Reflections on the convergence of science with religious and spiritual beliefs

MAhmed , , , ,

The convergence of science with religious and spiritual belief explores a profound and timeless theme: the unity of all existence and the cyclical nature of the universe, intertwined with the human quest to understand the divine.

The idea that everything in the natural, living, and cosmic world came from a “Point of Singularity” through the Big Bang is widely accepted in cosmology. It suggests a common origin for all matter, energy, and time. The notion that the universe could return to this singularity through the “Big Crunch” or other theoretical endpoints—whether it be through eventual collapse or other models like the Big Freeze or Heat Death—implies that the universe operates through a cycle of creation, transformation, and potential renewal. This cyclical nature of the universe, proposed by some cosmological models, mirrors certain religious or spiritual beliefs of eternal cycles—creation, dissolution, and recreation.

This comparison of this cosmological process to the mathematical principle that a whole can be divided into infinite parts further deepens the parallel. Just as mathematics breaks down a singular entity into multiple components to reflect the various phenomena we observe, the universe—beginning from one point—branches out into the multiplicity of the physical, biological, and conscious world we experience. Mathematics serves as a tool to comprehend the vast complexity of reality, yet it still depends on a unity, a fundamental “One.” This is akin to the spiritual concept that the universe, in all its diversity, emanates from a singular source, which many spiritual traditions identify as God or a universal consciousness.

This brings us to the crux of my reflection: the relationship between the scientific understanding of the universe and the underlying belief in a single, transcendent spiritual entity. Many religious faiths hold that God is the origin of all existence and that all will return to God. This concept of oneness in religious belief dovetails with the scientific notion of singularity at the beginning of time. The belief that everything is interconnected and originates from a single source—whether it’s framed scientifically as the singularity or religiously as the divine Creator—suggests a profound unity underlying all existence.

In spiritual belief systems, such as those found in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and others, there is often the notion of returning to God or a divine source after death or at the end of time. This echoes the scientific hypothesis of a universe returning to its origin point in some models of cosmic evolution. From a religious perspective, human life is seen as a journey from unity with the Creator at birth, through a fragmented existence in the material world, and back to unity after death. This process of returning to the source mirrors the cyclical understanding of the universe in science: an ebb and flow between oneness and multiplicity, between origin and return.

Furthermore, the present advancement in quantum computing, whereby standard computing based on Boolean logic of placement of a given event as either 0 or 1 as a binary choice in algorithms is expanded with the possibility of a reality in which an event can exist simultaneously as both 0 and 1, offers a glimpse into a reality that transcends classical limits. Quantum computing, in essence, challenges our traditional understanding of logic and reality, suggesting that in a multiverse or quantum world, events could happen in parallel, where the same entity may be both alive and dead at the same time, akin to Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment. This speculative multiverse model, where different realities of the past, present, and future can co-exist, resonates with the religious belief of an All-knowing God who is omniscient, understanding past, present, and future all at once. This convergence of quantum theory and religious belief reflects a shared fascination with the infinite and the possibility that reality itself is far more complex and interconnected than we can currently grasp.

The convergence between science and faith, then, lies in the shared vision of an all-encompassing unity. Science seeks to explain the mechanisms by which the universe operates, revealing the intricate laws of physics, mathematics, and biology that govern existence. Religious belief, on the other hand, often seeks to explain the “why” behind existence, pointing to a divine purpose or higher power that transcends human understanding. Yet both approaches ultimately point to a fundamental unity—the “One” from which all things come and to which all things return.

The human mind, whether through the lens of science or spirituality, has an innate desire to seek unity in diversity, to find order in complexity, and to connect the many parts of existence to a greater whole. Whether through mathematical equations that describe the universe or spiritual practices that seek communion with the divine, humanity strives to understand its place in the vast, interconnected web of existence. The belief in One God or spiritual entity aligns with the scientific understanding that everything we observe stems from a single source and follows universal laws, suggesting that the divine and the scientific are not in conflict, but rather are different expressions of the same truth.

