Existence (c) John E. Burgener, 2010Summary All existence is a sharing of the existence of the prime existence. All living existences have the attributes of complexity, beauty, awareness and love. Socrates, Aristotle, and many since have struggled to understand existence. They have attempted to describe existence in terns of logic. I suggest it be treated in the same manner as the Physical Sciences. The Physical Sciences have made tremendous progress in understanding the physical world in the last hundred years. This was accomplished by observing the phenomena around us in the world and extending it to nature and the universe in general. From the observations, theories have been developed that give us an understanding of the observed phenomena, not only on earth but for the universe in general. The theories do not provide a logical proof, but they have a high possibility of being correct. It is to be noticed that concrete logical proof is not possible in many cases. For example there is no possibility of logically proving the sun exists. We can see its light feel its warmth but there is no way we can prove logically it is the sun. However by general observation, we conclude the sun exists and is responsible for light and warmth. Although not a proof it is a good working theory. In fact most would say that this is a self-evident fact. Let us do the same with existence. What can we observe about existence? I exist and the reader must exist, because if he or she did not exist he or she would not be reading this. Let us observe the available facts of existence and then draw our conclusions. The first thing we observe is that existence can take many forms. From the simplest inanimate object such as a grain of sand to the most complicated existence, that we can observe, the human brain. Although we cannot touch, see or hear a thought, the thought does have existence. We can observe the effects of non-material existence, such as a thought or an emotion, in the same way as we can observe the effects of an existence such as light or radio waves. These and many other forms of existence do exist. The universe is full of existences, more than we can imagine. There are existences we have to observe indirectly, and can assume that there are existences unknown to us. These existences exist whether I exist or not. One can ask if an iceberg in the Arctic rolls over with a great splash, does it make a noise? The sound waves exist whether anyone hears them or not. Some argue that if no one hears it, there is no sound. That makes existence personal. But sound is not personal per say. It is only personal to the person who hears it. The disturbances in the air are there, independent of the surroundings. The most intriguing existence we can observe is life. Why life came into being we really don't know. However, once it became part of existence in the world it blossomed. There appears to be different levels of existence. A rock is a piece of matter but cannot itself do anything different than being a rock. With external intervention it can change, such as chemically or due to heat. A tree has existence, but its level of existence is higher than a rock. It changes, it grows, it seeks light all within itself. However, It cannot choose an alternate way. It does not have free will. The tree follows its nature. It makes use of externals to do these things, but it does them itself. This ability to do things itself we define as a living existence. Therefore a tree has a living existence, which is a greater level of existence than a rock. A dog has living existence, and again it has a higher level of existence than a tree. It is debatable whether a dog makes intelligent decisions, or acts in unusual circumstances only according to his nature (instincts). A human has an even higher level of living existence and can make intelligent decisions based on information presented. The rock has an inanimate existence. It consist of matter only and posses no immaterial characteristics. The tree, the dog, the human are living existences. Living existence seems to embody something other than matter. When a living existence ceases to function (dies), the matter is still there, but something has gone, the living element. Unlike any other system it immediately starts to decay. Nor can it be repaired and brought back to life. A car breaks down it can be repaired and brought back to perform its purpose. However, parts of a living existence can be kept alive for a limited time and added to another similar living existence. It seems that something other than matter is involved. Lets call the living element the life force. All living existence that we can observe needs matter to exist. A thought however has existence, but is not matter. At first glance it appears to depend on a high level of living existence for a thought to exist. There are routine thoughts such as 'I need a drink' and there are creative thoughts such as poem or a letter. Animals have routine thoughts such as 'I need a drink'. They do make nests and other simple dwelling places and use primitive tools. Their creative ability is very limited. However, they do have thoughts and are creative. It would appear that all living existence has the potential of being creative at the level of their living existence. What is a thought? We can not touch, see or feel a thought, but it does have existence. It would appear that a thought can only exist in a being with a brain capable of thinking. A rock can not have a thought. A thought is an image and can originate in a human and possibly in other living existences. The image is dependent for its existence on the thinker and as such is a shared existence. A poem first exists as an image. Unless written or spoken so that others see or hear it, its existence is entirely dependent on the thinker. The thinker can maintain the existence of a thought or deny it existence. For