Thoughts on Parallel Universes

I've been reading theories about parallel universes from various sites, some claiming they exist, while others do not. Here's a link for you to read.

Parallel Universe

Now to get to my point. Are these parallel universes created instantaneously? What I mean by instantaneously is, if I fell down a set of stairs, would some other universe branch off immediately where I didn't fall? And my life in that universe will continue as if nothing had happened? But what I can't help thinking about this other being is, will his existence have existed before he was created? Of course he existed with me, but everything will be my memory. Will he only have the memory of growing up, and only at the point when we split is where he starts living his own life?

Another idea I have is will an entirely new universe have to begin? For example the big bang will reoccur, the universe will expand, our earth is created, evolution will take place, and eventually I'll be born and this replica me will live exactly the same way I've lived, only at the point where I fell, he won't. Then he'll go on a different path than I, unaware of anything. By the time he comes into existence I'll be dead for billions of years.

Forgive me if what I've said doesn't make sense. When I think about all these random thoughts I get caught up with everything and lose myself in a long explanation. Anyways, these are my thoughts on parallel universes, what are yours?

Im sort of hoping they dont exist, would give me a headache to be quite honest. I always liked the idea of occams razor, but parallel universes are a possibility I suppose.

Originally posted by Boswell
Are these parallel universes created instantaneously?

Yeah, supposedly. Every time there's any kind of divergence. Every time a photon could have gone this way or that, it supposedly creates two divergent universes. It's an interesting notion, except for one thing...

I don't know about you, but I only seem to be conscious in one universe. If I supposedly also exist in this virtual infinity of other universes, how come I'm not aware of them? My consciousness seems to be pretty seemless, too, so I'm not jumping back and forth between a billion different universes. I'm only experiencing this one. What's up with that?

Unless there is only the potential for these other universes, but the only one that exists is the one I'm conscious of, because only consciousness determines quantum states, not potentiality.

SOURCE


Hugh Everett III came up with a radical idea: That there exist parallel universes, exactly like our universe. These universes are all related to ours; indeed, they branch off from ours, and our universe is branched off of others. Within these parallel universes, our wars have had different outcomes than the ones we know. Species that are extinct in our universe have evolved and adapted in others. In other universes, we humans may have become extinct.
Or we could be God knows what in these other universes! Interesting concept- Personally, i think man will look for any excuse to perpetuate himself forever. Redundant i know but we like that.

reply to post by Nohup
I beleive we're actually on a time delay, time is actually secnds to hours ahead of us, hence we are able to sense the very near future.
Maybe this is for another thread, but i think this is fascinating stuff!!!

The whole notion of choosing one path or another, which ultimately lead to different outcomes is just absurd to me. You were always going to make the choice you made. Its got nothing to do with "fate" either. My life may drastically change for the better or worse had I chosen to wash the car. But just because I thought about it for a few minutes, and decided against it, only to reflect on what the ramifications may have been, does not suggest that in a different realm I had washed the car. Our ability to reflect on past events, and rue missed opportunities and whatnot is really the catalyst behind the notion of multiple universes.

And why do scientists, who really know nothing about the universe, throw out theories like parallel universe to try and come up with an explanation for why things are the way they are. They should probably be working on getting the basics right.

Then again, I could be wrong, and Im just writing this in one the 356 trillion parallel universes.

I heard a debate on the radio a few weeks ago, where the host and guest were discussing parallel universes. The guest was making the claim that there are infinite universes. Every conceivable action occurs somewhere in this multiverse. So, for instance, in one I'm writing a post on ATS, while in another I'm robbing a bank, in a third I'm quarterbacking the Patriots.

I don't buy that theory. If everything happens somewhere, on some plane, then there must be a universe in which I discover the secret to parallel travel and wipe out each and every universe. And since we are still here, then that can't be true. If you follow me...

