Chapter 11 - Cosmos, Consciousness and Destiny

Question 2

Two groups of creation myth

Answer 2

1. God wanted to share existence and love
2. Everything is God or within God and purpose is to merge with Divine

Question 3

Gnostic model

Answer 3

There is a singularity beyond which human thought can take us, ultimate reality is Mystery, pregnant with Consciousness
the Mystery from which all existence springs is one undivided whole, Mystery can’t actually be Consciousness because it would require an object of which to be conscious. Consciousness only came into being when Mystery divided into two; Mystery can be likened to potential consciousness of minds in deep sleep
Mystery “desired” to be conscious of itself

Question 4

Mystery

Answer 4

< Conscious awareness + truth < inner world + outer world < me + other

Question 5

Cosmic and human destiny

Answer 5

People fear death because of loss of potential and unfinished journey
Side effects of future “enhancements” might destroy qualities we wish to preserve
If universe continues to expand then reaches max size followed by big crunch, there will be energy crisis
- Create more favorable local conditions by shifting stars around using chaos and small nudges
- Develop information processors that don’t need energy, like disembodied consciousness
- may be wrong about death of universe, may discover evolutionary process towards increasing complexity doesn’t increase entropy and second law of thermodynamics is balanced by complementary law of complexification (in this case, future > unlimited)

Question 6

Subjective experience of time

Answer 6

Faster minds work > more experience crammed into period; beings on a neutron star using nuclear instead of chemical processes might experience years in one human second
As universe cools and slows down, might be able to slow consciousness to match energy

Question 7

Big crunch

Answer 7

Before universe disappears, it will be too hot for life
We could encode memories and info in radiation and transmit it through new big bang (provided universe bounces into new existence)
Immortality might be experienced as mind speeds up with rising tem until infinity could be experienced in finite time

Question 8

Unlimited brain capacity

Answer 8

Would deliberate on all aspects of own existence and universe and simulate imaginary worlds in virtual reality

Question 9

Wormhole

Answer 9

Move to another universe

Question 10

Create new universe

Answer 10

If it’s possible for us to learn how to create new universe, how do we know that this one wasn’t deliberately create by sentient beings as an experiment or way for consciousness to know itself?

Question 11

Cosmic purpose

Answer 11

If there is one, universe must end or else continued existence would be pointless