a thought to exist outside the thinker in a material world it must be shared. There are also dreams that have existence and even though they occur in humans and possibly animals, dreams have no matter. There are also visions and inspirations and impressions that occur in living matter. These may be caused by some external cause but often relate to some event or future event. If they relate to a future event, then it is an event which would appear to be unrelated to time. Thus not related to matter since time and matter are related. These exist and again are not matter but require living existence to exist. Mental telepathy is experienced by many people. Dogs and possibly other animals also appear to experience it. It is also quite common for a thought or its result to appear more or less simultaneous in many places. This may happen because the conditions are right for it to happen. However mental telepathy does not seem to require any special conditions. In so doing a thought's existence is being shared. It can be argued that the brain sends out radiation that other brains can detect. In this way the thought is existing in the original brain and like a radio is transferring the information to other brains that are tuned in. This form of radiation has never been detected however that does not mean it does not exist. This transferring of thought also could indicate that a thought, although nonmaterial, can exist independent of matter, and as such could be shared, even if the originator does not offer to share it. If that is the case it would indicate that we are part of a non material world existing around us. A world that is hard to observe since our observation tools are sight, touch, sound, all material senses. There are feelings of emotion, love, happiness, sorrow and many other feelings. These feelings are immaterial and can be sensed by others and do have existence. These, just like atoms and molecules, can only be observed indirectly. But never the less they do exist. The most powerful aspect of living mater is claimed to be the urge to reproduce. Instead as we will demonstrate that the very essence of existence is to share. Reproduction is one form of sharing existence. All living existence shares its existence by reproducing its existence thus producing offspring. Trees produce hundreds of nuts or seeds. Plants produce seeds in abundance. In general Living forms share their existence by producing offspring. Life in its simplest forms, such as single cells, shares it self by dividing. In other words, all life strives to share its existence, and in so doing, it does not diminish it's own existence. For example we humans share our existence with our children without diminishing our existence. Without you, your children would not exist. We also observe that the offspring have an independent existence. That is both the sharing and the shared existence continue to exist whether or not the other existence continues to exist. The children do not necessarily do what the parents do, but are more or less copies of the parents for all shared living existence. This is due to the male and female DNA molecules, complex chemical compounds, which are shared. The male and female DNA's both act as a blueprint for the shared existence. Another aspect of life is concern for one's offspring (one's shared existence). Even one's thoughts or art or other sharing of existence we attempt to protect. Trees and plants protect their seeds with hard shells. It appears that life not only wants to share its existence but it wants to protect its shared existence. To protect and wish good for anything is to love (very definition of love). So it appears that all living beings in so far as they are capable, love their shared existence. We also note that the intensity of love for their shared existence increases with the level of living existence. Plants protect their seeds and animals protect their offspring until adulthood. Humans protect and love their shared existence for life and even after death. The love or hate we have for others exists. These emotions can often be sensed by others without any physical contact. This may be due to physical changes in the lover or hater's appearance or actions. There seem to be cases where the physical appearance or actions are not the source of the sensation in others of the love or hate. The love we have of our selves exists. The world is full of beauty. Beauty is described as a perpetual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Sunsets and sunrise display a canvas few if any artist can duplicate. The rocks, the mountains, the landscape, the flora, the trees, the animal life, humans are all pleasant to see. The universe as we see it, the sun, the moon, the stars is unimaginably beautiful. There is little if anything in nature that is not beautiful. One may argue that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Actually the statement should say the interpretation of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beauty exists whether the beholder appreciates it or not. Since all existence as we know it is beautiful, beauty must be a characteristic of existence. Ugly must be a lack of beauty and therefore a distortion of existence Another aspect of existence is the tendency toward complexity. Complexity is characterized as something of many parts in an intricate arrangement or interconnection If one considers that life on earth started as a simple one cell being and evolved to the complexity of the human brain, then obviously the striving towards complexity is strong. It is not confined to life: even rocks strive for complexity. Minerals that are formed in molten lava end up as crystals. It is also noticed that intelligence, the appreciation of beauty and the level of the ability to love increases with complexity in living existence. All living existence demonstrates intelligence in keeping