Science Meets Vedanta
The scientific rigor, logic, and reasoning of the teachings of Vedanta, applied to some key concepts in science, will lead to the realization that they share common ground—in fact, that they are looking at the same Reality. The ancient Indian rishis had already discovered this Reality and expounded their findings in the various Upanishads and scriptures. We can learn much from Vedanta about science. For example, it helps us interpret Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and quantum physics correctly. The interconnection of science with Vedanta can bring about a dramatic change in the way we perceive and understand the universe.
The focus of the podcast is to highlight these changes, which encourage us to question the conventional understanding of the universe. So, be prepared!
Science Meets Vedanta
Awareness—The Infinite Energy Source
Energy is essential for the universe to be created, to expand and to function. The universe itself is unimaginably vast, containing billions of galaxies, each filled with billions of stars. The sheer amount of energy required to sustain and manage all of this is truly beyond our comprehension.
This leads to a fascinating question: where does all this energy originate? Where is it produced and where is it stored? When we look into space, we observe the widespread use and application of energy, but we don’t easily find a clear source where this energy is generated. There’s no obvious “energy factory” in the universe. So, how can we track where this energy comes from?
Perhaps we need to think differently and search for the source of energy beyond the boundaries of space itself. This is the focus of this episode.
We look forward to hear back from you!
For questions or feedback please email us at
jayant@staminteractive.com
Hello and welcome to Science Meets Vedanta—a platform dedicated to delving into the core principles of Vedanta and uncovering the remarkable connections between scientific inquiry and ancient wisdom. I’m Jayant Kapatker, author of the book Science Meets Vedanta.
Each week, inspired by insights from my book, we’ll journey through a range of topics aimed at deepening your understanding of the essential teachings of Vedanta. Along the way, we’ll also examine scientific concepts and demonstrate how the wisdom of Vedanta can offer new and meaningful perspectives. Be sure to join us as we embark on this enlightening path together!
In this episode, we’ll explore the source of unlimited energy for the universe. Energy is essential for the universe to be created, to expand and to function. The universe itself is unimaginably vast, containing billions of galaxies, each filled with billions of stars. The sheer amount of energy required to sustain and manage all of this is truly beyond our comprehension.
Scientists have tried to break down the universe’s energy makeup and have estimated it as follows:
· Dark energy: 79%
· Dark matter: 26%
· Visible matter: 5%
The galaxies, stars, and planets that we can see account for just 5% of the universe’s total energy. The remaining 95% consists of forms of energy and matter that are still mysterious to us, yet they permeate the entire cosmos.
This leads to a fascinating question: where does all this energy originate? Where is it produced and where is it stored? When we look into space, we observe the widespread use and application of energy, but we don’t easily find a clear source where this energy is generated. There’s no obvious “energy factory” in the universe. So, how can we track where this energy comes from?
Perhaps we need to think differently and search for the source of energy beyond the boundaries of space itself. But what lies outside of space? Some listeners of my podcast may already know my perspective: Self-Awareness exists outside of space, and it is also our innermost core.
Self-Awareness and non-duality
In our daily lives, we constantly encounter duality—the clear distinction between the observer within us (the subject) and everything we perceive in the world around us (the objects). The subject is the one who experiences, while objects are everything outside of the observer. According to scientific understanding, these objects are composed of atoms and subatomic particles, reinforcing the idea of separation and individuality between the subject and objects. This dualistic nature is present in every aspect of our experience, providing a framework for how we interpret and interact with the universe.
The Essence of Self-Awareness
As explored in the episode "Understanding Self-Awareness," our innermost essence transcends the limitations of space and time. But what does Self-Awareness truly mean? At its core, Self-Awareness refers to the state in which the Self observes itself—it is simultaneously the subject (the observer) and the object (that which is observed). This unique relationship means that the Self is both experiencing and being experienced, uniting the roles of subject and object within a single entity.
When the Self is both the subject and the object, it reveals the concept of non-duality. Non-duality suggests that the separation between observer and observed are one and the same. The subject and object merge, forming a single, homogeneous reality. In non-dual awareness, there is no distinction or division—the Self is unified, whole and self sufficient.
How is it possible for the subject and object to become one unified entity? It is not easy to understand and comprehend this. To explore this idea further, we can draw inspiration from scientific attempts to unify the four fundamental forces of nature.
The Four Fundamental Forces of Nature
Science teaches that there are four fundamental forces in the universe. These are as follows:
1. Electromagnetic Force: This is a force which repels particles with a similar charge and attracts those with the opposite charge. Two electrons with negative charge, repel each other or a proton with a positive charge is attracted to an electron with a negative charge. The force behind the attraction and repulsion is the electromagnetic force.
2. Strong Nuclear Force: This force operates only within the nucleus. Logically, the two positively charged protons in the nucleus should repel each other by electromagnetic force. However, there is a strong force which holds similarly charged protons together in the nucleus. The strong force is 100 times stronger than the electromagnetic force, and it overcomes the repulsive force.
3. Weak Nuclear Force: The weak force also operates within the nucleus of the atom. In atoms with a high number of protons and neutrons, the nucleus can be unstable. In such unstable atoms, weak force facilitates the decay of the atom. Radioactive decay is the best example.
4. Gravity Force: Gravity is the most common force, which allows the attraction between any two objects. A lot is known about the effects of this force, but little is known about the cause. Physicists think that there is a force particle called graviton which mediates this force. The property of this force particle is known, but unfortunately this force particle is yet to be discovered. The search continues.
