If all is one and one is all; if the universe is truly holographic as certain scientists suggest, then every entity or point in the universe should be able to render the whole universe, like every point in a hologram can render the whole image (albeit at a lower resolution).
Eastern religions sometimes use the paradoxical expression that the "drop is not only in the ocean, but the ocean is also in the drop", indicating that the individual soul (Atman) is in fact God (Brahman).
However, the forms and function of objects and living beings seems to be limited as far as we can observe. If there is a hologram as indicated perhaps it is not a hologram in three dimensions, but a hologram in 4 dimensions.
I mean this in the sense that at a given moment an individualised entity, for instance a squirrel or a bat, does not seem to reflect the whole of the universe in all its intricacies, but only limited aspects thereof. But if you were to believe in reincarnation, then maybe every life form proceeds through all possible life forms in multiple life cycles, until the soul of the entity (if there is such a thing) becomes Godlike and merges with the universe. Then truly over time taken as a whole every entity is the all-encompassing immanent God or universal spirit. At least the Buddha told that he remembered going through all these life forms when he got enlightened.
Alternatively, the soul energy of every entity is always already complete and holds the potential of becoming the whole universe in itself and implicitly is also the whole universe. The form in which it manifests being a mere partial kaleidoscopic reflection of its wholeness. And perhaps there is only "One Soul" ultimately (as in non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta), and are we, like the philosopher Bernardo Kastrup suggests "the alters" of the personality disorder of the God-being.
If the Godlike entity is the whole of existence as in Pantheism, it's pointless to speculate about how we could make such notions understandable in terms of the parts that we know. After all, the whole is more than the sum of parts.
The notion of a Godlike entity, who is fully transcendent and separate from the reality it creates as in Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) seems to violate or logic. After all, it implies that God is not real. Reality encompasses everything that influences reality. If something can influence reality it is real. Only if it does not influence reality can it be truly outside thereof. But then it is not real to our standards either. Since God created the universe, he should be part of reality. If he can communicate with Mozes and Abraham, he influences reality, so he must be included in reality. In other words a God truly fully transcendent and separate from the reality is not possible by definition. If God shows wrath, he is clearly not unaffected by what is happening in his reality either. So the claim of the Abrahamic religions that there is a God that transcends reality is a lie by their own definitions.
Whereas it is fun to engage in such speculations, which touch upon the metaphysical, what we are actually trying to do is attempting to explain the metaphysical in terms of physical. After all, we can understand in terms of physical information or mental representations thereof, which are compounded concepts, grounded in physicality.
Perhaps the metaphysical is exactly that what no longer can be understood, because it defies logic, rationality and causality. Meta- means outside or beyond. The metaphysical is then outside or beyond the physical. But if the metaphysical can influence the physical, does it not have a physical aspect then? Should not the above mentioned reasoning about "reality" apply mutatis mutandis?
And what about modern quantum mechanics? It also defies logic, rationality and causality. Is quantum mechanics not showing that the line between the metaphysical and physical is becoming blurred? Or should we interpret our scientific advances in quantum physics as conquests in the realm of the metaphysical?
Perhaps our Gods are not so metaphysical after all. Perhaps God sacrificed itself to become the universe as in Pandeism or did a part of God become the universe, whilst leaving another part to regulate the process, giving rise to Panendeism.
Yet another interpretation could be is that the very bizarre tenets of quantum mechanics are exactly what renders this part of physics "metaphysical" and which would limit "physics" to classical physics. After all, the infinite properties and aspects that an omnipotent, omnipresent being should have, can never simultaneously be present in a concrete materialised universe, because it would lead to contradictions. The same object would need to express mutually opposing qualities at the same time to allow for God's omnipotence. That cannot be. However quantum mechanics allows for superpositions of wavefunctions, wherein mutually opposing qualities could subsist in the form of a superposition wave function, where only one of these qualities is revealed depending on how a conscious observer would look at it. The Superposition wavefunctions is for us the only way to reconcile the notion of "omnipotence".
Perhaps I am venturing too far in trying to capture in words something that by definition cannot be captured in words. Perhaps the metaphysical is forever beyond understanding. But perhaps the metaphysical can be conquered by using a kind of set of rules, which is a complement to logic. This one could call the logic of the absurd. The rules are established in that they must meet the requirement that they are not logic. But that rule itself sets up a system, which is like a "complement logic", which I'd like to baptise the "logic of the absurd". It is a kind of logic, but not as we know it. Perhaps quantum mechanics are the first observations of such rules that defy traditional logic, but which obey this new logic. Perhaps, since we can apply quantum effects in technology, such as quantum computers and in entanglement experiments, we can claim that we have conquered part of the metaphysical realm and thereby incorporated it into the physical realm. Perhaps by pushing the dividing line between metaphysics and physics a bit further at a time, we eventually come to the conclusion that there is no metaphysical realm. And that we were God after all.
Image from http://www.idrcenter.com/idr-event/metaphysical-sharing-circle/
Awesome read, gets the metal aspects thinking... the physical whirling and my spiritual transcending.... ;-) followed you back and I am looking forward to more of your esoteric posts. loved it!!!
you said:
I agree
But that in which "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28) ALSO doesn't sound like an old man in a beard sitting on a throne directing traffic (transcendent and separate) to me either :-)