In sum, this reflection highlights the convergence between science and spirituality in their shared recognition of a unified source of all existence. The cyclical nature of the universe, as explored through the Big Bang and potential Big Crunch, parallels spiritual beliefs about the origin and return to God. Mathematics, as a tool for breaking down and understanding the infinite complexity of the universe, serves as a bridge between the finite human mind and the infinite reality it seeks to comprehend. The emergence of quantum computing, with its expanded understanding of reality beyond binary states, adds a layer of complexity that dovetails with religious beliefs in an omniscient, all-knowing God. Together, science and spirituality offer complementary ways of understanding the profound unity of all things, affirming that from One we all came, and to One we will return.

Please note that I was aided by Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT in the editing of my original writing that I submitted, but basic thoughts reflections stated are mine expressed more articulately by AI assistance!

Please also note, this is one of. series of blog postings by Mohiuddin Ahmed, under the blog title of Existentialperspectives.wordpress.com, created in 2014. Any unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is prohibited. Excerpts and links can be used provided full and clear credit is given to Mohiuddin Ahmed and citing his blog posting https://existentialperspectives.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content

Existential Mystery

MAhmed

We all exist in the present, living moment by moment, yet we remain tethered to our past, which shapes our unique identity. Our past provides a reservoir of experiences—some we recall vividly, others we unconsciously block out. At the same time, we are aware of the future that lies ahead, whether it is the next moment or a distant time yet to unfold. In this unidirectional flow of time, we cannot revisit the past; we can only anticipate the future, a realm filled with probabilities and uncertainties.

As we oscillate between mental creations of future possibilities and memories of past events, we maintain a connection to the immediate reality of our existence. We navigate this connection by fulfilling the “duties” and engaging in the daily activities shaped by our unique personal circumstances, social roles, and expectations.

The forces guiding us arise from multiple dimensions—our personal history, social and cultural upbringing, genetic inheritance, and biological processes shaped by evolution. These influences converge with the Life Force and Universal Energy that permeates us, making us, as human beings, an embodiment of cosmic existence. From a naturalistic scientific perspective, our being is linked to the universe’s grand movements, from the Big Bang to the eventual possibility of a Big Crunch—an eternal, ever-changing reality in motion. This overarching cosmic picture remains largely mysterious and unknowable, understood only in fragments through the limited capacities of the human mind.

Philosopher Immanuel Kant described this distinction, suggesting that while we perceive the world of phenomena through the categories of our mind, the ultimate reality—the noumena—lies beyond our comprehension. Regardless of our wealth, status, or beliefs, we all share a profound sense of existential mystery, bound together in a cosmic journey as we interact with one another at this very moment.

From a scientific perspective, we are further reminded of our place in the vast universe. The Earth not only orbits the Sun, but the Sun itself travels around the Galactic Center of the Milky Way at approximately 118 miles per second, completing a single orbit in about 240 million years. In essence, we are all being carried along on this cosmic trajectory, uncertain of where the next second will lead us.

As humans, we possess a remarkable ability to project our thoughts into the future, yet we must also reconcile with the reality of the unknown. Unpredictable events shape our lives, and the inevitability of death confronts us as the ultimate experience of the unknown. For many, belief in God or a higher power offers solace, an entity perceived as the only one who knows what lies ahead in our journey into the uncharted future.

Both science and religion, in their own ways, affirm the existential mystery of life. This shared acknowledgment fosters a sense of unity among all beings. Yet, even as we are united by this mystery, our awareness of existential uncertainty manifests in countless ways throughout our individual lives.

Through this dual lens of science and spirituality, we gain perspective on our shared journey—an interplay of the known and the unknowable, the finite and the infinite. It is this awareness that ties us together as we navigate the profound enigma of existence.

Existence of the Immediate, Present, and Uncertainty of our Living Experience

MAhmed

February 16, 2014 | Mohiuddin Ahmed

Our conscious experience constantly shifts—sometimes rooted in memories, at other times centered on our present thoughts, feelings, and awareness of our immediate surroundings. We also project into the future, envisioning what may happen, what we hope to do, or what we believe is possible or impossible. Occasionally, our minds create fantasies that merge past experiences, present realities, and imagined futures into a seamless whole. Yet amid these mental excursions, the only tangible reality we truly experience is the immediate present moment of our existence. It is the here and now that defines the reality of our conscious being.

