Who am I ? What is reality?- An attempt to find answers.

WHO AM I? Am I that 'something', I believe in? Have you ever been astonished by such a thought? Such thoughts would have surfaced in the minds of many of us who have elevated their degree of natural awareness.

       Since long back my curiosity drive kept on pushing me to give an attempt to find an answer to it, especially before sleeping. Hence, I decided to go a little deeper into this. Well, I am not a sage to swim deep down this ocean, but I can create ripples to give a small attempt to find out who I am and what the reality is, as per my capacity. Here, I found something which has changed the way I perceived everything. Before you read, please take a disclaimer note in an account that these findings are achieved in my own ways. You have an absolute right to agree or disagree with it.

       Definitely, many of us are well aware that, we are not the name we wear till the time we are alive nor the clothes. Things we have in our external life or anything which is not chosen by us, like our birthplace, family in which we are born, our richness, poorness, the religion we belong to or our caste, etc. Going further, we can differentiate our personality traits, feelings, emotions from ourselves. These are experienced separately in our minds and have a changing nature. It reacts to the external and internal conditions. Something deep down exists, which is beyond our cognitive horizon.
    What is that? Let us go deeper.

       By looking at this paramount question mentioned in the title line from the point of view of physics, we can achieve liberation... Yes, that is the right word.

       We are aware that on an Einstein (bigger) scale, the observable universe exists to a great extent. Billions of Stars, Galaxies, Stardust and many other celestial objects are a part of the known universe. We, tiny humans, came into existence as a by-product of the universal activities that had happened billions of years ago, which includes the death of a sun-like star before the sun came into existence, 5 billion years ago. Creation of a carbon layer during the destruction of that dying star, the supernova shock wave that threw the building block elements towards our (then) baby sun, later on, which become the basis of DNA , is the building block of any species on the earth, including mankind. All this cannot be ignored if we want to give a serious attempt to find an answer to such a complicated question with a simplified realistic approach.

       We came to know that our physical body is made of stardust. Lest not be egoistic then because even the ant and the amoeba are made up of the same material. So, are we the stardust only? Then why is there a difference between stone, a starfish and an intelligent human?

Let us explore these questions by entering into the physiological dimension; there is a certain limitation to the objective approach of physics when it comes to probing into a question that is subjective in nature. E.g. how do we know, that we know?

       During the process of evolution, the human race has developed five senses to survive as a species. The perceivable picture of the surrounding is a result of the information provided to the brain by senses to which our brain gives meaning. This is how we say that we know, isn't it?

      But the problem here is, even if the brain receives similar signals directly without the happening of an external event, it responds in the same way. I hope many of you have experienced virtual reality games. I recommend you to experience the most thrilling one.  You will experience that your adrenaline will still rush even when you are well aware of the (fake) virtual reality. The brain doesn't care what you are aware of. When we experience a dream, it gives us a similar experience to reality, a 3-dimensional world that exists inside the dream. We can feel, run, stop, even dream in a dream. We can do everything without using the logical sense, a complete deceptive reality, but our body feels everything isn't it?

       During open brain surgery, the same thing happens, when the brain is stimulated with electrical signals directly without using the senses. The patient perceives that the same event is happening in reality and responds with body movements. These examples indicate that our cognitive reality is not purely absolute as we think of it. The mental image of ourselves is not a fact but possibly a deceptive illusion. Why does this happen and how? Does it mean only your brain is really you?

     Here, another important question might have occurred in the minds of some of the brainy people that if the brain can get deceived, then the surrounding we are experiencing is as absolute as we are originally experiencing it or it is full of illusions  We need a deeper sense of understanding to find the answer to it.
                                                                  (Representation of how does our brain create illusions)

 Let us go ahead with the surprising finding made by a beautiful branch of science called quantum physics.

     Stephan Wolinsky wrote in his book named 'The dark side of the inner child'. The purpose of the nervous system is to organize the chaos. What does he mean by this?

         An Austrian Physicist Ervin Schrödinger who was awarded Nobel Prize in 1933, once stated that “Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.” 