with its level of living existence. Trees seek light and nutrients. All animal life shows intelligence. Humans are very complex beings with a high level of intelligence. Humans are inclined to use their intelligence to share their existence. A beautiful painting, a complex machine, a great building, these exist as a result of someone expressing their intelligence and sharing their existence. Without the author the project would not exist. Humans are creators. Although animals ability to create is very limited, they do create at the level of their living existence. Birds build nests, Beavers build dams and huts. Humans create at their level of living existence. Human creations start as a thought. In fact everything done by humans in this world starts as a thought. Anything human-made required that people preexisted the product and was accomplished by people expressing their intelligence and sharing their existence, without diminishing their existence. Another interesting point is new living existence is formed only when the male and female DNA's are partnered and under the right conditions. For example a fertilized hen's egg is inanimate matter and remains so unless it is kept at the right temperature for a definite time. Thus it appears to be a chemical process. However man has not been able to duplicate this kind of process. The chicken that laid the egg sits on it for a period of time and it then becomes a living existence. The egg with all the right ingredients, the right temperature, for the right duration produces life. In fact these conditions seem to be necessary for all life to begin. The chicken sitting on its shared existence is actually showing love for its shared existence, Love is frequently associated with warmth. In fact love seems to play an important role in shared existence. A rock can not love and does not share its existence. Cloning can be done, but it must come from a living existence and is not a matter of assembling the right chemicals. It is to be noticed that the human sperm appears to be living. It is really a mechanical device. The tail, which appears to be wiggling, is actually spinning from chemical reactions, not moving by choice. Even if conception is a chemical process, it is an amazing process certainly designed by a brain beyond human ability and imagination. Our observation of existence, living or non-living, is that all existence in the world we can observe was shared. The material that makes up the world rocks water air we can not directly see their origin any more than we can see the origin of the universe. However, all material objects that are associated with humans are the product of intelligence and shared existence. All living existences within their abilities use the living and non-living existences around them for their purposes. Humans are capable of using almost anything in the world as though the world exists for them or they exist for the world. The later is not so since the world does not control Humans, as the environmentalist complain. We are surrounded with material objects both living and non-living showing intelligence way beyond us. The complexities of the universe are beyond our imagination. Although much effort has been put into understanding the physical world and universe, we still know very little. Most plausible theories of the universe accept a beginning. It must have always existed or had a beginning. Those are the only options. There are those who claim the universe and everything in it happened by chance. If we consider the odds that one DNA molecule is the same as an other is in the millions and since there are billions of DNAs in the world the odds of only the DNAs in the world happened by chance would be one in millions of billions, unimaginable odds. To accept chance as the cause of the entire universe not just the DNAs would require a leap of faith beyond imagination. Others say it always was. If it was always existing it would have to be timeless and to be timeless it could not be changing, since time is the measure of change. Alternatively to have always existed, it would have to expand and contract. However the observed facts do not support either theory. In fact, the evidence indicates it has been changing and expanding for billions of years, so it is not timeless and the odds are unimaginable that it happened by chance. The only reasonable explanation is the universe had a beginning. The Big Bang theory of the beginning of the universe still remains the best description of how the universe came to be. In the above we have observed that existence can be material and immaterial. That all living existence as we know it is shared. That all living existence loves its shared existence and its shared existence has an independent existence. As complexity increases the level of living existence, intelligence, appreciation of beauty and the ability to love increases. That all material and immaterial creations by man occur because of someone expressing their intelligence and sharing their existence. The universe did not happen by chance or always existed. The universe and everything in it had a beginning and as such came into existence. From our observations everything in the world except raw mater came and still comes into existence as a result of sharing a previous existence. All creations of humans are the result of using intelligence and sharing one's existence. As done in physical science, from earthly observations the factors are then applied universally to the universe. For example, gravity we know on earth and apply it to the universe. So applying our observations of existence as we know it on earth one would expect the same process would apply to all existence. Since there was a beginning to the universe as we commented above and all known existence was shared there must have been something to share otherwise the whole process could not have started. Thus