NMT (No-Me Teaching) new series 37:
Prior to excerpting the Ramana Maharshi disciple, Master Nome in the text below we skirt around the Fine-Tuned Universe series to add further questions about the Universe.
[In the unreal reflection called the “Universe”, a product of an unreal Mind, even there, Infinite Intelligence is evident and inspiring.]
(Supposed) Future of an expanding Universe part I:
If the expansion of the Universe continues forever, the Universe will cool as it expands, eventually becoming too cold to sustain Life . For this reason, this future scenario is popularly called the Big Freeze.
Dark Energy can be represented by the Cosmological Constant Λ, a constant Energy Density filling Space homogeneously, or represented by scalar fields, such as Quintessence or Moduli, dynamic quantities whose Energy Density can vary in Time & Space. Dark Energy accelerates the expansion of the Universe, so that the space between clusters of galaxies will grow at an increasing rate.
Red-shift will stretch ancient, incoming photons (even gamma rays) to undetectably long wavelengths & low energies. Stars are expected to form normally for 1012 to 1014 years (1-100 Trillion years). But eventually the supply of gas needed for star formation will be exhausted. And as existing stars run out of fuel & cease to shine, the Universe will slowly & inexorably grow darker, one star at a time.
According to theories that predict Proton decay, the stellar remnants left behind will disappear, leaving behind only black holes, which themselves eventually disappear as they emit Hawking radiation. Ultimately, if the Universe reaches a state in which the temperature approaches a uniform value, no further work will be possible, resulting in a final Heat Death of the Universe.
Infinite expansion does not determine the spatial curvature of the Universe. It can be open (with negative spatial curvature), flat, or closed (positive spatial curvature). If it is closed, sufficient Dark Energy must be present to counteract the Gravitational attraction of matter & other forces tending to contract the Universe. Open & flat Universes will expand forever even in the absence of Dark Energy.
Observations of the CMB, Cosmic Micro-wave Background radiation by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe suggested that the Universe is spatially flat & has a significant amount of Dark Energy. In this case, the Universe should continue to expand at an accelerating rate. The acceleration of the Universe’s expansion has also been confirmed by observations of distant Supernovae. If, as in the Concordance Model of Physical Cosmology (Lambda-cold Dark Matter or ΛCDM), the Dark Energy is in the form of a Cosmological Constant, the expansion will eventually become exponential, with the size of the Universe doubling at a constant rate.
If the theory of Inflation is true, the Universe went through an Episode dominated by a different form of Dark Energy in the first moments of the Big Bang; but Inflation ended, indicating an equation of state much more complicated than those for Dark Energy. It is possible that the Dark Energy equation of state could change again resulting in an event that would have consequences which are extremely difficult to predict.
Some more from Ramana Maharshi disciple, Master Nome:
Thoughts move in modes. Innumerable thoughts & modes are contained in states of Mind. All are included in 3 states of Mind: Waking, Dream, & Deep Dreamless Sleep. In the 1st 2 states (Waking & Dream), thought itself projects itself into itself & the content of thought changes according to those states. The Waking state is equivalent to the Dream state. In both states, the same kind of multiplicity manifests. In both states, subject & object appear.
The same kinds of mental function appear in both states. In both states, there is the same tendency to identify as a particular character with a particular Body exists. Cause & Effect are present in both states. Both states are characterized by non– perception of Reality & the mis–perception of Reality, which delusions are equivalent to not seeing a rope & imagining to be a snake. These 2 states, Waking & Dream are mutually exclusive (contradictory). Everything experienced in a given state changes within that state itself, or else changes with the transition from 1 state to the other. Only Existence-Consciousness remains the same, unaffected by the changes in such experiences & any change of state. So what is present in the Waking state tends to be absent in the Dream state, & what is present in the Dream state tends to be absent in the Waking state.
What appears within a state is only that state of Mind itself. The Dream state of Mind appears as only & all that is experienced in that Dream state. So too is it with the Waking state. Each state of Mind itself composes all that appears with the state. In the Deep Dreamless Sleep state, there is an absence Waking & Dream thoughts & their content. There is therefore no World, no Body, no Senses, no Ideas, no Memories, & no “person” existing in the Deep Dreamless Sleep. Yet Existence-Consciousness still is, & that Existence-Consciousness is the Self. The Self continues, even in the absence of thoughts in Deep Dreamless Sleep. The Self is then unaffected by the absence of all else, just as it is when all else appears in the other 2 states (Waking & Dream).
Deep Dreamless Sleep is characterized by the presence of Cause but with the absence of the Effect. Therefore it may be said that the “unmanifest seeds” of, or potential for, Ignorance is present but not the Effects of such Ignorance. In the Deep Dreamless Sleep there is only the non–perception of Reality, while the projection or hallucination of Multiplicity & Form are absent. The Self, Existence- Consciousness, is free from both Cause & Effect. In Self-Knowledge, neither the Veiling avarana of Reality not the Projected vikshepa Illusion of Multiplicity, neither the non– perception of Real Being nor the mis–perception of Existence persists. The Self is itself & knows itself as it is.
From Existence-Consciousness comes Deep Dreamless Sleep. From Deep Dreamless Sleep comes Dream. From Dream comes the Waking state. Each succeeding state occurs with the preceding state. All occurs within Existence-Consciousness. & that is what one truly is. So it is better to say that the states, & the Worlds that appear in them, are more within one’s Self than that one is in those states of Mind (Waking, Dream, Deep Dreamless Sleep). Being beyond the 3 states, the Self is called “the 4th” (turiya), yet the Slf is only One & its own self always (turiyatita or even beyond the 4th). The 3 states of Mind are only seen as 3 only so long as Consciousness is not known as it is. As Dream is to Deep Dreamless Sleep, emerging from within it, “forming” yet not really so, for both
The above themes & 1600 pages more are freely available as perused or downloaded PDF’s, the sole occupants of a Public Microsoft Skydrive “Public Folder” accessible through:
http://jstiga.wixsite.com/nonduality/
or with Caps-sensitive:
Duplicates (but with graphics) have been available on:
http://www.blogger.com as “Being-as-Consciousness, Non-Duality – new & final version” with link:
http://being-as-consciousness.blogspot.com/
[But from now on, they will be different & still usually daily.]
Nonduality and Science 