WHAT IS THE OCTAGOD ?
THE OCTAGOD is a magical totem pole that represents everything scientific. And like the totem poles of old, it has many spiritual powers. THE OCTAGOD represents eight memorable categories, which are divided into three sections. The three sections are; Life, the Universe, and Everything. The eight categories are; Emergence, DNA, The Brain, The Book, The Macrocosm, The Microcosm, The Big Bang and what The Big Bang came from.
EMERGENCE & SELF-ORGANIZATION
Science tells us that the universe evolved from simple to complex. In THE OCTAGOD the simple initial condition of super-symmetry is imagined as a single dot. But then, in an explosion, this point of symmetry is shattered, and the universe is born. The cosmos self-organizes into stars and galaxies, and the evolution of matter is on its way. Starry ovens bake the atoms, and more complex processes of chemistry are underway. Matter is ready for life. But life was simple then.
The evolution of life, like the evolution of matter, progresses from simple to complex. In the beginning, there were simple cells. But then these single cells combined into more complicated combinations. Next there were multicellular organisms. But these also progressed from simple to complex. Then simple fishes evolved to live on land. So in short, here we are! This is the traditional tree of evolution. It describes how life emerged, but not why it emerged.
Logically, if the traditional explanation is wrong, and the universe is not created by some all knowing being, then it must be creating itself. Some find this hard to visualize. But in politics there are vicious and virtuous circles. Both are self-creating loops of feedback. DNA makes itself. And we make ourselves by interacting with the environment. Likewise, the biochemistry of life is filled with self-sustaining loops of feedback. And the feedback between electricity and magnetism creates light.
Furthermore, feedback loops can form, accumulate, synchronize, sprout other loops, and grow in complexity. From chaos to symmetry to complexity, self-organization and dovetailing quickly becomes a complex subject. And even now, the science of self-creation is creating itself. The point being, that the universe can create itself in many non-supernatural ways.
So the upper dot represents creation through evolution. It means emergence and self-organization. It reminds us that there are new rules at each level, and that complex things can emerge from simple rules. It points to the past while inviting us to enjoy the emerging uniqueness of the present. And in so doing, it represents the creative aspects of time. And this means the past, the present, as well as what’s going to emerge in the future. And says this too shall pass.
But it is also the center of THE OCTAGOD, and if you believe, it is the place where this symbol of the universe looks you straight in the eye and says self-organize yourself, adapt or die, so by God, evolve!
DNA & GENETIC MEMORIES
Flowing from emergence, the circles ripple out into three specific kinds of memory. The first memory is DNA. A molecular code interpreted by other molecules, called RNA's and proteins. With DNA’s guidance, these other molecules self-organize and life emerges. The biochemistry of all life is essentially the same. But different genes code for different kinds of proteins, which in turn become different kinds of cells and organisms. The first circle represents life’s unity. But DNA can mean other things as well. The circle of life traditionally represents birth and death. And the way life responds to the changes in the seasons. But it can also represent the feedback loop between DNA and the environment. It can represent the totality of our evolutionary history or the history of our species as we journeyed out of Africa, or maybe the simple history of a single family. It can represent unity or diversity. But it also serves as a memorial, and a warning, reminding us that most of the branches in evolutions’ tree have ended in extinction.
It also represents the way genetics influence our mind. For instance, the way genetic history of our species conditions us to appreciate natures’ beauty. Indeed, when it comes to nature, notions of beauty and holiness almost seem the same.
However, our instinctual toolkit not only sets us up to appreciate beauty and holiness, but to kill, overeat, and be violent as well. But fortunately for us, we have accumulated so many instincts that a kind of freedom has begun to emerge. And so, hopefully, our evolutionary history and destiny are probably not the same.
Through faith, THE OCTAGOD can create inspiration for every kind of science. However, each of the sciences inspires in different ways. That’s why individuals are drawn to different sciences. So with emergence, we take steps from the Big Bang to the present, and then on into the possibilities of the future. But with DNA we are inspired in other ways.
