Every object in the wider universe, everything around us, and everything we are, originated from stardust. Thus, we are not merely connected to the universe in some distant sense: stardust from the universe is actually flowing through us on a daily basis, and it rebuilds the stars and planets throughout the universe as much as it does our bodies, over and over again.
An ocean wave is what the ocean is doing in a specific place at a specific time.2 There is no difference between the water in the wave and the water in the ocean. The water in the wave is part of the water in the ocean. There is no difference between the activity of the wave and the activity of the ocean. The activity of the wave is part of the activity of the ocean.
Like a wave is part of the ocean, I am part of the universe. There is no difference between the atoms of my body and the atoms of the universe. The atoms of my body are part of the atoms of the universe. There is no difference between the actions of my body and the actions of the universe. The actions of my body are part of the actions of the universe.
The atoms and molecules of my body originated from the world around me.
We now know that the atoms in our bodies were forged in nuclear reactions in stellar furnaces, spewed into the universe in supernovae explosions, and incorporated into our bodies through the long process of the evolution of life over the last 3.8 billion years on Earth.
While I live, atoms and molecules continually flow between my body and the world around me. Atoms and molecules in the world around me continually flow into my body. Atoms and molecules continually flow out of my body back into the world around me. This flow of atoms and molecules makes it possible for my body to add new cells, to repair or replace damaged cells, to have the energy needed for daily activities, and to continue living.
We exchange most of what makes us—water—in a matter of at most weeks. The structures of our cells, and even the cells themselves, decay to be replaced on time scales from weeks to a few years, or at most a few decades for some organs. Even our bones are subject to replacement as the calcium and other atoms are replaced, and we leave our DNA on almost everything we touch. The only lasting parts of us appear to be our teeth, which are, ironically, not really alive at all: they are deposits of lifeless material that serve us well, sometimes throughout our lives, even as the rest of our bodies is replaced over time. Consequently, the saying that we are not the same who we were before is far more apt than we generally realize.After I die, the atoms and molecules of my body will return to the world around me.
We recognize that after death, our bodily atoms will be dispersed once again through the universe, recycled to once again become star stuff in a cycle of events that will end only with the death of the universe itself. We are part and parcel of the universe, and at the hour of our death when we return to the universe, the old phrase from the Book of Common Prayer based on Genesis and often used in burial ceremonies—”earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust”—need only be slightly altered to “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, stardust to stardust” to be literally true.
My body is what the atoms and molecules of the world happen to being doing at a specific place and time, just like a wave is what the ocean happens to be doing at a specific place and time. My body, in a deep and literal sense, is part of the world around me. My body is part of the universe.
Human minds—perceptions, thoughts, feelings, inner speech, reasoning, and imagination—always correlate with brain activity. If specific parts of the brain are damaged by injury or disease, then specific aspects of the mind become impaired or disappear. If the brain is dead, with no active neurons, then the mind is gone from this world. Human minds depend completely on the atoms, molecules, and cells of human brains.
We see, then, that mind is not something separate from matter; mind is a process embodied in matter. With this new perspective under our belts, it becomes impossible to maintain that the mind stands outside of nature. Instead, mind becomes a tiny fragment of nature, valued only by those who tiny fragments of nature that possess it. When we fully digest this idea, it radically transforms our view of the mind’s place in the universe—and our view of the universe itself. The physical universe ceases to be an unconscious object, observed and explored by conscious minds which somehow stand above or outside it. Conscious minds are part of the physical universe. As soon as we recognize this, we realize that the universe itself is partially conscious. When you contemplate the universe, part of the universe becomes conscious of itself. Similarly, our knowledge is not something separate from the universe; it is part of the universe. Thus, for humans to know the universe is for the universe to know itself.
My mind is what the atoms and molecules of the world happen to being doing at a specific place and time, just like a wave is what the ocean happens to be doing at a specific place and time. My mind, in a deep and literal sense, is part of the world around me. My mind is part of the universe.
Being part of the universe gives me the opportunity to bring love, happiness, well-being, and protection from harm into the world around me.
- When I show love to others, one part of the universe shows love to other parts of the universe.
- When I help reduce suffering and promote happiness, one part of the universe helps reduce suffering and promote happiness for other parts of the universe.
- When I protect others from harm, one part of the universe protects other parts of the universe.
Being part of the universe gives me the opportunity to make the world a more satisfying place to live for others and for myself.
If I fully appreciate being part of the universe—that my “self” and the “world around me” are a single happening like a wave and the ocean are a single happening—then I realize that harming others is like inflicting wounds on my own body. Neglecting the suffering and needs of others is like neglecting injuries on my own body. Helping and caring for others is like nourishing my own body with food and drink.
- Karel Schrijver, & Iris Schrijver (2015). Living with the Stars. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition. Quote taken from pages 8-9.
- Alan Watts (no date). Eco-Zen. Published in Essential Lectures, Philosophies of Asia by The Alan Watts Organization.
- Steven Dick (2011). Cosmic Evolution History, Culture, and Human Destiny. In Steven Dick and Mark Lupisella (eds.), Cosmos & Culture: Cultural Evolution in a Cosmic Context (pages 25-59). Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA SP-2009-4802). Quote taken from page 44.
- Karel Schrijver, & Iris Schrijver (2015). Living with the Stars. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Quote taken from page 191 (Kindle Edition).
- Steven Dick (2011). Cosmic Evolution History, Culture, and Human Destiny. In Steven Dick and Mark Lupisella (eds.), Cosmos & Culture: Cultural Evolution in a Cosmic Context (pages 25-59). Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA SP-2009-4802). Quote taken from pages 44-45.
- Steve Stewart-Williams (2010). Darwin, God and the Meaning of Life. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Quote taken from pages 151-152.