If "everything is energy" then what does this mean?

[George-ananda]

I've often heard people say that in some sense or another "everything" (whatever that is) is "energy". This confuses me, to put it bluntly. I often work with "energy" as it is "defined" (exists? described?) in modern physics, and this has not helped me understand the assertion that everything is energy. So if any members believe this and would be willing to describe what this belief means (or if any members are more knowledgeable about what this means than I) I would be grateful for an explanation as to what "everything is energy" means (e.g., what is the nature of this "energy"? why ought we to believe that everything is indeed a form of or made out of this "energy"? etc.). Thanks!

I think we don't know what matter and energy really are. The more we look, the more mysterious things become. I think it is an illusion created by Consciousness/Brahman for individual consciousness (lower case 's') to have experiences in this play/drama.

 

[Darkstorn]

I think we don't know what matter and energy really are. The more we look, the more mysterious things become. I think it is an illusion created by Consciousness/Brahman for individual consciousness (lower case 's') to have experiences in this play/drama.

When it comes down to it: Nothing and everything are the same thing. So if everything is an illusion, then it is analoguous to everything not being an illusion; It becomes a matter of viewpoint, and thus no longer relevant...

I haven't actually read this thead much but i would like to clarify one thing: Matter is not strictly made of energy. And not everything is made of energy. It is more accurate to say, that both matter and energy are contemporary and equal to each other: And indeed, physics wise, they are in fact one and the same. So: It too becomes a matter of viewpoint... Thus... Yes. Irrelevant...

It doesn't matter whether or not the universe is made out of energy OR matter: Both are equally NOT what make up the universe...

Everything is made of particles. And when we discover what particles are made of; then the universe is made of those things... So, in the end, what the universe is, becomes a matter of viewpoint...

Okay let's backtrack a bit. No, not everything is energy. Energy is too "high level" a component to be a building block... And it doesn't really matter what everything is made of: Because we can never truly know.

 

[George-ananda]

When it comes down to it: Nothing and everything are the same thing.

Aren't they also opposites?

So if everything is an illusion, then it is analoguous to everything not being an illusion; It becomes a matter of viewpoint, and thus no longer relevant...

I haven't actually read this thead much but i would like to clarify one thing: Matter is not strictly made of energy. And not everything is made of energy. It is more accurate to say, that both matter and energy are contemporary and equal to each other: And indeed, physics wise, they are in fact one and the same. So: It too becomes a matter of viewpoint... Thus... Yes. Irrelevant...

It doesn't matter whether or not the universe is made out of energy OR matter: Both are equally NOT what make up the universe...

Everything is made of particles. And when we discover what particles are made of; then the universe is made of those things... So, in the end, what the universe is, becomes a matter of viewpoint...

Okay let's backtrack a bit. No, not everything is energy. Energy is too "high level" a component to be a building block... And it doesn't really matter what everything is made of: Because we can never truly know.

I come from the school of thought that says Consciousness is the fundamental and matter/energy are derivatives of Consciousness. Probably the opposite of standard western thinking.

 

[Darkstorn]

I think your way of thinking shows a lack of imagination if you truly believe energy and matter are derivatives of consciousness... The universe is far more complex and deep than just that. Energy and matter are irrelevant. And in the universal scale; So is the consciousness.

Aren't they also opposites?

Yes, but you wouldn't know the other without knowing both.

 

[George-ananda]

I think your way of thinking shows a lack of imagination if you truly believe energy and matter are derivatives of consciousness... The universe is far more complex and deep than just that. Energy and matter are irrelevant. And in the universal scale; So is the consciousness.

What's left? Are you saying then everything is irrelevant?

 

[atanu]

Let me offer some definitions or simplifications. I know this isn't perfect so I invite others to expand and correct what I offer:

Energy is related to the amount of work that can be done. A stone dropped from 5m height transfers it's potential energy to the ground. Often we can quite accurately predict how much energy is transferred into heat, if we are for example burning fuel to propel our rocket.

In certain states of consciousness such as we can achieve in meditative techniques, prayer or even sport we feel as though energy is moving in our bodies and in the surroundings or even that we become part of that. What this energy is, doesn't translate to work directly. Why it's called energy comes from association with what energy produces in the world around us and our experiences of it. It can be the feeling of wind passing through our bones and blood vessels, lightness when running as if we were carried by it or fire or numerous other sensations that are called "energy".

The confusion comes when a mystic or someone interested in this equates these experiences with physical processes. We say we experienced energy or even the Universe/God as energy, but what is it? We can't burn things with it or use it to propel ourselves.