The Grand Unified Theory of the Fundamental Forces:
At the moment of the Big Bang, it is believed that all four fundamental forces—gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force—were merged into a single, unified force. These forces originated from one source, and the quest in physics is to uncover this singular origin. The prevailing idea is that by raising energy levels to extremely high values, scientists might be able to identify and unite these forces into one.
Significant progress has been made in this pursuit. For instance, physicists have successfully combined the electromagnetic force and the weak nuclear force into what is known as the electroweak force. Theoretical models suggest that with ever-increasing energy, the remaining forces could also be unified. However, a major obstacle remains: the energy required to experimentally demonstrate this unification is far beyond our current technological capabilities. Humans cannot generate the necessary energy to test these ideas in practice.
Despite these limitations, mathematical models indicate that if energy levels were high enough, the electromagnetic, strong, weak, and gravitational forces could merge into a single, homogenous force. This suggests that the supply of immense energy holds the key to unifying the four fundamental forces of nature.
Applying the Concept of Unification to Subject and Object
Can the same principle of unification be applied beyond physics—specifically, to the relationship between subject and object? In discussions of Self-Awareness, we showed that the subject (the observer) and the object (the observed) are fundamentally one and the same—a single, unified entity.
Drawing an analogy from physics, just as the fundamental forces could theoretically be unified by supplying enough energy, perhaps subject and object can also be unified into a single unit if sufficient energy is provided. Since subject and object are already unified within Self-Awareness, it is reasonable to assume that adequate energy is available within Self-Awareness to complete and maintain this unification.
The central question then becomes: how much energy is needed to maintain this unity between subject and object? While it is difficult to determine the exact amount, it is reasonable to speculate that the energy required would be enormous—even greater than what is needed to unify the four fundamental forces. This immense energy is thought to be stored within Self-Awareness itself.
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and Infinite Energy
We will explore the idea that the energy contained within Self-Awareness is not just vast, but infinite. When you interpret Einstein’s Theory of Relativity accurately and grasp the connection between motion and energy, it becomes clear that boundless energy resides within our innermost essence. This incredible power cannot be found anywhere else.
In simple terms, this theory says that whenever something moves, time slows down and space shrinks for it. Time and space are not unchanging; instead, they depend on how fast something is moving. Science has confirmed this idea. The faster something travels, the slower its time moves, and the more its space contracts. If anything could reach the speed of light, time would stop completely, and space would vanish. Yes, this is what happens if anything travels at the speed of light – no time and no space. No time and no space mean that it must be outside space.
What actually moves at the speed of light? Only photons—the particles that make up light—can do this. Nothing else can match their speed. Because photons travel at the speed of light, from the perspective of photons, there is no time or space. They exist beyond both. From your perspective, you see photons travel at the speed of light, but from the perspective of the photons, they do not travel because they are outside space and time. This is an important fact to recognize.
Connection between motion and energy
We all have learned in our physics class that when something moves, it gains kinetic energy, and as its speed goes up, this energy increases even more quickly. Finally, if an object could reach the speed of light, it has infinite energy. So, photons, which move at the speed of light, seem to have infinite energy and this exists outside of time and space—within what we might call our innermost self or mind.
Nature creates a fascinating illusion: we see photons with no rest mass moving at the speed of light, but from the photons’ own perspective, they aren’t moving at all, they possess infinite energy and are located outside space. Self-Awareness, which is outside space is within us. Yes, there is infinite energy within Self-Awareness.
How Is Infinite Energy Activated?
Infinite energy resides within the state of Self-Awareness. But how is this boundless energy brought into action and utilized? The simple answer is that it is our ignorance. We forget that we are both the observer (subject) and the observed (object). This forgetting causes us to perceive these as separate entities. This is the power behind ignorance.
This separation between subject and object is the trigger that releases infinite energy. Once this unity is broken, infinite energy emerges and becomes accessible to the cosmic mind, with a limited portion available to individual minds. This immense reservoir of energy is harnessed by the mind in various ways.
1. A segment of this energy is employed to generate physical space. This is referred to as dark energy, which is responsible for the expansion of space. Please listen to my episode “Connecting Dark Energy with Space”
2. Another portion of the infinite energy is used to produce the entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves, which are fundamental to the universe’s workings.
3. Energy required to create the fundamental forces – electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and gravitational force.
It is important to note that the energy present in the mind is subtle, not physical. This subtle energy belongs to the subtle universe, a realm that remains largely mysterious to us. Whatever the format of the energy in the mind, it is a fact that the source of the infinite energy is Self-Awareness. Self-Awareness is the ultimate source and foundation of this limitless power.
We hope you find this discussion on the origin of the universe’s limitless energy insightful. Given that energy cannot originate from within the confines of space and time, its source must exist beyond space itself. Our exploration demonstrated that the Theory of Relativity supports the notion that an infinite energy source lies outside of space. Furthermore, self-awareness—the very essence of our being—exists beyond space as well, and therefore it holds infinite energy.
If you’re interested in delving deeper into topics like this, we invite you to explore our blog at Vedanta and Science dot com or discover more in my book, Science Meets Vedanta, available on Amazon. Additionally, we offer a growing library of episodes covering many different topics —feel free to browse through them at your convenience.
If you enjoyed today’s episode, we encourage you to share it with your family and friends. Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss an upcoming episode.
Thank you for tuning in—we look forward to connecting with you again soon!
