostage to a particular spin, and how we create our reality through a continual recursive feedback loop of perception and reflection within such a system.

We're now witnessing this effect with respect to this very perspective on the universe. This essay is a manifestation of it, as are the various approaches to the unified field theory now emerging in physics which are revisiting the old ideas of the existence of an all-pervasive 'Æther'. The fact that I only discovered these after writing this essay is neither here nor there. The ideas don't 'belong' to any of us. They are out there gathering momentum and will progressively be occuring to an ever greater number of people. All it takes is an open mind.

The fact that this is occurring at the same time as strong fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic poles (the stability of conscious polarisation is breaking down) and an increasing degree of planetary chaos seems entirely consistent with an understanding of ourselves as merely relatively individualised manifestations of a larger defining consciousness (Gaia) and hence subject to its 'ideas', In the midst of a period when our distorted (= twisted out of normal shape or form) ways of perceiving the world are becoming more and more harmful to all concerned, those distortions are falling away to allow revised perceptions to enter our awareness which cannot help but harmonise us with our environment.

Note too how easy it is now for us to perceive how we manufacture a perception of 'reality' out of groundless notions (the worldwide bird flu scare being a good example) – Jung's 'psychic epidemics'.

No accident perhaps that it was a falling apple that started the whole ball rolling in the first place, an apple being essentially toroidal in shape and representing the fruit of the tree of knowledge. (Interesting too that this is all occurring in the same time frame as the discovery of the solar system's 10th planet, Eris, representing the turning of established order on its head and symbolised in mythology by a golden apple.)

Links to related work in the field of physics: (references in other fields are too numerous to mention). These are references I've come across in the short time since completing this essay. I would be delighted to hear of more work in this area. Please let me know if you know of other good sites on similar subjects:

The Self-Aware Universe by Amit Goswami.

David Thomson and Jim Bourassa's Quantum AetherDynamics

"Imagine that the universe is an ocean of living energy. As the search for the true nature of space-time gains momentum, we are seeing that new discoveries and theories in space-time look more and more like the ancient concept of the Aether. Instead of space being emptiness, a void of nothingness, it begins to appear that space is the mother of everything. The "Quantum Foam" of the modern physicist is a vibrant and dynamic cauldron."

Nassim Haramein's The Resonance Project

With Elizabeth Raushcer, proposes a dual torus structure of the universe and a mechanism to account for spin. Emphasises the importance and fundamental necessity of angular momentum (spin).

Russian astrophysicist Dr Nikolai A Kozyrev's work on Aether since the 1950s. Developed from his direct perception of the structure of the universe while enduring 11 years' imprisonment in the Soviet Gulags.

Souls of Distortion Awakening by Jan Wicherink is a free e-book presenting a "coherent view of the progress of science, through Newton, Einstein, quantum and post-quantum physics, to show how science is moving towards an understanding of the quantum evolutionary leap/transition process around 2012." Includes an explanation of Dan Winter's Implosion physics which is otherwise hard to decifer from the voluminous and chaotic content of his own websites.

Co-evolution. An emerging view of black holes which considers them an indispensible factor in the creation of galaxies.