      What these two great people on earth actually say is taking us closer to the answer to our primary question.

Before we go ahead, let us know what makes humans able to think. The root of physical brain development is notably found in the process of human evolution. Some Primates were fortunate enough to get evolved as Homo sapiens and became you and me today. We can question our existence because of the developed frontal Cortex in our brain; no other species are equipped with such a big frontal cortex so far. This area of the brain in our forehead gives us the ability to think, imagine and explore possibilities.

      The quantum physics clearly showed us that the fundamental particles by which the world has been made (you, me, trees, chemicals, stars) are behaving surprisingly. This is a world-changing finding and it challenges the reality. Here, let me recommend you to observe the double-slit experiment for better and necessary understanding.         
                              (Representation of how does solid electron create a wave-like interference pattern on receiptor)

      If we mention the findings of this experiment in simple words, the particles like electron, proton  behave like a wave, when we are not observing it; but it behaves as solid particles when we observe it. Has this been proved by physics? Is there sufficient evidence supporting this? The Mobile you are using, the computer and almost every equipment will stop working if these findings are not the fact, that's it.

      But how can this happen? I can see the table in its solid form which is made up of the same particles. It is still there as a solid table even when I am not looking at it, right? That's how Einstein shouted that "the moon is still there even when I am not looking at it". Today he might have changed his opinion.

       Let us remember what we have learned in the beginning, the brain can know by using its senses; the senses provide data to the brain and it gives meaning to it. Here the form in which the data is reaching to the sense is possibly in a waveform but our nervous system perceives it as a solid object! 

     Does it mean everything we see is a wave in actual? You, me, the car, the moon?

     But I am seeing all this as a solid reality.

     I found this amazing to explore. Here this question becomes absolutely subjective.

The reality we are experiencing is totally our own way of giving meaning to the information we receive. Psychological awareness and memory play this game. Without the foundation of memory, the world will not exist for us no matter how much information our brain has received. Memory in itself is a collection and has saved a bunch of manipulated information, the manipulation done by our own brain. So your view of yourself is a part of this, which is not you but your own belief of you.

         When we mix up psychological, physical, physiological findings, we become sure of something is spooky to us, things are not as real as we perceive it. Let us go deep down into the world of consciousness where we will find the possible answer.

 

 Physics has a theory called (electromagnetic) field theory, the overall predictions made by this theory are, and the possibility of finding the particle in the electromagnetic field (which is surrounding the particle) is, everywhere. Every possibility in this world already exists in the field of possibilities, every event that has happened or has not happened, anything which can be imagined or which cannot be imagined, does exist in the field of possibilities. We, the sapiens, have been able to explore in this area, are so fortunate. Actually, we ourselves are the waves of possibility, which is trying to find the wave of possibility or as the great scientist Michio Kaku famously said "a physicist is an atom trying to know an atom''.

       So who are we in reality, finding the answer to this question?

       The same question was explored by great sages on earth earlier too in the eastern world when the west and the birth of physics, mathematical and logical sciences had not happened separately. The ancient sages considered all these as one and tried to explore various dimensions of this question. Once Erwin Schrödinger himself stated, “Our Western science has cut itself off from an adequate understanding of the Subject of Cognizance, of the mind. This is precisely the point where our present way of thinking needs to be amended, perhaps by a bit of blood-transfusion from Eastern thought.”

       In many cultures, the sages called their findings as liberation. Today the westernized mental blocks make us completely ignorant of these studies presented by the great sages, which is unfortunate. Whatever can be predicted by logic is right, it is not the right mindset, and many dimensions of quantum mechanics are yet to be explained by logic. The logic has its limitations in validating the findings on the basis of the set principles of satisfying sensational perceiving, especially when it studies the nature of reality. Even 100 years after the birth of basic questions on particle's behavior, we struggle to provide a definite answer to it with observable logic. Therefore, many great scientists have said that there must be a role of conscientiousness in the play. 

