Fractals!

What is a fractal?

noun

a curve or geometric figure, each part of which has the same statistical character as the whole. Fractals are useful in modeling structures (such as eroded coastlines or snowflakes) in which similar patterns recur at progressively smaller scales, and in describing partly random or chaotic phenomena such as crystal growth, fluid turbulence, and galaxy formation.

A fractal is a design that mirrors itself at each level infinitely. No matter how far "up" or "down" you go, you will continue seeing the same shape and form.

Here's one of the most famous representations of a fractal, the Mandelbrot sequence:



Fractals aren't just a concept though, they are a reality and permeate everything in existence. In my opinion, the universe we live in is a holographic fractal, mirroring itself from the smallest scale to the largest.



Our brain cells look very much like the universe, the picture on the right is a representation of what our universe would look like if we could zoom out far enough. Each point of light is an entire galaxy. There are said to be hundreds of billions of galaxies within the known universe, and that's only from what we can see and doesn't take into account what we can't see. For all we know there could be an infinite number of galaxies in our universe, more than every grain of sand on every beach in the world. That is mind-blowing isn't it?

There was a thread a while back showing how the shadow of an atom resembles the shape and make-up of our milky way galaxy. I can't be bothered with finding it now, but it makes a good case for the universe being a fractal in my opinion. Those who remember it will know what I'm talking about.

Anyways, since we are a part of the universe and come from it, wouldn't that mean we have the same qualities of the universe at a large scale? We are the microcosm of the macrocosm, we have the universe within us and ARE the universe. Each one of us is a "parallel" universe, containing the whole of the universe within us. When you look up at the night sky, you are seeing what is within you because the image you see is created within your brain.

I AM the universe, and so are you. What we see is a holographic fractal, the small-scale atoms that make up your body mirror the large-scale motion of the planets and galaxies. Protons and electrons revolve around their respective nucleus' just as planets revolve around their respective stars. "As above, so below. As within, so without."

When you cut a hologram of an apple in half, you come out with two whole apples and not halves as you'd typically expect. The universe is the apple, each one of us is a slice of the apple containing the entire form of the original. The large-scale universe is a representation of the small-scale YOU, when you look up at the stars, you are seeing yourself.

The state of the world today is a representation of us as a whole. We are sick and the world around us mirrors that fact. We are sick because we have been lied to about our true nature, we don't see ourselves for what we truly are. We are the universe experiencing itself, we have "God" within us and "God" works through us as a way to know itself.

When you come to realize that we are a fractal (or mirror image) of the perfection of the universe around us, you are set free. The complexity and perfection of the physical universe around us is a testament to the complexity and perfection that lies within every one of us. Know thyself and you will know the ALL. You are all in all, and as Carl Sagan once said, you are a way for the Cosmos to know itself. Come to know yourself, when you do, you will see the universe for what it truly is... YOU! You are so much bigger and more important than you may realize.

You are the catalyst for existence itself. Every point along an infinite line is the center, and YOU are the center of the universe, as is everyone else. It may sound cheesy, but it is true.



Thanks for reading.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

I don't find threads often I agree completely or enough to say this thread is more true than even the OP realizes...BUT KUDOS TO YOU!!!

This is a gleaming example of why I come here! Forget all the other BS we have to sift through to get here, this makes sense and people need to understand what you are really saying here! This life of yours is not random and we all serve a purpose...You will be excited one day to see what that truly is!

EXCELLENT JOB OP!! Thumbs way up and I couldn't agree more!

Agree agree agree!! Awesome thread OP. I often think of fractals and the world around us, but never made connection like what you presented.

That being said, it's easy to see the sickness. So much lung disease, maybe cause we're tearing down the lungs of this planet?(trees and kelp)
a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Here is one of my favorite edible fractals,the Romanesque Caauliflower:



Interesting thread!

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

I love fractals!!! www.theuniverseismental.com...

Ever since I watched an 8 hour documentary by Nassim Haramein on the fractal universe

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1


I AM the universe, and so are you. What we see is a holographic fractal, the small-scale atoms that make up your body mirror the large-scale motion of the planets and galaxies. Protons and electrons revolve around their respective nucleus' just as planets revolve around their respective stars. "As above, so below. As within, so without."

---snip



The state of the world today is a representation of us as a whole. We are sick and the world around us mirrors that fact. We are sick because we have been lied to about our true nature, we don't see ourselves for what we truly are. We are the universe experiencing itself, we have "God" within us and "God" works through us as a way to know itself.



When you come to realize that we are a fractal (or mirror image) of the perfection of the universe around us, you are set free. The complexity and perfection of the physical universe around us is a testament to the complexity and perfection that lies within every one of us. Know thyself and you will know the ALL. You are all in all, and as Carl Sagan once said, you are a way for the Cosmos to know itself. Come to know yourself, when you do, you will see the universe for what it truly is... YOU! You are so much bigger and more important than you may realize.