a reasonable theory is that the universe and everything in it is sharing a preexisting existence that shared its existence without diminishing its own existence. The shared existence has an independent existence and is loved by the sharing existence. Let us call it the prime existence In our observations animals do have a limited ability to create. Humans have a greater capacity to create. In all cases the creations are not as great as or greater than the creator In fact their creations (poems buildings etc) are at an immeasurably lower level of existence than themselves. It is to be expected that the prime existence to be the source and creator of all shared existence must have a level of living existence, intelligence, beauty, and complexity. Immeasurably greater than human. When we observe the universe and all its wonders and the wonder of life we are awed at the evidence of a superior existence sharing its intelligence and existence. The complexity and beauty of the universe, of nature, of life, the mystery of conception, the beauty of nature the wonder and immensity of the universe, the complexity of the infinitesimal, the beauty of flowers, birds animals. Even the location of the earth in the universe shows intelligence beyond us. The list of shared intelligence is endless and gives a good confirmation of the above stated theory. I do not claim this as a proof but a good theory that has a very high probability of describing the actual origin of existence, as we know it. " I AM WHO AM" - I AM EXISTENCE, God's description of Himself Some of the consequences of Shared existence AWARENESS Since all existence as we know it is sharing the existence of the prime existence, all existence has in a limited way the characteristics of the prime existence. One of the characteristics of existence is awareness (cognizance) All living existence as we can observe, has some awareness. The simplest forms of life have very limited awareness are at least aware of food. As we move up the scale of life the awareness increases. Awareness is a characteristic of living existence. Plants and trees demonstrate awareness without a brain. Animals seem to have awareness not possessed by humans. Dogs are known to become aware that their masters are in trouble with out any physical contact. Wild animals often show concern before a storm. Humans also have awareness without physical contact. Mental telepathy is well known. Twins often have awareness of pain, sickness, joy felt by the other twin. One can walk into a room and feel the tension existing in the person there. There are many well documented appearances which are not physical and could not be observed by the physical senses. None of these occurrences are though the physical senses. Lower forms of living existence have a limited sense of awareness, even though they do not have a memory or any method of processing awareness. They appear to sense certain things as a characteristic of living matter. The more complex and more advanced living existences have acquired greater capacity of awareness through their complexity. The senses and the brain are material complexities that make it possible to enhance human awareness. However, it is possible that being material beings we ignore or suppress the more powerful existential awareness. As material beings we need ways to sense the material world. So to be aware of it, we have five senses to help us. Only sight produces an image the others can produce memories but do not them selves produce an image. The person can allow these senses to cause an image to result from a non visual sense for example, the odour of a rose can produce an image of a rose to form in ones mind. All of the senses contribute to our ability to be aware. By human ingenuity we have increased our ability to be aware of many things not directly sensed by our natural senses. A microscope allows us to see things we can not see with our naked eyes. We watch television through the medium of radio waves. And many other means of awareness that are way beyond our physical senses. The scene you see is a combination of light rays and interpreted by the brain. What you see is an image of the scene you are looking at. This image exists in you independently of any one else. Although the same scene may be observed by others, there is no guarantee that their image will be the same. This is borne out by witness to an accident. They all saw different scenes. The image that you see has real existence. However it is a non-material existence. The brain holds the material information that forms the image in your awareness. The process is similar to a computer. The image on a computer monitor is actually dots of electrical energy, which produce light. There is no real image on the monitor. It requires a living eye to see an image. The same applies to a photograph. So every thing we see exists as an image in our awareness. The eye sees the spots of light and feeds it to the brain that works on it and feeds it back as a coordinated collection of data in a form that the awareness can interpret and the awareness interprets it as an image A computer feeds coordinated spots of energy to the monitor which converts the energy to spots of light. The monitor has no awareness and can not form an image. If one were to disassemble a computer or a monitor one could not find an image. You would find the data the awareness used to form an image but no image. Similarly one could not find an image in a brain. A human or animal eye and brain combination is necessary to form an image. Note that the awareness is external to the monitor. Living awareness is external to the brain. A tree as mentioned above has limited awareness but it does not have a brain, nor any special quality that could substitute for a brain. The eye presents data to the brain and the awareness uses the information from the brain to form an image. When