Thou art That

Every human being has an inherent desire for a subjective experience of the underlying interconnectedness of all things in the Universe. This innate desire connects the lower self to something which is grander than life. While the intensity of this desire varies among individuals, a deep dive into a person's psychology reveals the ambition of reaching a higher plane of existence. 

Even Maslow's hierarchy of needs places self actualization at the top of the pyramid. In religious societies ,we are taught from childhood about a God who created everything out of nothing and how we should appreciate every piece of creation. Interconnectedness form the basis of our moral framework with rules that dictate acts of kindness and honesty as fundamental principles of humanity. This is how modern societies have evolved strict and rigid moral guidelines that tell us what to do and what not to do. There must be some truth in morality else we , home sapiens would have certainly wiped out all forms of life , including our own. A common observation is that even animals follow ethics in many situations.

 

Thus , morality can be seen as somewhat instinctive, an evolutionary mechanism for collective survival. Interconnectedness also serves as an evolutionary mechanism. In this era of Anthropocene, the philosophy of interconnectedness could be the evolutionary safeguard for collective survival. For example, bees are crucial for human health, economy and survival. If bees were to become extinct, humans will likely follow. Recognizing this interconnectedness compels us to take action for common survival.

 

Interconnectedness is a subject rooted in Physics but has applications in economics and ecology. It is also an innate desire within human psychology for emotional and spiritual maturity. Interconnectedness suggest that every atom in the Universe is connected. Quantum Physics indicates that all matter particles are at the basic level connected to each other in the form of a wave function that defines the probability of its " existence " at a specific time-space coordinate. There is no isolated electron particle but a wave function that is smeared across the whole of Universe in the form of a mathematical probability. An individual particle is a single instance of collapse of the wave function when an observer interacts with it. Someone might argue that this individualism of the electron particle is merely an illusion, that has no existence beyond the observers realm.  

 

Consciousness is the observer that collapses the wave function to fine tune a version of reality that we perceive to be "real". So there is no absolute existence beyond the observer. In other words , it is the observer that is the fundamental building block of reality. It is possible that all fundamental particles are different instances of a single wave function, manifesting as a finite reality upon interaction with an observer. 

 

Subjective experiences like thoughts , feelings and emotions are also interconnected in the neural framework. The brain, as the seat of individual subjective experiences, generate feelings , emotions and thoughts through complex neurochemical processes. Our brains function like individual nodes in the information network , suggesting that all of our feelings , thoughts and emotions are also interconnected.

 

Why do subjective experiences exist and what is their value ? The concepts of beauty , love and self expression offer some promise in answering this complex question . While we do not know the actual reason for existence, we can infer that the Universe aims to project herself in many forms and enjoy self manifestation, reveling in her splendor and opulence. The multitude of subjective experiences emanating from the diverse flow of life  points to Universe's love for herself and her creations. Our experiences testify to the fact that life unfolds over time, bringing us closer to self realization and the love inherent in the process. 

 

All particles in the Universe are interdependent and connected. All our actions and thoughts are interrelated. Nothingness, where all possibilities are superimposed transforms into finite reality, when an observer interacts with it, fine tuned to best reflect collective perceptions of beauty , truth and bliss. 

 

The initial conditions of the Universe were so finely tuned that intelligent life could thrive billions of years later. This mystery is somewhat decoded if we believe that the Universal observer produced this effect with a futuristic view of propagating intelligent life and self-realization of love and beauty. Self-manifestation, self-awareness, and self-love seem to be important goals the Universe set out to achieve 13 billion years ago.

 

Would the Universe still exist without subjective experiences to appreciate its beauty? This question was asked by Albert Einstein to Rabindranath Tagore, when the two met in Berlin. Einstein asked , " if there would be no human beings any more , the Apollo of Belvedere would no longer be beautiful ?" Tagore emphatically said No , as he firmly believed that Beauty is perceived only through the human consciousness. Einstein agreed with this perspective on Beauty but had his reservations on the relativity of Truth. Tagore believed that Truth also is based on the subjective experience of human beings. His view point represented the Eastern school of thought , in which human perception has more value than absoluteness of truth. ( it is to be noted here that much later the film Roshomon by Akira Kurosawa , navigated this idea of truth being dependent on human ego and perception )

 

Einstein asked Tagore if there were no person in the room , will the table in the room cease to exist. Tagore insisted that reality is always subjective. If no one were present in the room the table will still be in the universal mind. The individual mind will eventually reconcile with the universal mind to create one version of truth. 

 

Thus, the Universal mind defines our reality, but individual minds can alter it within the limitations set by the universal mind. This touches on the broader question of fate versus free will. Humans have the autonomy to make independent choices that can intervene with the choices made at the Universal layer, either by random chance or mechanisms beyond our understanding.

Tagore used his understanding of Eastern classical music to address this paradox. The Universal consciousness defines broader restrictions, while individual consciousness has room to improvise within these limits. Free will or individual consciousness can significantly influence certain aspects of reality, making us co-creators. 

" we are all kings in this kingdom of our king ,  else how do we unite with him ? We act as per our wishes , yet we follow his will , not enslaved by his rigid rules , else how do we unite with him ?" Tagore

 

This unity is like the notes of a music playing to a beautiful composition. While the composition remains intact , the individual musician can render significant fluidity within the broader restrictions of the composition . The Universe is like a great musician who loves her own rules but bends them if she feels that it will create more beauty and harmony in our subjective experiences.