Chapter II: The General Elements of the Universe

By Jose Mussi

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Originally published in

April 18, 1857

Our universe

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Spirit and Matter

Q27. So are there two general elements in the universe: matter and spirit?

“Yes, and over everything is God, the Creator and author of all. These three elements comprise the principle of all that exists – they are the universal trinity…”

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Matter

Spirit

God

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The Knowledge of the Origin of Things

Q17. Can humans know the origin of things?

“No. On earth, God does not allow everything to be revealed.”

Q18. Will they every be able to grasp the mystery of things now hidden from them?

“The veil is lifted as they become more and more purified, but in order to understand certain things, they need faculties they do not yet have.”

Q19. Can’t humans grasp some of nature’s secrets through scientific investigation?

“Science has been given to them for their advancement in all matters, but they cannot go beyond the limits set by God.”

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Size of the Universe

Q35. Is universal space infinite or limited?

“Infinite. If it had limits, what would be beyond them? I know this baffles your reason, yet reason itself tells you that it can be no other way. The same is true of the idea of the infinite – you will never be able to comprehend it from your tiny sphere of thinking.”

Big bang theory first supported by Edwin Hubble in 1929, later confirmed in 1964 with the discovery of

cosmic microwave background radiation.

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Matter

Q22. Matter is generally defined as: that which has extension; that which can impress our senses; that which is impenetrable. Are these definitions correct?

“From your own point of view, they are correct because you can only talk about matters that are familiar to you. Matter, however, also exists in states that are unfamiliar. For example, it may be so ethereal and subtle that your senses cannot detect it; it is matter nonetheless, even though you do not perceive it as such.”

- Then how may we define matter?

“Matter is the tie that enchains spirit; it is the instrument that spirit uses and upon which it simultaneously exerts its action.”

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Periodic Table of Elements

• Confirmation that all matter was made of atoms only happened in early 19th century

• In 1869 by Dmitri Mendeleev creates the periodic table of elements

• Only 50 elements were known at that time

• Today the lists extends to 118

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Atoms are grouped in molecules

First ever picture of molecules breaking (2013)

Q34. Do molecules have a defined form?

“Certainly, molecules have a form, but you are incapable of discerning it.”

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Forces of Nature

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Fluids (forces)

Q27. So are there two general elements in the universe: matter and spirit?

“…However, to the element of matter must be added the universal fluid, which plays an intermediary role between spirit and matter per se, since matter is too dense for spirit to act upon it directly. Although from a certain point of view this fluid may be regarded as part of the material element, it differs from it due to special properties.”

- might this fluid be what we call electricity?

“We have stated that it is capable of countless combinations. What you call the electric and magnetic fields are both modifications of the one universal fluid. Properly speaking, this fluid is a perfect and subtler matter that may be considered as being independent of matter per se.”

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Special theory of relativity (1905)

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Standard Model of Particle Physics

Developed since the mid 20th

century, the standard model of particle physics explains most everything in our visible universe except gravity.

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Primitive Element

Q30. Does matter consist of one or more elements?

“One single primitive element. The bodies that you regards as simple are not true elements, but rather transformations of the one primitive matter.”

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The fabric of the universe

Q36. Is there an absolute void in any part of the universal space?

“No, there is no void. What appears to you to be a void is actually occupied by matter that cannot be detected by your senses or instruments.”

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First postulated by a group of six physicists led by Peter Higgs in 1964.

Higgs boson particle only confirmed in 2012.

The unified theory of everything

Q33. Is the same elementary matter capable of undergoing all possible modifications and acquiring all possible properties?

“Yes, and this is what you should understand when we say that ‘everything is in everything.”

• General Theory of Relativity was created in 1915 by Einstein but only confirmed more recently: Gravitational waves were indirectly discovered in 1974 directly observed on earth 2016

• But theory does not work on the particle level, current work on developing a unified theory of everything

• But current theories do not explain dark matter and dark energy (make up 95% of the universe!)

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The present is still dark

Dark Matter

• Dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter distinct from ordinary matter

• Dark matter has never been directly observed; however, its existence would explain a number of otherwise puzzling astronomical observations.

Dark Energy

• Dark energy is an unknown form of energy which is thought to permeate all of space

• Dark energy could explain the observations since the 1990s indicating that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.

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The Spirit

Q23. What is spirit?

“The intelligent principle in the universe.”

- What is spirit’s innermost nature?

“It is not easy to explain spirit in your language. For you, it is nothing because it is not something palpable; nevertheless, for us it is something. You must realize that nothing means nothing and nothing does not exist.”

Q26. Can we conceive spirit apart from matter, and matter apart from spirit?

“Absolutely, through thought.”

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