For instance, we are inspired to contemplate the relationship between life and non-life. We see the tree of evolution, as well as the ground in which it grows. Here we contemplate life in the context of the Big Bang, and are forced to ask, in very deep ways, the question, what life is? And how does it emerge?
THE BRAIN & PERSONAL MEMORIES
The next circle could remind you of animals and their nervous systems, (where the inner circle reminds you of plants) or it could remind you of the personal memories contained in the immune system. But perhaps the most potent meaning is to remind you of your own brain, its subjectivity, and the emergence of consciousness. Indeed, spirituality is very much about how the brain experiences and heals itself.
Chemical elements emerged from hydrogen. And life emerged from non-life. So it’s natural to see consciousness, or the ability to “know thy self”, as emerging from what came before. All organisms know things. But a person knows they know. For instance, in meditation you are aware of your own awareness. Our moral nature makes us aware of doing good and evil. And now, scientifically, an understanding of our own evolutionary heritage is perhaps the most profound form of self-awareness yet.
Our genes give us flexible brains, with lots of options, and yet we also have a tendency to see certain things in certain ways. For instance, we seem to be naturally repelled by gore and viscera. And even worse, we are totally blind to many parts and functions of our own brains. So it should come as no surprise that we would tend to externalize our own consciousness. Just as we externalize the causes and solutions for so many of our problems. Asking for favors from an external God may be thought of I this way.
But prayer is a central part of traditional religion. Even though the object of prayer, that all controlling, wraparound consciousness, could be a projection. This doesn’t mean prayer isn’t effective. It is, because like other “helpful spiritual phenomenon” it’s part of our own process of self-organization. But that doesn’t mean we have to give the credit to a nonexistent being. Rather, it is just another example of how we participate in the self-organization of the universe.
But perhaps denying this wraparound consciousness takes more faith than accepting it. Indeed, some people think the whole universe is a computer. But it’s hard being an atheist. For example, knowing that color is created in the brain, doesn’t mean we see in black and white. But even if you can’t shake the feeling that someone’s watching and listening, you would still have to concede that prayer, like consciousness, and the appreciation of beauty, as well as color, owes a lot to the brain.
Therefore, God the father, like ghosts and angles, are a natural, comforting, but perhaps irresponsible, misinterpretation of what we are. And the sun doesn’t set, the earth turns, even if it doesn’t feel that way. And consciousness, especially moral consciousness, emerges, at least in part, from the brain. But loosing our watchful parent in the sky shouldn’t leave us feeling lonely. Indeed, we are still a part of the universe. Only now we have to take a little more responsibility for ourselves.
THE BOOK & COLLECTIVE MEMORIES
From genetic memories, to personal memories, to collective memories, the earth is now self-organizing into anew form of global consciousness. But how did this situation emerge? It all began with genetic self-interest. Because of symmetry, DNA makes itself, so our first allegiance is to our own genes. But we also share genes with our family, so we owe some allegiance there. But then, to a lesser extent, we also share some genetic self-interest with distant relatives, and finally this extends to the ‘brotherhood’ of the tribe.
The process of creating societies is also pushed forward by the fruits of cooperation, and religious ideology, where religious ideology, if believed to be true, functions as a kind of social DNA. But as society has evolved, we’ve seen how new ‘truths’ are needed for each new level of organization. We’ve gone from ancestor worship, to monotheism, to seeing the earth from space. Now it seems that global democracy and secular economics, (with its extra feedback loops) is the religion most favored by evolutions’ tendency toward complexity.
We are primates with an instinct for the holy. This adaptive feeling protects needed information, just as it helps us outwit death by passing on ‘sacred’ information to our young. But religion is an addictive meme, a technology of ultimate truth that gives us a feeling of calm and fearlessness. But like all addictions, it pushes other things aside, sometimes for good, sometimes for ill. THE OCTAGOD can be addictive, especially because it resolves so many paradoxes. It’s a symbol of our family history. But instead of God the father, our history belongs to evolution. It’s a family crest for the cosmos, and fulfills a very human need for salvation through context.
