This article is an exploration of the implications for what the physical sciences have claimed to uncover about our universe, such as its origins and the nature of time. While it may be interesting from a theoretical point of view, the conclusions that seem to emerge from taking these observations seriously deeply undermine the common human experience of personal, individual existence...
Observation of available evidence seems to imply that there was a time when our entire universe existed in the same infinitely small ‘point’ (for lack of a better word, but being infinitely small it did not actually take up any space at all). At this time, all of creation was one ‘thing’ and that includes time itself, which is (evidently) inextricable linked to space (hence the term space-time). And so all of time, including this present moment as well as your entire lifetime, existed in that oneness.
It was only as this oneness expanded (commonly referred to as the ‘Big Bang’) did the differentiations of before and after, here and there, matter and empty space, etc. began to have existence. We might think that this oneness was a state that only existed in the distant past… however, when this oneness did exist the concept of past and future did not exist. Time held no meaning. This was a state beyond duality—beyond the possibility of time itself.
Given this understanding, it would not make sense to posit that this oneness has come to an ‘end’ (again, the concept of time, and therefore the concept of an ‘end’ did not exist for it, and so there could not be an ‘ending’).
This would mean that somehow this oneness continues to and always will exist. At the same time, being beyond the concept of duality (it is ONEness, not TWOness) it cannot be said to have existence without simultaneously being in the state of nonexistence. Or, perhaps slightly more accurately, it could be said to be beyond either state, and so is neither existing nor not existing.
David Bohm proposed the idea that empty space is not in fact empty at all, but is infinitely full, and what we are able to perceive with our mortal minds and physical senses is the lack of infinity—the 'holes' in this fullness. We do not see the mountain, but rather the cave, and believe that this empty space exists (the cave), but do not perceive that the mountain (unified existence itself) does.
Regardless, we cannot hope to, given the limits of our dualistic minds, really understand anything about this state of undifferentiated infinity. However, by pondering it we can perhaps appreciate the illusory or derivative nature of our personal existence and all that appears to be reality.
Journaling Prompt
What are the implications to you and your life, if all of space and time genuinely do exist as a singularity?