The perspective of higher dimensions

When I was a kid, I came across a book, which really fascinated me. This book, Flatland, left a deep impression on me. The book is set in a lower dimensional world, describing the perception of the beings who lived there.

The impression it made, was strong enough to make me want to pursue an education in theoretical physics. I was however, quite well grounded by my consistent under performance in scholastics to ensure that I never even tried to realise that dream.

I have been quite curious, about the growing curiosity of individuals towards my religious beliefs.

On one hand, I claim that I am an atheist, and yet on the other, I am seen talking about the “Gods” of the "Hindu Pantheon".

To answer this, we must at first visit the concepts of God, theism and atheism. I would also suggest going through my post, God not Parmatma but Parmatma one with God.

God

The creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being and yet separate from the creation itself (association of God to the creation in the subtlest form would equal blasphemy).

Theism

The belief in the existence of God.

Atheism

The disbelief in the existence of God. An atheist therefore, is one who doesn’t believe in the existence of God. I do not believe in "God", and therefore qualify in as an atheist. But, since I have not been convinced otherwise, I cannot negate the existence of God either. I would therefore consider myself closer to being agnostic.

The concept of God does sound pretty rudimentary. One, that which does not even challenge a toddler’s thought.

In the blog mentioned earlier, I have described the concept of Paramatma and its place in the Dharmic way of life.

Lets hold this thought, while I tell you my short version of flatland.

Viperovstan

Viperovstan is a flat plane which is based only on two dimensions of length and breadth. The thickness or height of Viperovstan is, for the purpose of this story considered absent.

On this land, lived a dot. The dot, Dr. Dot, was a scientist from Viperovstan, who was very successful in postulating various theories of physics (limited to two dimensions of course).  The dot had mapped the whole of Viperovstan and had made sense of everything that happened there until one day, when from nowhere he came across another dot, just like him.

As if by magic, the dot started expanding into a circle. The circle started expanding in radius and then, started reducing in radius until it turned back into a dot. The dot then magically vanished back into nothing.

This incident set Dr. Dot thinking that there was still a lot which he had not answered. All the physics he had, could not make sense of this. His friends then helped him out. They attributed this to a superior force they called “God”.  Philosophers, and religious Gurus alike, started glorifying God, and his miracles. The up until now, Godless Viperovstanis, now became God fearing. Various schools of thoughts emerged on the “God theory”. Factions and sects and religions emerged, wars were fought, and Nations were carved out in Viperovstan in the name of God.  What a mess!

Now, shall we play God in Viperovstan?

Lets now imagine that Viperovstan is the suface of a water body. Say a tub filled with water.

The dot is still floating on the surface with no perception of depth or height.

Now, lets imagine us, the Gods of Viperovstan, bringing from top, a steel ball and placing it just on the surface of the water. When the ball just touches the surface, it is just a point that touches the surface, a dot. 
Our friend Dr. Dot, who can only perceive the two dimensional water surface, has at this moment seen another dot appear from nowhere. 
As we dip the ball further into the water, the dot perceives only the part of the ball which is parallel to the plane of the surface of the water. 
This appears to be a circle which goes on increasing in radius, until the ball is half immersed, when the circle is largest. 
Then, the circle starts reducing in radius again until the ball has just completely been immersed into the water. 
At this time again, only a single point of the ball makes contact with the surface of the water thereby appearing as a dot on the surface of the water.

What was beyond advanced physics and possibly supernatural for the dot, who could only perceive two spatial dimensions, was something which we hardly would give a second thought to, with our Godly powers of perceiving the third spatial dimension of height.

An animation showing the sphere being immersed

We humans can perceive only 3 spatial dimensions. However, the M-Theory has predicted the existence of eleven.

Now, lets go back to the part just before we stated this story.

What are the chances that every supernatural occurrence is actually just a result of actions taking shape in higher dimensions which, at times enter our three dimensions of spatial perception and amaze us due to our lack of perception of the dimensions where these incidents are played out majorly?

What are the chances that a dot, that we perceive as a dot, could in reality, be a huge metal ball?

Vanishing and re-appearing is not magic anymore. It is only a science we haven’t yet understood.

Beings of different shapes could appear to each other as just dots in the flatness of Viperovstan.

Similarly, is it not possible that something that appears human in form might have supernatural powers (powers of perception of higher dimensions)?

As I mentioned in my earlier blog, we, who follow the Dharmic way, do not believe in "God" (the Abrahamic concept). 
We do instead believe in a game of multiple forces acting with in various ways with and against each other in various combinations. The higher levels of mental evolution make us assert our place better in this game.

What are the chances that these forces with multi-dimensional transcendence appear to us, who have just three dimensional perception as humans with supernatural powers? Durga, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, who appear somewhat human, but with many more attributes, could all make sense as concepts. 