So the last circle represents collective memories, including, technology, art, law, and religion. Here science reveals our true history and shows culture as a recent development. Because of this, the last circle separates science from technology, placing technology in the same category as religion. Where science is about the past and religion (even if it only wants to repeat the past), along with technology is more about the future. Religion and technology have always been close, from the pyramids, to the cathedrals, and now with the space program. The key ingredients being collective intention and action in the service of some perceived truth.
Finally, in the last circle, technology and religion merge on the verge of space. So with some perspective, we can now imagine the future. Being fearful, we see human culture as a thin shell. Then, contemplating the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, (or some other global disaster) we wonder about the defense of our own future. Or, being hopeful, we can see an eye, searching the sky for someone winking back. So we wait, in hope and fear, for an incoming message, either asteroid or alien, bringing Armageddon, or an emerging cosmic connection.
THE MICROCOSM & THE MACROCOSM
We live between large and small. Here the microcosm and the macrocosm are represented by the mathematical symbols of less than which points to the left, and greater than which points to the right. In addition to the traditional ladder of sizes they also represent; the earth, geology the interaction of large and small, expansion and contraction, the primacy of math, the resolution of dualities, and a breathing exercise.
In the early science of traditional religion, we believed the earth was the center of a moral struggle. We hovered somewhere between heaven and hell. The Star of David connects heaven to earth, so does Calvary, as well as the Islamic moon and star. Even astrology makes this connection. But as we peered through the microscope and telescope, we gained a new understanding of the true vastness in which we lived.
We learned that we were made cells, and the stars were suns. We understood atoms and chemistry, and saw how stars formed galaxies. We understood the workings of atomic nuclei, and peered into the Big Bang. And once again, when these two worlds of size were taken together, we found ourselves very near the center. So we’re not so big and not so small, but held in the center, in the ‘arms of size’, cradled between the atoms and the stars. But the symbol can remind us that size doesn’t matter in other ways as well.
Certain shapes, called fractals, are the same regardless of size. Examples include; clouds, trees, and spirals. Fractals are strangely hidden inside other physical processes as well. One of these processes, one that connects the microcosm to the macrocosm, is called chaos. A familiar example of chaos is smoke rising from a candle. At first, it flows straight up, then a microscopic imperfection is amplified, and what was once straight, now becomes chaotic.
Amplifying the microcosm is also a familiar theme in movies, where a small incident frequently turns into something big and chaotic. But a more important example comes in the way cosmic rays cause mutations in DNA. Small effects on DNA can have big effects on evolution.
The microcosm influences the macrocosm. And the macrocosm influences the microcosm. For instance, every time you hitch up a battery, you move single electrons. Indeed, these world interact in ways too numerous to mention.
Greater than and less than can also symbolize the four forces, these are not spiritual forces, but they do allow us to exist. The four forces are; Gravity, Electricity & Magnetism (electromagnetism), The Strong Nuclear Force and The Weak Nuclear Force. Gravity and Electromagnetism can move things at great distances. So they are remembered by points on the end of greater-than. The two other forces, which are primarily short range, can be remembered by the two remaining points on less-than.
Quantum mechanics, the physics of particles and the microcosm, and classical mechanics, the physics of gravity and the macrocosm can also be visualized by the two arrows. A unifying theory of both, called ‘Quantum-Gravity’, is expressed by the diamond in the middle. Quantum mechanics also shows us that ‘God plays dice’ and that randomness, even if it is hard to accept, is quite real. Quantum mechanics may also explain some aspects of ESP.
Greater than and less than also mean more or less. More or less than translates into addition and subtraction, which, through many emergent steps, forms the bases for much of mathematics. Math seems mystical, and they say ‘God speaks in numbers’. But the obviously adaptive quality of mathematics seems no more mysterious than other products of evolution. Indeed, whether mathematics is discovered or created seems to disappear if one sees life as emerging from feedback.
