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
Can anything travel faster than light?
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In this episode, we explore a fascinating question: Can anything travel faster than light?
Modern science tells us that no physical object can reach or exceed the speed of light.
Yet our experience of Awareness seems to operate differently. Whether we look at something nearby or gaze at a star billions of light years away, the awareness of that object arises immediately, without delay.
Does that mean Awareness can travel faster than light.
We look forward to hear back from you!
For questions or feedback please email us at
jayant@staminteractive.com
In this episode, we explore a fascinating question: Can anything travel faster than light? Modern science tells us that no physical object can reach or exceed the speed of light. Yet our experience of Awareness seems to operate differently. Whether we look at something nearby or gaze at a star billions of light years away, the awareness of that object arises immediately, without delay. Does that mean Awareness can travel faster than light.
Introduction
We all know that the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. Can anything travel faster than light? According to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the answer is no. Any object would require infinite energy to reach the speed of light. Yes, infinite energy, which means it is impossible for any particle or object to achieve the speed of light. This is why even the most powerful particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, can push particles to nearly light speed—about 99.99% of it—but can never make them reach 100%. Achieving the speed of light is an impossible task.
This leads to a fascinating question: if nothing can reach the speed of light, how do countless photons move through the universe at that very speed? Don’t they require infinite energy? This is a profound question, and it deserves careful reflection. In this episode, we will explore a remarkable idea: as observers, we see photons travelling at the speed of light, but from the photon’s own standpoint, there is no passage of time and no distance to cross. In that sense, the photon does not truly “travel” at all. It exists beyond our ordinary framework of space and time. This is not an easy concept to grasp, but it points toward a deeper truth.
Awareness and Perception
If photons do not truly travel, how do we perceive the universe? The answer lies in Awareness. Awareness is the substratum of everything we experience. Look outside your window, and you immediately become aware of the trees and buildings. Look up and notice a plane moving across the sky; at once, you are aware of the plane. Shift your gaze to the stars, and instantly the stars enter your field of awareness. Now turn your body 180 degrees, and a completely different set of stars and objects appears before you. Move your eyes from one point to another, and each new view is known immediately. In every case, awareness is present without delay. Whether the object is near or far, distance does not seem to affect the immediacy of awareness. A star may be billions of light years away, yet your awareness of it arises at once. There is no time lapse delay. This is a subtle but important point to contemplate. To understand perception deeply, we must understand the functioning of Awareness—an idea we have explored in many earlier episodes.
What is interesting that the object is a nearby tree or a distant star million or billions of miles away, awareness appears instantly. This does indicate that the speed of Awareness seems to encompass the entire universe without delay. From this reasoning, it appears that Awareness is not limited by ordinary speed at all. In this sense, Awareness may be understood as functioning far beyond the speed of light.
The idea that photons do not truly travel, and that Awareness is the source of perception, may be new to many people. Let us examine these two ideas in greater detail. This will help us understand and support the conclusion that Awareness operates beyond the limits of light.
Photons Do Not Travel:
How should we understand this? To approach the topic properly, we must first interpret Einstein’s Theory of Relativity with care. One of its central insights is that motion, time, and space are deeply connected.
According to relativity, time does not pass at the same rate for all observers. As motion increases, time appears to slow down for the moving object when viewed from another frame of reference, and space contracts along the direction of motion. These effects have been experimentally confirmed. The closer an object comes to the speed of light, the slower its time appears to pass and the greater the contraction of space becomes. At the speed of light, the usual meaning of time and space reaches a limiting condition: no proper time elapses along the path of light, and ordinary concepts of distance and duration no longer apply in the same way. In other words, there is no time and space for particles traveling at the speed of light.
How to apply this to knowledge to photons traveling at the speed of light. There is nothing else in the universe which can achieve this speed. As people, we see photons traveling at the speed of light. There is no denying this fact. We need to understand what is happening from the point of view of the photon. This is important. As a thought experiment, let us put a camera on a photon and apply the principles of relativity. What will the photon see? Since the photon is traveling at the speed of light, it will see no time, no space, and it will feel that it has infinite energy. This is because anything traveling at the speed of light will have these properties: no time, no space, and has infinite energy.