The past is no longer; it exists only in our memories or in the evidence we observe in the present. Similarly, the future has not yet materialized and remains a projection—a potential rather than a reality. Thus, the present moment is the only reality we can actively engage with as we navigate from one moment of existence to the next.

As humans, our capacity to think symbolically and project into the future liberates us from the instinctual, biologically constrained thought processes seen in other creatures. Yet this same capacity also amplifies our awareness of the uncertainty of life and death, confronting us with the mystery of the unknown future.

For many, religious faith provides solace in the face of this existential uncertainty. The belief that God knows all and determines our fate offers a framework for coping with the unpredictability of life and the inevitability of death. Faith helps alleviate the existential anxiety that arises from living in a world filled with uncertainty, offering reassurance and meaning in the face of the unknown.

From a scientific perspective, particularly one grounded in astronomy, our existence is similarly steeped in uncertainty. Everything in the cosmos is in perpetual motion, creating an ever-changing reality. For instance, the Sun revolves around the Galactic Center of the Milky Way—a galaxy containing over 200 billion stars—at an astonishing speed of approximately 118 miles per second. This journey takes roughly 240 million years to complete.

To put this in perspective, humanity, as Homo sapiens, has existed for only 30,000 to 40,000 years—a mere blink in cosmic time. This means that no human being, nor even our species, has ever experienced the Sun completing a single revolution around the Galactic Center. Every second, the Earth, the Sun, and all of us are being carried into an unknown trajectory, highlighting the unpredictability and mystery of our existence.

In this way, both religious faith and science converge in their acknowledgment of the unknown. While they may approach the unknown from different perspectives—faith rooted in divine understanding, and science rooted in observable phenomena—both point to a shared truth: the vastness of the unknown is beyond human comprehension.

A Shared Symbolic Understanding

Whether through faith or science, the human experience is united by a sense of wonder and humility in the face of life’s uncertainties. Both disciplines, in their own symbolic ways, invite us to reflect on the mystery of existence and embrace the reality that the future, like the cosmos, is vast, unpredictable, and profoundly unknowable.

Copyright Notice
This blog post is part of a series by Mohiuddin Ahmed under the title Existential Perspectives (existentialperspectives.wordpress.com, 2014). Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used with full and clear credit to Mohiuddin Ahmed and appropriate direction to the original content at https://existentialperspectives.wordpress.com.

One-to-Many and Many-to-One: A convergence of Science and Religious and Spiritual Faith-based practices

MAhmed

Astronomy tells us that the Universe we see all around us: Stars, Galaxies (seen through our telescopes), and all the living and non-living beings, were “born”(created) from a Point of Singularity (an element with no dimension but with infinite energy potential) with a Big Bang (some 13+ billions years ago), which created a  rapid expansion of force and matter resulting in the visible Universe that we see today. The Universe that we see is composed of 96% of Dark Matter (that we do not see) and Dark Energy (the anti-gravity force that accounts for faster acceleration of the Universe beyond the accelerations due to Big Bang explosion). All the visible matters comprising of all the livings and non-livings in the Universe that we now see or potentially will see constitutes only 4% of the Universe. In this sense, everything evolved and differentiated from the One Whole (Point of Singularity), and this process of differentiation from the One Whole is still going on.

The concept of Mathematics, as I understand , is to capture the structure of the Universe using  a process of  infinitely possible defined formulas to divide One Whole , allowing human science to explain infinite ways to reflect the different and potential  aspects  of the manifestations of One element of the  Universe or the One Whole Universe. This is analogous to reflect the Reality of Many from One.

Many astronomers believe that at some point of the Acceleration process of the Universe, the  expansion process  will begin to slow down and start Decelerating  leading to a  Big Crunch, whereby all the different and discrete things in the Universe will collapse again to a One Point of Singularity (becoming One Whole again). This is analogous to the Many-to-One Process, and this process may repeat itself, ad infinitum (the process of creation of recreation of many Universes that many Eastern religious faiths, such as Hinduism proposes).

