Physics, the Ether, and Consciousness

Abstract

This paper will describe, conceptually, waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, how light (electromagnetic radiation) travels throughout the universe including “empty space”, and how energy and matter are related. 

Measurement

This paper does not attempt to quantify any of these concepts.  The reason is that measurement and the ability to measure limits the thinking to material properties and available technology.  Human beings and the technology they develop are capable of measuring differences that occur in their environment.   Rather what follows proposes what is and leaves it to advances in technology to measure at a later time.

 

Waves and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Waves in air – sound- and on water – ripples- need something to move in order to be detected.  Humans, and the instruments they build, are designed to detect change.  If the air coming into our ears starts to move differently, we hear sound.  If a rock is thrown in a pond we see the ripples.  But we know that without the ripples the water is still there.  If you lived at the pond surface there would be nothing to see until the ripples appeared. 

 

Asked of the observer, “What do you see?”

                                    

You have to be outside the pond system to recognize that the water and the pond is there even when there are no ripples.

 
If you could not see and someone plucked a string, you’d hear the vibrations as sound.  Once the vibrations stop, does the string cease to exist?  The string or carrier still exists, there are no changes in it to detect.

 
Another property of waves is interference.  When waves of the same frequency are in phase, they add.  When they are in opposite phase, they cancel. 

 
Cancel – what does that mean.  Where did they go?  Mathematically, it’s very easy to model waves and their interference, but does it make sense that there is negative energy or that two sources of energy can make each other disappear?  What if what actually happens is that they get absorbed back into the carrier wave?

 Below is the electromagnetic spectrum. 

 
Radio signals are carried to our homes on an electromagnetic wave that has a known frequency. This carrier wave is later filtered out by our electronics.  The carrier wave process is well known and is used by varying the carrier wave properties: amplitude modulation AM, and frequency modulation FM, to name two.

 Looking at the entire electromagnetic spectrum, consider the two ends of the spectrum.  At the left end, the wavelength gets larger and approaches infinity, the frequency gets very small, it approaches zero. (Stretch the one below out as far as you can imagine.) It starts to look like a string or straight line. 

                         

The other end of the spectrum is where the wavelength gets very small and approaches zero.  The frequency there approaches infinity.  (Squeeze the one below in as much as you can imagine.) It, too, starts to look like a string or straight line. 

                           

The interesting part is that both of these two extremes can look exactly alike, can serve as a carrier wave for electromagnetic radiation, and not be detectible themselves by our human limitations. 

 

One might argue that the missing elements of this discussion are the changes in the 3 physical dimensions; the compressed wave has a “y-component” (up and down movement) where the stretched out wave does not.  Again that gets back to the limitation of human thinking.  The amplitude could be reduced sufficiently such that the compressed wave has no perceptible y-component.

 

This wave of infinite frequency and zero wavelength will be called the carrier wave for electromagnetic/light energy.

 

 

The Ether

The concept of an ether has been known in Buddhism and other philosophies for many centuries. In medieval Europe it was known by the alchemists, who in some cases were the first true experimental scientists. Even physicists used the concept of the ether until an unfortunate experiment failed to detect physical effects of the ether. These effects were not detected because the ether does not have physical properties.[1]

 

You must first abandon 4-dimensional thinking (x, y, z, time) to imagine a universe filled with the above described carrier waves.  Then  you’ll imagine the universe of the ether.  Energy is everywhere but not until there are changes to the background energy are those changes detectable.

 

Consciousness

The final element in this discussion is the transformation from energy to matter and back again.  As Einstein explained mathematically, E = mc², energy can be changed into matter and matter can be changed back into energy.  The mechanism that causes the change is consciousness.   This may be the most difficult concept for logical analytic thinkers, but give it a chance.  It will make sense.  Physicists have already shown that the observer of an experiment has an influence over the outcome.  If you are looking at light (or any part of the electromagnetic spectrum) as a wave, you will see its wave properties.  If you look at light as matter, you will see its particle properties.  It is what you think it is.

 

When you hear the phrases: self-fulfilling prophecy, think positively, picture it in your mind, mind over matter; these refer to your consciousness and the affect it has on your surroundings.  Consciousness is like a movie film through which light is shown.  It makes the visible light look like something that our senses tell us is something that we recognize.  Therefore,

                                

 

Conclusion

The energy of the universe is all around us including outer space.  As conscious beings we have the ability to change energy into matter.  We are currently limited in that ability but that limitation is temporary.  As we recognize our creative nature and evolve spiritually (beyond material thinking), our abilities will increase.  As we use these abilities for good, we will continue to evolve spiritually.