But, to raise a counterpoint to the theory that we may only exist in one universe, let me suggest that perhaps we phase from one to another. It's possible that each universe is only slightly different than the next, neighbor, universe. If so, it's conceivable that we might shift from A to B without ever knowing the switch took place.

And perhaps when we shift, every instance of ourselves also shifts. So as I traverse from universe A to B, my good self in universe B shifts to universe C. Thus, we never meet ourselves, and we never appear to go missing. Existence appears constant and we remain blissfully unaware that we are not living in the same universe that we started in.

Just a thought.

Check out my blog: Esoterica in America

Originally posted by AJ Lavender


But, to raise a counterpoint to the theory that we may only exist in one universe, let me suggest that perhaps we phase from one to another. It's possible that each universe is only slightly different than the next, neighbor, universe. If so, it's conceivable that we might shift from A to B without ever knowing the switch took place.

Or maybe we DO know. I had a thread before where i went outside and everything looked odd and out of quilter. If things "feel" stil and strange, could that be this shift?
Good theory.

Originally posted by dgtempe

Originally posted by AJ Lavender


But, to raise a counterpoint to the theory that we may only exist in one universe, let me suggest that perhaps we phase from one to another. It's possible that each universe is only slightly different than the next, neighbor, universe. If so, it's conceivable that we might shift from A to B without ever knowing the switch took place.

Or maybe we DO know. I had a thread before where i went outside and everything looked odd and out of quilter. If things "feel" stil and strange, could that be this shift?
Good theory.

It most probably wasnt, it was highly likely that it was just you. "I went outside and felt strange"? You cant be serious. Surely, you cant? Can you?

I'm dead serious. Its happened to many of us right here on this board.
Something was amiss for a short time for me, for others i was months!!!
Anyhow, i dont know if its related or not.

reply to post by 3_Libras


While nobody - not that we know, that is - KNOWS anything for certain, there are a few points worth remembering.

First of all, and unless I am very much mistaken, Everett conceived this idea on a mathematical level, almost as a way out of an impasse.
(Which doesn't mean that it's necessarily false. Nor does his "discovery" imply that other cultures, before us, knew nothing...)

Secondly, Everett's theory has been misused and abused - and, of course, trivialised- by the media, which resulted in it becoming a sort of a "mind game". Just because in principle any decision (and let's define "decision" first!) COULD lead to the creation of a "parallel universe" that does not mean that it actually and inevitably WOULD.

In my personal view... there are other junctions that could - and possibly do - lead to different time-lines.
But that's too complex a topic to discuss it here.
(There are a few people on this board who seem to be quite knowledgeable about Everett's theories. Do a search - you'll see.)

Personally, I tend more and more towards the belief that the universe really is "holographic", as Pribram and Bohm (and Talbot synthesising their theses) suspected. Which would mean that, basically... anything is possible.

And, be it as it may, I've decided to live by that motto a long time ago.



[edit on 26-1-2008 by Vanitas]

I hope you can see from my side how skeptical I am of "still and strange" equating to universal shifts. If we wanna go into that though, whos to say that your feeling is not a result of something occurring within the universe we know. Something tells me that if there was a shift into another universe, a select few people on Above Top Secret wouldnt be the only ones to feel it.

Hmmm, well let's take the theory one step further and suggest that when we do sense a shift (as happened when you walked outside) perhaps we have phased beyond the usual one universe.

So, instead of shifting from universe A to B, you shifted from A to D. The additional shifts created a sense of mislocation, although brief. Most people would ignore the change or pass it off as something mundane. The more sensitive you are to your environment, the more likely you would be to notice such a transition from the ordinary.

Again, just a thought.

Check out my blog: Esoterica in America

reply to post by 3_Libras


I may be wrong, but I don't think the OP was referring to a global shift into a different universe.

I certainly wasn't. I've long held the suspicion that our lives and personal universes may be much more "subjective" than it's usually thought - yes, even on a physical (and even metaphysical) level.
I still do.
More and more so.