     Consciousness is something we cannot explain in words but it is something that exists everywhere, like a WiFi. It doesn't appear but works when you have a device which has a mechanism to utilize the waves of WiFi. It is not perceivable to senses but flows everywhere, in the same manner as the omnipresent field of possibilities. Sages may have named their findings of omnipresent consciousness as per their culture by using the available words at that time.

       How did they find the answer? By meditating and exploring into the deepest self which might have made them able to internalize this knowledge and achieve enlightenment. Further to which some of them tried to guide the general public as per their capacity, and called this spiritual development. They also tried to set an ultimate goal of achieving liberation. This is the very right way to live life well. To be the life but stay detached by developing the understanding of the fundamental knowledge that you are a part of the omnipresent force and exist as a possibility. How amazing this knowledge is!! Everyone has a different level of realization. This, we can call spiritual stamina. Some people are experts in it and some have just entered. Only knowing the whole game does not make us an expert player. It is only possible by internalizing the knowledge and   by its practical application.

       After exploring the questions and possible answers to it, we can conclude that the reality itself is questionable and the human race may not be able to find the final answer to this as they are a part of it. The subject itself becomes an object and that is where a great physics problem arises -  'the observer effect', the act of observing something to understand its nature essentially changes its true nature as the observer becomes the part of the system to be measured...

     

     To explain it easily, let us go to the movie you like the most. When we enjoy the movie in a theater, we experience emotions and feelings. Sometimes we react and respond, we can also walk out of the theater and re-enter into it any time, as we know that the movie is separately located outside us. But what if you start realizing that you are sitting in the theater and are a part of the movie, your every action is a part of the play. The whole movie is projected by the consciousness, realizing this doesn't mean that you can control the movie, but you can obtain a feeling of liberation and enjoy the movie the way it is happening with you, since it is separate from you. Also, it does not mean you can escape from it, but you become liberal and play your part more peacefully.

                                     (Representation of Plato's cave experiment- recommended to read)

       Possibly, our existence in this universe is as same as explained in the example above. We are the possibility that cannot be separated from consciousness waves and we are perceiving the universal possibilities through consciousness waves which are the almighty energy frequencies that are present everywhere in the universe. Ultimately, we are that possibility which is everything and present everywhere.

भीमबेटका- लक्षावधी वर्षांची कहाणी.

मध्य प्रदेश ला कामा निमित्त जाणं झाल अन परतीच्या वेळेस इच्छा झाली ती शाळेच्या प्राथमिक वर्गानं मध्ये वाचलेल भीमबेटका हे ऐतिहासिक ठिकाण पाहण्याची.
वेळ तसा  फारच कमी होता, परतीच्या  प्रवासाची वेळ ठरलेली  रात्री ९:०० ची, मुंबईत वेळेत पोहोचणं अनिवार्य, कामकाजाच्या उलाढालीतून उसंत मिळेना शेवटी कसा बसा  सायंकाळी ४:३०च्या सुमारास मोकळा झालो, भोपाळ पासून जवळपास ४५ किलोमीटर अंतरावर असलेल्या ठिकाण पर्यंत पोहचणे अन पुन्हा  ९:०० पर्यंत भोपाळ गाठण जवळ पास  अशक्य, कारण प्रवासाची अनिश्चित साधने. पण जोखीम घेण्यास  कुणी रोखलेय . बॅग भरली अन रस्त्यांचा शोध सुरु केला. जवळपास ६:३० च्या दरम्यान होशंगाबाद द्रुतगती हमरस्ता सोडला अन त्याला लागूनच असलेल्या लहानश्या गावात शिरलो, गावातील गावकऱ्यांकडून मिळालेली माहिती मात्र निराश करणारी होती ती,  ६:00 ला या गुंफे कडे जाण्याचा मार्ग बंद होतो, मात्र पर्यटकांसाठी चे  प्रवेशद्वार जवळपास १ किलोमीटर अंतरावर, आत्ता  पुन्हा परतावं भोपाळला अन ९:०० ची ट्रेन पकडावी, कि किलोमीटरभर अंतर ह्या  रातापानि अभयारण्याच्या जंगलातून संपूर्ण निर्मनुष्य मार्गावरून एकट्याने चालत जाऊन मुख्य प्रवेश द्वार गाठावं अन शहा निशा करावी, समजेना, गावातील  लोकांच्या मतानुसार माझ पुढे जाणं व्यर्थ आणि जोखमीचा आहे. इथं पोहोचे पर्यंत बरीच पायपीट अन वाहनांची अदला बदल केली होती म्हंटलं अजून एकदा घ्यावी जोखीम. चालत सुटलो चालत  कसला पळतच..