And similarly there are situations with intense emotionality involved. Suppose a person's lover has left. The aggrieved person is sitting and nothing is perceived outside. But from inside, this person is tsunami of emotions.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I've often heard people say that in some sense or another "everything" (whatever that is) is "energy". This confuses me, to put it bluntly. I often work with "energy" as it is "defined" (exists? described?) in modern physics, and this has not helped me understand the assertion that everything is energy. So if any members believe this and would be willing to describe what this belief means (or if any members are more knowledgeable about what this means than I) I would be grateful for an explanation as to what "everything is energy" means (e.g., what is the nature of this "energy"? why ought we to believe that everything is indeed a form of or made out of this "energy"? etc.). Thanks!

All I know is that good energy tends to be white or light blue and gives off a nice hum, while evil energy tends to be reddish and more crackly.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Yay....a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...this energy we called the force.....

 

[Jonathan Ainsley Bain]

I've often heard people say that in some sense or another "everything" (whatever that is) is "energy". This confuses me, to put it bluntly. I often work with "energy" as it is "defined" (exists? described?) in modern physics, and this has not helped me understand the assertion that everything is energy. So if any members believe this and would be willing to describe what this belief means (or if any members are more knowledgeable about what this means than I) I would be grateful for an explanation as to what "everything is energy" means (e.g., what is the nature of this "energy"? why ought we to believe that everything is indeed a form of or made out of this "energy"? etc.). Thanks!

I think we have 3 primary states of existence:

Energy, Consciousness & Form.

In one sense, all energy and form are subsets of consciousness.
But if we look beyond this, when energy changes form,
the form itself must be distinct from the energy for this to happen.

The reason I say this, is that we need something to stand in between
the two states of energy: something that separates them or else they
would simply not be able to be separate from each other.

Form and Energy, may also be called quantity and quality,
or substance and form
or order and chaos.

Such duality forms a physical set, separate from consciousness,
which then is another duality:

Self-consciousness and consciousness of the physical.

If some being tried to claim that 'all is energy' they would have
already implied that they are conscious to make this assertion
between the one supreme quality: ALL (order or form)
and the supreme quantity: energy.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Interactive forces...interactive states...interactive forms. The way I see it, interaction is everything. It is fundamental. Consciousness is a complex form of interaction, nothing more.

"Let there be light!" ...that is interaction.

If there is such thing as a God, then God by default must be an interactive force of the universe.

 

[allfoak]

@LegionOnomaMoi

"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything
vibrates."--The Kybalion.

The hermetic philosophy explains this principle in detail here

 

[Walter Russell]

No, everything is not energy, empty space is not energy, however everything that is not empty space is energy. Personally I like to think of it as there being a dualism in reality, there exists empty space and energy, kind of like the yin-yang philosophy.

Everything is energy and space isnt empty. Just because we dont yet understand what dark matter is does'nt mean its nothing. Everything in existance we can observe has a frequency. Frequencies are a result of movement. Its logical to assume what we can't see on the micro scale also has movement and produces frequency. As we advance in technology and spiritual wisdom, we will uncover the mysteries that currently escape us.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Everything is energy and space isnt empty. Just because we dont yet understand what dark matter is does'nt mean its nothing. Everything in existance we can observe has a frequency. Frequencies are a result of movement. Its logical to assume what we can't see on the micro scale also has movement and produces frequency. As we advance in technology and spiritual wisdom, we will uncover the mysteries that currently escape us.

Those frequencies are interactions. That dark matter, whether we know what it is or not interacts with us in some way, we know it is there. To exist...to be something... is to interact. A completely non-interactive state would equate to non-existence. I do not ascribe to a view of pure nothingness. Interaction is everything. I agree with your post.

 

[Walter Russell]

There isn't a single scientist worth his salt who has ever said 'everything is energy.' Not even in quantum physics.

Walter Russell had a great concept and although he wasn't technically a scientist, he was recognized for his scientific contributions.

He described the source of creation as a conscious light which gravitates and radiates. Gravitation and radiation are movements and movement produces energy.
There is movement in all of creation. To not move is to not exist.
For us this is all speculative but considering the man had no formal education beyond the age of 8 and was able to contribute what he has amazes me.
His work was never rejected by main stream science, if anything some of work that was not understood was more or less ignored. In fact his friend Nikola Tesla advised him to seal up his ideas for a thousand years because mankind wasn't mature enough yet to receive it.
2 of his works that were very thought provoking to me were "The Secret of Light" and "Two-Way Universe".

 

[idav]

I've often heard people say that in some sense or another "everything" (whatever that is) is "energy". This confuses me, to put it bluntly. I often work with "energy" as it is "defined" (exists? described?) in modern physics, and this has not helped me understand the assertion that everything is energy. So if any members believe this and would be willing to describe what this belief means (or if any members are more knowledgeable about what this means than I) I would be grateful for an explanation as to what "everything is energy" means (e.g., what is the nature of this "energy"? why ought we to believe that everything is indeed a form of or made out of this "energy"? etc.). Thanks!