Different religious faiths of human beings in some ways reflect this. Despite differences in practices of faiths in diverse cultures and societies. The concept of God reflects the Supreme One, who created everything that we see in this World, so like the science perspective, Many come from One.

Human concept of what happens to living creatures (human beings after death) also reflects a sense of “return” to the Oneness, through individuals’  special relationship to the One, the originator and creator of All as per various religious faiths that billions of human beings believe. , This  concept symbolically  may vary from culture to culture, but the essence of the belief remains the same. the “longing” for diverse elements of the Universe (e.g., human spirits) to Return to Oneness in some form and giving a sense of Eternal Reality with the spiritual connection to One God.

Please note, this is one of the series of blog postings by Mohiuddin Ahmed, under the blog title of Existentialperspectives .wordpress.com, created in 2014. Any unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is prohibited. Excerpts and links can be used provided full and clear credit is given to Mohiuddin Ahmed and Existentialperspectives.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

My first post in this category: #Existential Perspectives

MAhmed

Exploring #ExistentialPerspectives: A Journey into Shared Human Experience

This site is dedicated to reflecting on the #ExistentialPerspectives that all human beings encounter at various moments in their everyday conscious experience. It delves into the profound sense of being unique, yet confined to one’s individual physical existence—seeing, sensing, and acting from a deeply personal perspective. Often, this awareness evokes feelings of being all alone or imprisoned within one’s body, alongside the paradoxical realization that such experiences are universal, shared by others in their own moments of introspection.

At its core, this is a deeply human journey—a search for connection, meaning, and understanding in relation to the world around us. It reflects our collective struggle to reconcile individuality with the shared essence of existence.

Through this blog, I share personal reflections, thoughts, and ruminations on my own existential experiences, which I believe mirror those of others. These posts also draw from my interests in philosophy, clinical psychology, and related disciplines, along with readings in popular science—exploring how they intersect with and illuminate our human existence.

🌞 Midday Reflections on the Universe and Life

“In midday, I would sit down at the picnic table and immerse myself in the latest article on cosmology in Scientific American, pondering the bursts of innumerable bubbles of matter within the space balloon—a cosmic tapestry beyond the singular Big Bang. These bubbles, scattered across the balloon’s surface, trace the origins of our expanding Universe some 15 billion years ago.

How fascinating that this expansion accelerates due to the mysterious forces of Dark Energy and Dark Matter, which together constitute about 96% of everything we know—or rather, don’t know—about the Universe.

I’d marvel at how the Big Bang set in motion the formation of stars, galaxies, and black holes, including our own Milky Way, where Earth orbits the Sun and planets dance around their stars. Even our Sun revolves around the galactic center—harboring a massive black hole formed from the remnants of ancient stars long gone.

From galaxies merging and colliding in the cosmic dance, I see parallels with life on Earth: the big devouring the small, the strong dominating the weak—a rule that seems to transcend human history as well as the behavior of all living beings, reflecting patterns mirrored in the cosmic realm.

As I breathe in and out, I become aware of the rhythm of life—this inhaling and exhaling, expanding and contracting, mirrors the Sun’s expansion and contraction as it converts energy (from hydrogen to helium) to sustain all life. The Sun’s cycle of hydrogen fusion echoes the Universe’s own eternal rhythm of expansion and contraction, of creation and return, related to the possible Big Bang and Big Crunch—a stage in the Eternal Cycle of the Universe.

Then I’d pause to reflect on the trees, the rivers, the sky, and the Sun—on our interconnected existence. This awareness of breathing, an affirmation of my conscious living existence, gives me a sense of connection to everything within me and everything I perceive beyond myself.

It’s in this awareness that I sense the presence of an Ever-Present, Mysterious Creative Force—a force billions recognize by many names, yet which remains the same underlying essence in all things: living and non-living, visible and invisible, within us and beyond us.”

©️ Copyright Notice
This blog series by Mohiuddin Ahmed, originally published on https://existentialperspectives.wordpress.com in 2014, is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used with full credit to Mohiuddin Ahmed and #ExistentialPerspectives, including appropriate references to the original content.

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