Conference on Consciousness
ABSTRACT: (re-edited)
Concepts Concerning Collective Consciousness, the Speed of Light, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Accepting ones own mortality can be a difficult concept to come to terms with. The majority of the world's population seeks religion as the means for maintaining morality and finding peace with death. This paper (while part science; part science-fiction) intends to present one specific way in which all of our conscious actions throughout our lives may continue to be interpreted post-death: by The Collective (Cosmological) Consciousness. Thus, providing an alternate purpose for exercising ethics and understanding the eternal from a point of view that lies outside traditional religious contexts. Through observing Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, understanding spectroscopy, and knowing the rate at which the speed of light travels (186,262 miles per second) it is speculated that light is a conduit through which consciousness is continually carried across the cosmos. Hence, any heat or light being reflected off of, or emitted from our planet will continue to radiate out into the universe (omnidirectionally) for an indefinite span of space and time. Now, if one were to consider the advancements mankind has made in space-telescope technology in the past 50 years and if one's imagination perpetuated toward a future path of picturing continual space-telescope technological growth in the pursuit of discovering extraterrestrial intelligence; then one might eventually imagine a time when the human-race will possess space-telescope technology capable of zooming into distant earth-like planets and observing their surfaces much in the same way our space-satellites view "Google Earth" today. If such technological feats are achieved... and if such observations are made... and if "we" witness biological interactions occurring on the surfaces of these planets... then it can be reasonably assumed that "we" will continue to keep a close watch on such relations. One might also presume that such observance over such interactions may contain the ability to alter, influence, and/or effect the consciousness of the observer. Furthermore, if one believed in the possibility that there may be intelligent civilizations in our universe whom already possess such technology, then one may be lead to the realization that every conscious action anyone has ever engaged in, on this planet, has carried with it the potential to effect and/or influence our distant "cosmic-kin" for an undetermined amount of light-years to come. "Like throwing a rock in a pond..." all of our conscious actions eternally undulate out into the universe through the conduit of light. All of our lives are on permanent light record. The universe may be watching. What will be learned from our existence? What will you shine through space and time?
Footnote:
One fundamental idea I did not consider while composing this poster was the Metric Expansion of Space: i.e. "the increase of distance between two distant parts of the universe with time. It is an intrinsic expansion whereby the scale of space itself is changed. That is, a metric expansion is defined by an increase in distance between parts of the universe even without those parts "moving" anywhere." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_expansion_of_space) Therefore the TIME/LIGHT travel examples I presented on the right side of the poster may not be entirely accurate. Due to the Metric Expansion of Space it will take longer for the LIGHT to get to earth than I suggested. Nevertheless, this does not defeat the main point of this poster... which is through the heat we emit and the light we reflect, all of our lives are eternally radiating out into the Universe. Someday, some form of consciousness will absorb and interpret that light.
Concepts Concerning Collective Consciousness, the Speed of Light, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Accepting ones own mortality can be a difficult concept to come to terms with. The majority of the world's population seeks religion as the means for maintaining morality and finding peace with death. This paper (while part science; part science-fiction) intends to present one specific way in which all of our conscious actions throughout our lives may continue to be interpreted post-death: by The Collective (Cosmological) Consciousness. Thus, providing an alternate purpose for exercising ethics and understanding the eternal from a point of view that lies outside traditional religious contexts. Through observing Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, understanding spectroscopy, and knowing the rate at which the speed of light travels (186,262 miles per second) it is speculated that light is a conduit through which consciousness is continually carried across the cosmos. Hence, any heat or light being reflected off of, or emitted from our planet will continue to radiate out into the universe (omnidirectionally) for an indefinite span of space and time. Now, if one were to consider the advancements mankind has made in space-telescope technology in the past 50 years and if one's imagination perpetuated toward a future path of picturing continual space-telescope technological growth in the pursuit of discovering extraterrestrial intelligence; then one might eventually imagine a time when the human-race will possess space-telescope technology capable of zooming into distant earth-like planets and observing their surfaces much in the same way our space-satellites view "Google Earth" today. If such technological feats are achieved... and if such observations are made... and if "we" witness biological interactions occurring on the surfaces of these planets... then it can be reasonably assumed that "we" will continue to keep a close watch on such relations. One might also presume that such observance over such interactions may contain the ability to alter, influence, and/or effect the consciousness of the observer. Furthermore, if one believed in the possibility that there may be intelligent civilizations in our universe whom already possess such technology, then one may be lead to the realization that every conscious action anyone has ever engaged in, on this planet, has carried with it the potential to effect and/or influence our distant "cosmic-kin" for an undetermined amount of light-years to come. "Like throwing a rock in a pond..." all of our conscious actions eternally undulate out into the universe through the conduit of light. All of our lives are on permanent light record. The universe may be watching. What will be learned from our existence? What will you shine through space and time?
Footnote:
One fundamental idea I did not consider while composing this poster was the Metric Expansion of Space: i.e. "the increase of distance between two distant parts of the universe with time. It is an intrinsic expansion whereby the scale of space itself is changed. That is, a metric expansion is defined by an increase in distance between parts of the universe even without those parts "moving" anywhere." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_expansion_of_space) Therefore the TIME/LIGHT travel examples I presented on the right side of the poster may not be entirely accurate. Due to the Metric Expansion of Space it will take longer for the LIGHT to get to earth than I suggested. Nevertheless, this does not defeat the main point of this poster... which is through the heat we emit and the light we reflect, all of our lives are eternally radiating out into the Universe. Someday, some form of consciousness will absorb and interpret that light.