Krishn shows Arjun the Vishwarupam, his true form transcending all dimensions

Maybe, they are forces which we, in three dimensions can only perceive in their human like forms. Just a thought.

This is just another perspective that I am suggesting, using higher dimensions.

I have always wanted to write about this, but somehow, I have never found the time to put this in words (and sketching those drawings of the dot in viperovstan :D). 
Now, due to the persistence of my lovely Wife, I find myself finally putting my thoughts in font.

The Vedas have concepts far more evolved than the very basic “God” of the Abrahamic faiths. 


Unfortunately, these concepts were presented to the world in English by our British masters, who neither had a love for the subject, nor did they have the will to understand and comprehend them. 

Their “study” and interpretation of the Vedas was one driven by a mixture of imperialistic and missionary goals. It was one which started with typical colonial chauvinistic ridicule of the native scriptures and sciences. 

While we, like to readily accept the ridicule of the colonial chauvinists who had less than a basic understanding of the Vedas, we seldom look towards great minds like Einstein, Oppenheimer and many other great scientific minds, who felt that there was never a conflict in their scientific pursuit and the Vedic knowledge as compared to the obvious incompatibility of the Abrahamic tenets in and science.

I shall leave you with two quotes by these great minds which should sum it all up.

Albert Einstein (1879 -1955):

“When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous.”

“We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.“

J. Robert Oppenheimer,American nuclear physicist (1904-1967):

“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One. . . . Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.“

Oppenheimer “the father of the atomic bomb” quoting from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad-Gitaupon witnessing the mushroom cloud resulting from the detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb in New Mexico, U.S.A., on July 16, 1945.

“Access to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all previous centuries. “

Om Tat Sat!

God not Parmatma, but Parmatma one with God

We often tend to draw parallels and make analogies to better understand concepts or to express our thoughts to an uninitiated audience.
While the same is most of the times, a very effective means of communication, it does have its share of contribution in compounding the gap in comprehension of concepts too.
Religion and inter-faith discussions are forums where this is seen the most. The major world religions are broadly categorised under the Abrahamic religions and the Dharmic faiths.

India has been a unique melting pot of the two categories for centuries, starting with the first Jews settling in India and then with the Christians and lastly the Muslims.

With the followers of the two schools of thought becoming neighbours, the process of understanding each other's beliefs started and so did the process of trying to draw parallels in concepts of faith.

One of the most beautiful results of this process was what is today known as Sufism. In my opinion, this was India's most important religious contribution which can be a saviour of today's religiously polarised world.

With the coming of the British Raj, it was now the turn of the Western world to draw the same parallels again to understand what it was to be Indian. This process, as a result of the bias of Western colonial chauvinism never attained the form of something as beautiful as Sufism. Crude and disrespectful analogies with little research were made to describe Indian culture.

The concept of God was one such parallel.

As a result, today, the words like Parmatma, Bhagwan and Parmbrahman are loosely translated and equated to the English word God or Arabic word Allah when in fact, there can never be a parallel drawn here at all.

God in the Abrahamic faiths is an independent entity, who is a creator, sustainer and a destroyer when at the same time never being one with the created. This is best explained and exhibited in the chapter of the Qur'an, Surah Al Ikhlas, (112).

This independence is the most vital difference in the two concepts.

In the Dharmic belief systems, there are many schools of thoughts of creation, sustenance, destruction and regeneration of all. But all schools of thought have one common focal point; the concept of Paramatma.

Paramatma to followers of the Dharmic beliefs is always one with themselves. "Aham Brahmasmi, tat tvamasi".

Dharmic schools of thought teach the union of human with the world around. It is more a state of consciousness, where pain of another being is felt as much as if would to self. The difference between "you" and "I" doesn't exist here at all.

There is a piece for everyone depending of states of consciousness and temporal evolution.

So, the lowest in consciousness and self awareness see a clear distinction between every being and see a distinct all powerful deity, with sometimes lower levels of power in hands of smaller deities. Atman and Parmatma are still not the same for them. One is subservient to the other and is distinct too.

The highest in consciousness and self-awareness see no distinction in any of them and themselves too. This is where the Atman and Parmatama are one.

Removing this distinction amounts to blasphemy in all Abrahamic religions. Thus, the equation of God (Allah in Arabic) and Paramatma is never possible. However, Paramatma, the ultimate state of consciousness is never in conflict when referred to as God or Allah or Gautam or Hitler or Gandhi.




Paramatma Venn Diagram


In the same breath, theism and atheism are concepts of little relevance in Indian culture as the two revolve around the concept of God.


Aham Brahmasmi tat Tvamasi (I am the highest consciousness, and one with you)

Om Tat Sat!