How do we understand no time and no space? This really means that the photon remains stationary—it does not move since there is no space or time. Time and space are required for any movement. This would mean that the photon is outside space and time. See the grand illusion taking place, we see the photon traveling at the speed of light, but from the perspective of a photon they do not travel, they are always outside space and time.
Science generally explains perception by saying that reflected light from an object reaches the eye, and this light enables us to see the object. However, the discussion above leads us to question whether photons alone can fully explain the perception process. If, logically speaking, photons do not truly travel from their own standpoint, then perception cannot be understood as merely a mechanical transfer of photons from object to observer. Something deeper must be involved. For a fuller explanation of this point, please listen to the episode “Perception Process Taught by Science Is Incorrect,” where several reasons are given to show why perception cannot depend solely on photons.
Projection of the Universe Using “Awareness”
Yes, the mind can be understood as a projector. One of its key functions is to project the world as something existing “out there.” It uses Awareness as the light through which the universe appears before us. At first, this idea may seem radical and counterintuitive. To support this view, I have offered many different explanations in my episode, “Universe IS A Projection of Our Mind,” showing why the external world, with all its components, is projected by the mind. In another episode, “Mind as a Projector: Step-by-Step Exploration”, a detailed analysis given of how the mind projects the universe out there. If you have time, I encourage you to listen to both these episodes.
The mind as a projector works much like a digital projector showing a movie on a screen. A digital projector has two essential components: the light bulb and the content to be projected. In a similar way, the mind has two corresponding components: the Bulb of Awareness and the Content that must be projected.
Bulb of Awareness:
Awareness is the innermost core of every living being. It is like a shining bulb whose light makes every experience known. Whenever any content comes into the presence of this Bulb of Awareness, we become aware of it. Here are a few everyday examples of how Awareness operates in our experience.
· How do we know that a tree is green? Because we are aware of it.
· How do we know that sugar is sweet? Because we are aware of it.
· How do we know that we have two hands and two legs? Because we are aware of them.
· How do we know that a chair weighs 20 lb.? Because we are aware of it.
· How do we know the smooth touch of silk? Because we are aware of it.
· How do we know that we are listening to music? Because we are aware of it.
The common thread in all these examples is Awareness. Awareness appears to be a necessary condition for observing any object or experience. Without Awareness, we would not know anything perceived through the five sense organs. The objects received through the senses must come into the field of Awareness; only then can they be known. In this sense, Awareness is the most powerful and essential force in experience. In the episode “Understanding Self-Awareness,” we discussed many different aspects of Awareness in greater detail.
A digital projector casts light onto a screen, and everything that appears there is nothing but light taking different forms—different shades, colors, shapes, and intensities. The people, landscapes, and objects in the movie are not separate from the light; they are expressions of it. In the same way, the mind may be understood as a projector that uses Awareness as the light through which the world appears. The space we see “out there” functions like the screen on which this projection takes place. All the objects we are aware of, whether near or far, appear on this screen of space. Just as light is the source that makes a movie visible on a screen, Awareness is the source that makes all objects appear within the field of space.
What is remarkable is that distance seems to make no difference to Awareness. Whether an object is close at hand or billions of light years away, the awareness of that object arises immediately. There is no noticeable delay. In this sense, Awareness does not appear to depend on distance in the way ordinary physical processes do.
I hope you found this episode thought provoking and illuminating. From this discussion, we may conclude that Awareness functions beyond the ordinary speed limit of light. For Awareness, distance appears to be immaterial: whether an object is nearby or billions of light years away, it is known without delay. This is a profound idea, worthy of careful contemplation and deep appreciation.
If you’re interested in delving deeper into topics like this, we invite you to discover more in my book, Science Meets Vedanta, available on Amazon. Additionally, we now have a library of around 40 podcasts covering many different topics —feel free to browse through them at your convenience.
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