Greater than and less than also represent, attraction and repulsion, or contraction and expansion, or Yin and Yang, universal themes indeed. Examples of expansion and contraction, or tension and compression, can be found in supernovas, bones and muscles, and suspension bridges. Examples of activation and inhibition can be found in DNA, the brain and computers. Not to mention issues surrounding good and evil. The universe seems to be almost perfectly balanced between expansion and contraction.
We couldn’t live if parts of the universe didn’t contract. Indeed, love itself could be thought of as emerging from contraction. The forces of nature bring things together. The strong nuclear force brings nucleons together and creates nuclei. Electromagnetism brings together protons and electrons and creates the atom. Then gravity brings together dust and rocks and creates a planet. So it’s natural to think of a more complicated form of contraction as bringing together; couples, tribes, cities, nations and finally the whole world. And now we huddle together in the context of an expanding universe.
In addition to reconciling dualities, the two arrows could be thought of as a call to meditate on your own breath. Located in the center of THE OCTAGOD, in a position that could be considered the nose or chest, expansion and contraction could mean breathing itself. But if you think of this as a meditation, say ‘ooooo-ct-aaaaaa’, and imagine something from science!
THE BIG BANG & SYMMETRY
We all long for the ultimate. And if the Big Bang, and all that follows, isn’t the ultimate, then it’s hard to imagine what is. But how can we interpret the Big Bang in a way that’s meaningful to our lives. One answer comes with the idea of symmetry. The Big Bang began as a single point of super symmetry. Symmetry means sameness, and everything was the same as it could be. For example, everything was in the same place, and everything was made of the same stuff. This is super-symmetry.
But then the symmetry broke, and everything was different. Time was different from space. Matter was different from energy. Matter was different from force, and the four forces were all different from each other. There were different galaxies with different stars. There were different planets, and different moons, and different forms of life. And now everybody is different from everybody else.
And yet some symmetry still remains. Matter has symmetry because generally ‘matter can neither be created nor destroyed’. And there are the conservation laws; the conservation of electric charge, the conservation of momentum, and the conservation of energy, to name a few. We are also heirs to various symmetries of space. ‘Sadly’, the total sameness of the beginning is gone. And yet, shattered remnants of that cosmic sameness still remain.
Life and the reproduction of DNA are an expression of symmetry. Indeed, ‘like begets like’ is the essence of life. Species emerge and remain stable over eons of time. Symmetry also plays an important role in culture. It means repeatability and elegance in science, math, and engineering. And symmetry also expresses itself in the common beliefs and goals of religion. We like what’s like us. So from this perspective, all religions are a fragment of the primal symmetry that gave birth to us all. And so, if we worship the Big Bang, we see a bit of divine symmetry in every like-minded group.
The symmetries of creation also offer other avenues for worship. For instance, the symmetrical unity of meditation could be connected to the quiet, but all pervasive 2.7 degree cosmic background radiation. Here we have a delightful metaphor for the omnipresent unity of God.
But symmetry is only half the answer. Instinctively, we know that too much symmetry is harmful. It must be mixed with a good dose of chaos, if life is going to change and adapt. That this universe can produce both symmetry and chaos is just one of an amazing array of coincidences that makes it right for life. But asking why this universe should be so hospitable to life brings us to the ultimate question. How did such a nice universe get here in the first place?
B4B4 & WHAT THE BIG BANG CAME FROM
Viewing the universe from the ‘outside’ can give you the feeling of being in a womb. But the Big Bang marks the beginning of time and space. So to ask what’s ‘outside’, or what came ‘before’ can have no meaning. Indeed, the whole notion of cause and effect depends on the flow of time. So in a sense, the universe can have no cause. And yet it must, in some sense, come from something. But what can this mean?
We begin to get a sense of this mystery by considering how black holes bend space and slow time, thus illustrating that our universe is made from mutable stuff. If space can bend, it can also expand. And if time can be slowed, and stand still, it can also have a beginning. At the center of a black hole, a whole star becomes one inscrutable point. This combining of large and small, reminiscent of the Big Bang, is a place where physical law is very different.