कॉलेज मध्ये अर्थशास्त्रात वाचलं होत, जोखीम घेण्याचा मोबदला म्हणजे नफा, आज  अर्थ कळला, प्रवेश द्वारावर पोहोचल्यावर कळले कि आजच  पुरातत्व विभागाची एक टीम अली असून ती जास्त वेळ थांबणार आहे त्यामुळे काहीवेळ  अजून चालू राहील, पण माझ्या सारख्या बाहेरील व्यक्तीस पर्यटनाची वेळ  संपल्या कारणाने आत सोडण्यात येणार नाही असे सांगण्यात आले, मात्र काही वेळातच तिथल्या व्यवस्थापनाला माझी आतमध्ये जाण्याची प्रखर इच्छा पटवून देण्यात मला यश मिळाले, अन पुढच अजून 2 km अंतराचा रस्ता भराभर चालून  पार करण्याची तय्यारी केली, इतर वेळी  ७-८ व्यावसायिक दुचाकीस्वार येथे प्रवाश्यांची नेआन करतात, येथे येणारे प्रवासी हि तुरळकच, त्यात हि भारतीय प्रवासी मोजकेच, सुदैवाने येथे काम

करणाऱ्या एका सद्गृहस्थाने मला अंधार पडायच्या आधी गुफे पर्यंत पोहोचता यावे ह्या करिता स्वतःच्या दुचाकीवर बसवून काही मिनिटांमध्येच मुख्य प्रवेशद्वारावर सोडले,गुफांच्या मुख्य  प्रवेशद्वारावर माहिती देणाऱ्या फलकाद्वारे आपणास गरजेची पुरती माहिती मिळते



 सुमारे एक लक्ष्य वर्षा पूर्वी पासून मानवजातीचा इतिहास जतन करून ठेवणारे हे ठिकाण आज जगासमोर आणण्याचा श्रेय जात पद्मश्री श्रीधर वाकणकर याना, त्यांनी  खडतर प्रवास sकरत या जागेचा शोध लावून आणि पुढे इथे सखोल संशोधन करून हे स्थान जगासमोर आणले, आज भीमबेटका च्या ह्या गुंफा युनेस्को च्या यादीतील  जागतिक वारसा स्थान  बनले आहे, इथे असलेली  चित्रे भारतातील सर्वात प्राचीन भित्तिचित्रे समजली जातात



आतमध्ये शिरताक्षणीच येथील खडकांच  वेगळे पण प्रकर्षाने लक्ष्यात येत, खडकांची उंचच उंच संरचना कालानुक्रमे इथे घडलेल्या नैसर्गिक क्रियांची साक्ष देतात.





द्वारा समोर एक अश्मयुगीन कुटुंबाची दैनंदिनी असलेला कृत्रिम देखावा ध्यान ओढून घेतो मात्र त्याच देखाव्यात वरील बाजूस असलेलं खरखुरं अश्मयुगीन चित्र अन बाजूकडील खडकावर रेखाटलेला सिंहाचं चित्र स्वागत करत, सिहाच्या अगदी अस्पष्ठ चित्रात एका पेक्षा अनेक रंग असूशकतील यावर सुरुवातीला विश्वास बसणं अवघडच, मात्र खोल निरीक्षणा अंती अगदी अस्पष्ट असे तीन रंग यात  दिसूलागतात.