a person feels a pain the brain provides data for the awareness to recognize. Again an unconscious person feels no pain because the brain is not providing data to the awareness. Since different people feel pain differently. The pain does not get its awareness from the brain, but from a faculty that is personal, one's awareness from their shared existence. LOVE Love as described above is common to all living existence according to its level of existence. Although considered as an emotion, it is more than an emotion. Emotions in general are personal feelings, not generated by logic, that are concerned with how one feels or reacts, but not of concern for others. For example Fear is very much concerned for ones self. Happiness is enjoyed irrespective of others. Others may make you happy but do not have to be happy them selves. You may be happy some one is happy but really that is concern for some one else, that is love. Love on the other hand is a concern for the one loved. It also is love of self, since one is concerned with ones welfare. All living existences show concern for their offspring. The higher animals and humans show love for more than their off spring The dog love its master the human loves not only off spring but many others through out life some even after death. Love is a characteristic of shared living existence. It does produce emotional feelings. However, as mentioned, it is more than an emotion. One chooses to love as an act of the will. Love at first sight so called requires knowledge of the loved and a decision that you want the loved one. As a characteristic of shared living existence like complexity and beauty there is a natural striving for love. It is natural to love. However, to love requires action on one's part, a decision to wish good and therefore intervention by our material existence. Material interests interfere and restrict our capacity to love. This material interference can results in hate, wars and conflict of all kinds. People who have developed the capacity to over ride the material attitudes and accept the natural inclinations of shared existence are those who do great good for the world, such as Mother Theresa and many like her. COMPLEXITY As indicated above all existence strives for increase of complexity. As complexity increases the level of living existence increases. As such is an attribute of shared existence. CONCLUSION If we consider the attributes of shared living existence they include the striving to share one's existence (Offspring), the striving for complexity, awareness, and the capacity of loving. All of these attributes trend towards a greater sharing of God's existence. So that the origin of the universe as a shared existence of the prime existence was a step in the evolution of man. Although we do not know how life actually started from observation, we know that living matter contains something non-living matter does not. As we have observed, dead living matter has all the material ingredients and complexity of living matter but has no life. If we mix male and female DNA's, we do not get a living existence. This something we call the life force and in keeping with our general observations, must be a sharing of the prime existence. As with all existence, as we know it, the life force must have different levels of sharing in the prime existence All life as we know it starts as a shared existence in the form of a female cell (Ovum). The cell must be fertilized by a male who is sharing his existence. The life force must be acquired at the time of fertilization or there would be no life. The life force obviously has existence, but an immaterial existence. It apparently is unique, since the individual adults are unique. How the life force is acquired there is no known way of observing the process. It probably occurs as a shared process from the parents. The level of the living existence is probably controlled by the life force. The chimpanzee has almost the same DNA's as humans but has a huge difference in living existence. The life force must interpret the DNA's and uses them as a blueprint to form the adult. A mixture of DNA's does not make a living existence The life force must have evolved simultaneously with the physical evolution, possibly directing it. Since the life force has a non material existence, it, like a thought, ceases to exist when the material being breaks down. The first life is believed to have been a single living cell. How this cell acquired a life force is unknown. However it shared its existence and life force. This was the beginning of a long process of sharing the existence and attributes of the prime existence, resulting in the high level of shared existence found in human existence. The level of living existence of Humans is a huge step from the apes. Although apes preceded man, they have certainly not built cities or written poems. Since God is limitless in every respect, there is no limit to the level of shared living existence. As the level of shared attributes of God rises it obviously reaches a point where the attribute of immortality of God is reached. Humans have apparently reached this level, apes have not and thus their life force dies with their physical existence. Some may question this but to an open mind there is ample evidence that humans continue to exist albeit in a different state after death. As we have observed the soul exists as a unique shared existence. I expect that cooperating with God, a human soul can reach unimaginable levels of God's shared existence. On the other hand not accepting God leaves a human soul whose very existence is a sharing of God's Existence, to exist in a meaningless existence. Similarly a soul who accepts God but made no attempt to know and love God, has to adjust to its new environment of only sharing God's existence. The objective of creation is obviously a means for God to share God's existence. |