At the beginning of time, the whole universe was compresses into a space smaller than an atomic nucleus. It’s the ultimate union of large and small, and creates a place where the workings of quantum mechanics take hold. We call this ‘Quantum Cosmology’.
We can see how quantum mechanics affected the Big Bang when we look at the vastly expanded effects of quantum mechanical probability waves on the distribution of galaxies. These small waves were there in the beginning. And now they leave their imprint on the biggest things we know.
In quantum mechanics, ‘things just happen’. According to the principles of uncertainty, microscopic particles can change location, be in two places, and even come into existence for no reason at all. God plays dice. And so we see how our birth in the context of quantum mechanics begins to show the qualities of a random event.
Surprisingly, the quantum randomness of the Big Bang can also be seen in the physics of the universe. Physicists have always wondered about the values for certain universal constants. Why is the speed of light what it is? Why is an electron as big as it is? And why are the masses and coupling constants of particles, in general, so uniquely suited for the emergence of life. In ignorance, we could turn to divine providence, but it seems the truth is even stranger.
Apparently we are one of a large, possibly infinite, number of universes. Each with its own unique, quantum produced, laws of physics. From this, we see that the ‘V’ in THE OCTAGOD shows us as only one slice in the pie. But it’s a slice made tasty because there’s somebody in here to enjoy it.
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THEOLOGICAL ENGINEER
So now with THE OCTAGOD you can be a science warrior, armed with a rainbow of truths. THE OCTAGOD gives atheists something to be inspired about, believers something to think about, and agnostics, something to be sure of. THE OCTAGOD was created on 8/8/88 in N.Y.C. and began as a conflict between science and religion.
Certainly, science and religion do have their troubles. Dogma fears question, just as questions fear dogma. But certainty and uncertainty both have their virtues. Our love of novelty pushes our focus to cutting edge science. So we tend to get the impression that everything in science is provisional. But this is only partly true.
And indeed we may not know everything. But I say we do know enough to create a symbol like this. THE OCTAGOD is a God of little faith, it assumes the minimum. So ask yourself; is there culture? Do we have brains? Does DNA exist? Are there atoms? Are there stars? Is the universe expanding? And did evolution happen? So if you believe in everything on that list, then you believe in THE OCTAGOD ! And now you have a handle on the universe.
THE OCTAGOD is not meant to be a scientific theory. Rather, its science education put in the form of a personal religious symbol. And the categories have been carefully chosen so that even as we learn more, the symbol will still continue to work.
So the more you put in, the more you’ll get out. And the more ways you interpret it, the better. It can be a face, a body, and an eye. Through THE OCTAGOD you’re looking at the universe and the universe are looking back at you. It’s a rational placebo, a scientific Jesus for the dashboard of your soul. It has no holy books. It’s just a science angel that presents certain certainties and then asks you to solve the rest of this endless puzzle on your own.
You can play with the numbers and shapes in your own mind. You can even use it as the bases for astrology. And if you let it, it will produce a variety of overwhelming feelings and insights. It scratches a hard-to-reach itch in the modern soul. It’s eight chakras of the universe, an X-ray of the ultimate, and a smile button for the universe, that says, ‘Have a Big Bang.’
Emergence never stops. More thoughts for the imaginatively curious
Be Here Now
The thought of THE OCTAGOD symbol connects the present moment to the rest of the Universe
THE OCTAGOD Symbol combines a thought of the Universe. With a thought of the Body
How THE OCTAGOD Saves
THE OCTAGOD and The Ouroboros
The Wheel of Life and the Flow of Energy
THE OCTAGOD and “The Wizard of Oz”
Where it all begins
THE OCTAGOD bridges the gap
A Big Bang Christmas tree
A Religious science cartoon
A Religious science cartoon
A Religious science cartoon
Absolutely everything had a beginning