[edit on 26-1-2008 by Vanitas]

I threw it out there as a possibility, and i dont see why membership at ATS would prevent us from experiencing something odd?
We're people from all walks of life. Its possible that a few of us can experience something strange and unexplainable.

PS> BTW, i'm not strange at all.

EDIT- just read your post, now that makes sense. Its a possibility. It makes us think even beyond

[edit on 26-1-2008 by dgtempe]

Are you familiar with James Brennan's Time Travel (book), Boswell?

Personally, I find the second part of the book unnecessary, to put it mildly... But the "mechanics" of time, including Everett's theory, are rather well explained. If you are not yet familiar with it, I think you may enjoy it (well - the first part, if nothing else).





[edit on 27-1-2008 by Vanitas]

You're right about membership at ATS, and thats fine. But I think its opportunistic to attempt to fit it into theories. Its reminiscent of people who say they've dreamed about things that have been prophesied prior. We still dont really know what effects things in the solar system, let alone the universe have on species on Earth. Your theory is a possibility sure, not doubting that. There are too many unexplainable things in space/earth/mind to narrow it down to multiple universes though.

Those are some pretty good thoughts. I'll definitely give the book a read Vanitas.

Someone stated earlier that about why we can't sense these other minds of ours. If it was to happen, that a whole new universe is created, we could never sense that other being because by the time they come into existence, supposing in this other universe they did, we'll be long gone. I've often thought about why we can't sense it either.

These other universes aren't so much about our thought and their significance and how much of a change they can make. It's opposite reactions to our current actions. They branch off from an action, any action, and flow off into an endless amount of possibilities. Say today, you looked both ways before you crossed the street, that could branch off into another world where you didn't even bother, and maybe a car hit you, or before you even crossed the street someone saved you.

Just another thought, maybe that's where deja vu comes into play? If we're the branch of another universe where the event has already passed, we could be the result of it, or maybe that's where we do something different because we feel it's already been done. What say any of you about that?

reply to post by Boswell


There's a lengthy thread (or even two) on deja vu here, on ATS.
I think you might like it. (Just search for "deja vu".)

I'm still not sure what they are... but the premonitions (certainly not the same thing) that I and other people I know have had throughout our lives - things that could not possibly be explained "rationally" - lead me to believe that... well, time is not what it seems to be. ; )

More on that some other, ahem, time.

I believe in parallel universes - however not like others do. From my understanding that time is an illusion, also stands for parallel universes - an illusion.

I can't really explain it - but will 'try'. Ok a lot of people believe in re-incarnation, ie progressive from one life to the next, however I've come to understand it as being simultaneous - all of 'time' even 're-incarnations' are all based on where your spirit/soul (you) choose to focus. Like switching TV channels, only being aware of one at a time, but all broadcast side by side.

So the past/present/future is all NOW, but I'm actually typing right now because of my spirits/souls focus at this frequency of time (and space). My past lives (and future lives) are living in a simultaneous existence, but for point of reference, i'm here now.

Does that make any sense? For this same reason, Parallel universes work on the same method. I'm driving a car, come to an intersection, go 'one' way and in the other dimension go the other way, its simply my focus on which way my spirit/soul wishes to go, yet all possibilities are valid and at 'present' moment.

Now some say why can't some be aware of multiple universes - well, they are, and they are 'aware' of these universes, however to you and I, they are classified as mentally ill as they are incoherent, lights on but nobody is home type of scenario. These people became aware of 'other' levels of reality as they had started a 'Kundalini Activation' and not being able to 'focus' on any one reality. Kundalini is the activation of energy from all 7 main Chakras in the body, a burst of energy that runs up the spine into the back of the brain, the energy being released 'unlocks' the chains in the DNA, which allows the spirit/soul to return to its source, that being to be joined together as one with 'god' or 'creator' of existence.

Now a little off topic - but Spontaneous Human Combustion is when the body releases so much energy from a Kundalini Activation - it literally burns the body from inside out

Sooooo there's my understanding of it, hope it makes sense

Thx