We have had this discussion before but I will try again.

The e=mc^2 means everything is energy and/or can convert to energy.

"Matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration", quoting Bill Hicks actually sounds true.

I know, I know, you say this is just a math conversion and doesn't represent anything real.

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

We have had this discussion before but I will try again.

The e=mc^2 means everything is energy and/or can convert to energy.

Energy was related to matter long, long before Einstein. It was and remains unknown long after. For the historical conception of energy among physics see Energy, the Subtle Concept: The Discovery of Feynman's Blocks from Leibniz to Einstein. This work does something to explain how meaningless it is to say that energy is conserved or that energy is anything at all, as even the title itself is from a section from Feynman's lectures in which he notes that what we call "energy" is in reality nothing more than a mother's use of some basic interpretations to understand how her son's building blocks appear or disappear by e.g., accidently loosing them because a friend borrowed them. It is a mathematical notion, and the conservation of energy (which makes no sense in special relativity or quantum mechanics) consists of mathematical fixes.

"Matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration", quoting Bill Hicks actually sounds true.

Great. What's this "matter"? According to our most accepted interpretations of QM, the foundations of physics describe probabilities, not physical systems. According to the stand model of particle physics, theoretical physics, cosmology, etc., "matter" is an outdated notion from the 1700s that existed then only because of debates among a select few of Greek philosophers.

 

[idav]

Energy was related to matter long, long before Einstein. It was and remains unknown long after. For the historical conception of energy among physics see Energy, the Subtle Concept: The Discovery of Feynman's Blocks from Leibniz to Einstein. This work does something to explain how meaningless it is to say that energy is conserved or that energy is anything at all, as even the title itself is from a section from Feynman's lectures in which he notes that what we call "energy" is in reality nothing more than a mother's use of some basic interpretations to understand how her son's building blocks appear or disappear by e.g., accidently loosing them because a friend borrowed them. It is a mathematical notion, and the conservation of energy (which makes no sense in special relativity or quantum mechanics) consists of mathematical fixes.


Great. What's this "matter"? According to our most accepted interpretations of QM, the foundations of physics describe probabilities, not physical systems. According to the stand model of particle physics, theoretical physics, cosmology, etc., "matter" is an outdated notion from the 1700s that existed then only because of debates among a select few of Greek philosophers.

So your just pretty much saying energy and matter are outdated concepts. Really, so we just dump the notions all together?

Is it that the energy and mass are two different measurements of the same thing that remain conserved no matter its state?

 

[soma]

After Physics is Quantum Physics and before them there was Metaphysics, which is attributed to Aristotle including the subject-matter of philosophy, science, wisdom, and theology. It corresponds to theories that have been standardized; subsequently, Aristotle characterized them as the study of the first cause, in his search for truth because they do not change. Everything is energy sustained and caused by energy, be that as it may Christian mysticism agrees with physics taking this energy to different levels of consciousness where energy is aware of itself.

 

[Runewolf1973]

After Physics is Quantum Physics and before them there was Metaphysics, which is attributed to Aristotle including the subject-matter of philosophy, science, wisdom, and theology. It corresponds to theories that have been standardized; subsequently, Aristotle characterized them as the study of the first cause, in his search for truth because they do not change. Everything is energy sustained and caused by energy, be that as it may Christian mysticism agrees with physics taking this energy to different levels of consciousness where energy is aware of itself.

I don't see energy, or anything for that matter (ourselves included), as being aware or conscious. Energy and forms such as us humans are interactive. The more things interact, the more conscious they appear. Our brains interact in a very complex manner, thus we have this "feeling" of consciousness, but really all we are doing is interacting in various physical ways. When something occurs to the brain and it is damaged, that ability for the brain to interact in it's normal fashion is thereby altered and we end up "acting" differently. What also ties into this idea of mine is that not only are we not truly conscious, we are not truly living, nor do we ever truly die. As interactive forms, all we can ever do is change form . We never cease to exist or cease to interact with the universe in some way. Humans will never create a living robot or any kind of life for that matter because we ourselves are not truly alive. However, humans may one day create a robot with the ability to interact in such a complex manner that it replicates those characteristics we consider to be life. The reason why humans can't re-create life or consciouness?...because they don't actually exist, they are just words...labels. The Fundamental Forces...those interactions exist. Complexity exists.

 

[soma]

I agree we as humans interact with some just reacting, but in this case you interacted with the quote in a conscious way. Consciousness seems to be the energy or force that initiated our interaction or movement towards an idea that we can both agree upon or disagree. Consciousness seems to be the cause of this movement without moving itself. We can say consciousness is a form of energy converted into other forms of energy, but that would make some energy aware of itself and other some forms not aware.