Nicely stated. I like.

The universe is fractal-like out to many distance scales, but at a certain point, the mathematical form breaks down. Nevertheless, everything you said still holds true (in my opinion). Some might, and have, argued that the Universe isn't fractal www.space.com... ...but I think they are just missing the point.

If are you're looking for meaning in life... seeing the Universe inside yourself is a comforting thought.

Nice thread! SnF

I nearly fell into that Mandelbrot lol

Where does this realisation end though and what determines any changes?

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Took me a while...Finally F'in found it...phew...

a reply to: wasaka

Yes, I agree, they are missing the point.

How can a non-fractal contain fractals? A non-fractal implies limitedness, so how can something limited contain something that is unlimited? The existence of fractals within the universe goes to show that the universe is infinite, otherwise it wouldn't be able to contain something that is unlimited.

In a infinite universe there is a chance it is peridolia. Lol.

Just a little something I cooked up a while ago..."flame" fractals based on 3D mathematical calculations created using the "apophysis" program. Of course, no comparison to beautiful mother nature but still fun.

Fractal flames are a member of the iterated function system class[1] of fractals created by Scott Draves in 1992.[2] Draves' open-source code was later ported into Adobe After Effects graphics software[3] and translated into the Apophysis fractal flame editor.[2] Fractal flames differ from ordinary iterated function systems in three ways: Nonlinear functions are iterated instead of affine transforms. Log-density display instead of linear or binary (a form of tone mapping) Color by structure (i.e. by the recursive path taken) instead of monochrome or by density. The tone mapping and coloring are designed to display as much of the detail of the fractal as possible, which generally results in a more aesthetically pleasing image.

Wiki Source

My fav...Deep Hammerheads.


Sing


3001 Dashboard


Pocket Universe


Atomic Flea


Nicola's Dream


Deep Dancer


Within the program that created these it is possible to zoom in or out continuously (infinately?) to create new images. These are each all from just one zoom level using set peramaters for each.

Great program and easy to use, hard to master, but can often provide stunning random results.

Many more examples of my work and a link to all the full size (desktop) images can be found in my DEVIANT ART GALLERY

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
a reply to: wasaka

Yes, I agree, they are missing the point.

How can a non-fractal contain fractals? A non-fractal implies limitedness, so how can something limited contain something that is unlimited? The existence of fractals within the universe goes to show that the universe is infinite, otherwise it wouldn't be able to contain something that is unlimited.

An infinite series can sum to a finite number.

en.wikipedia.org...

All fractals in nature are bounded on one side by the size of a single atom, and by the sum to infinity of a geometric series on the other. Consider a tree. The branching of the trunk, branches and twigs is fractal in nature, but the upper limit on size is due to the geometric ratio between each branch (in turn due to the physics of water pressure and evaporation.

With the Mandelbrot set, the fractal is bound by a circle of radius 2.0. But as the iteration level increases, each successive curve is contained with the bounds of the previous one, but more crinkly and even longer. So as the iteration level increases, the length of the curve becomes infinitely long. Just like the coastline example where you could estimate the amount of coastline by drawing a bounding box or circle around an island, but if you were to measure the length of every riverside, stream, pond, puddle it would become infinite in length.

a reply to: stormcell

Ah, I see.

The finite size of the beginning of the Mandelbrot set contains an infinite zoom. That puts it into perspective a little better.

Thanks.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Yes, excellent OP and very interesting matter to ponder. Soon after I bought my first computer.. a 386.. I ran a fractal program. O man, how impressed I was to see my screen built that thing up and able to zoom in and out.

IMHO is the fractal theory part of a science we barely understand and is one of the most significant in our way to understand the universe.

FnS

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest-a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

~Albert Einstein

a reply to: nerbot

Nice work nerbot!

I actually created a few of my avatars using fractals I generated with Apophyisis. This owl is one of them.

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

There was a thread a while back showing how the shadow of an atom resembles the shape and make-up of our milky way galaxy. I can't be bothered with finding it now, but it makes a good case for the universe being a fractal in my opinion. Those who remember it will know what I'm talking about.

Is THIS the one you were talking about? I've been meaning to do a follow up since there are some new developments that further support the theory, I just have too many things going on at once right now lol.

a reply to: Bone75

YES!!!! That's the one. Glad you showed up.

I enjoyed your thread a ton and it was one of the reasons I really started looking into this theory. Thanks!

Fractal geometry is something I have researched for more than 10 years and recommend that people learn about the sacred geometry that the ancients were aware of and that are prevalent in many things in many ways.

classes.yale.edu...
www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk...

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

And the basis - a mathematical equation iterated indefinitely. It's all just math.