पुढे सरकताना एका अजस्त्र नैसर्गिक गुफेतून वाटचाल करत युगे युगे मागे जात असल्याचा भासच जणू,

गुफेच्या अंती आकर्षणाचा केंद्र बिंदू ठरतो तो म्हणजे  एका ठिकाणी उमटलेला हाताच्या पंजाचा ठसा, कुणीतरी जाणते पणे  किंवा अजाणते पणे  एका चिमुकल्या बाळाच्या हाताचा ठसा येथे उमटवलेला आहे, सहज मनात विचार तरंगून गेले कि हा असा हातांचा ठसा रेखाटताना असताना  काय संभाषण झाले असावे  त्या लहानग्यात आणि त्याच्या कुटुंबियांन मध्ये..खालील फोटो मध्ये आपण पाहू शकता.

गुफेतून बाहेर येताच तत्कालीन दफन विधी ची माहिती देणारे उत्खनन दिसून येते, येथून पुढे अनेक अश्मयुगीन गुंफा अन त्यात काढलेली भित्तिचित्रे बोलू लागतात अन
हजारो वर्षांपूर्वीचा काळ साक्षात डोळ्यांसमोर उभाकरतात, पर्यटकां साठी इथल्या परिसरात असलेल्या शेकडो गुंफां पैकी १२-१५ गुफाच खुल्या आहेत, मात्र त्या पुरेश्या आहेत.

आश्चर्यकारकरित्या भीमबेटका येथील चित्रांच्या रंगांनी काळाची अस्पष्टता टाळली आहे.
रंग म्हणजे लाकडी कोळसा, मऊ लाल दगड, वनस्पती पाने आणि प्राणी चरबी यांचे मिश्रण आहेत.
ही चित्रे आपल्या पूर्वजांची जीवनशैली आणि दैनंदिन क्रिया दर्शवितात.
जन्म, दफन, नृत्य, धार्मिक विधी, शिकार करण्याचे दृश्य, प्राणी लढाई आणि आनंदोत्सव यासारखे विविध समुदाय उपक्रम देखील या चित्रांमध्ये दर्शविले गेले आहेत.





गेंडा, वाघ, वन्य म्हशी, अस्वल, मृग, डुक्कर, सिंह, हत्ती, सरडे इत्यादी प्राण्यांची चित्रेही वर्णन केली आहेत.

काही ठिकाणी तर निव्वळ कल्पना विलासात साकारलेली कल्पित चित्रेही पाहायला मिळतात, कदाचित सुरुवातीच्या काळातील मानवाच्या क्रीटीव्हिटी चा नमुना आहेत, एका चित्रात साकारलेलं एक काल्पनिक प्राण्याशी चाललेले एक माणसाचे युद्ध हे याचे उत्तम उदाहर आहे.

विंध्य पर्वतांमध्ये नर्मदेच्या काठावर वसलेले हे तत्कालीन समृद्ध जीवन असणारे हे एक नैसर्गिक रित्यातयार झालेल शहरच असावे, काँक्रीट च्या शहरांपासून दूर असलेल्या ह्या चित्रां मध्ये असलेल्या मुख्यतः पांढरा, लाल अन पिवळसर रंग आपल्याला सहज येथे गुंतवून ठेवतात, इतिहासाची आवड असणाऱ्यांसाठी हा एक खजिनाच आहे.

मनसोक्त पाहून झाल्यावर, अंधार पडायला लागल्या कारणाने निघावा लागलं,आजूबाजूचा परिसर प्राणी, पक्षी आणि वनस्पतींनी समृद्ध असल्यामुळे ३ किलोमीटर च्या निर्मनुष्य वाटेवर अंधारा सोबतच हवेतून सुसु करत परतीच्या वाटेवरील मोरां सारखे पक्षी किंवा इतर जंगली प्राण्यांचे आवाज अस सगळं एकट्याने अनुभवणे काही औरच.

भोपाळ रेल्वे स्टेशन ला ट्रेन निघून गेल्याच्या वेळेनंतर पोहोचलो, अन पाहतो तर ट्रेन २ तास उशिराने धावत आहे, म्हणजे आजचा माझा दिवस भीमबेटका भेटीसाठीच आपोआप नियोजित झालेला असाव याची खात्री पटली.

आपल्या हि यादीत असंच एखादं नियोजन घडून याव हि सदिच्छा.