The Nature of the Universe – This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every free thinking philosopher that has ever given our world a thought. Any time we wonder where we came from, usually the question goes beyond ourselves as an individual and ends up covering a more global curiosity concerning the universe around us.

I am personally an even balance between the spiritual and scientific worlds. A lot of people who know me understand that I am a Wiccan follow of my Goddess, and that I follow her guidance on most issues of my life. However I am also a believer that, spiritual manipulation or not, our universe has been formed gradually and steadily throughout the ages.

I do not claim to know whether or not Gods or Goddesses or even a single mighty creator had anything to do with the universe and how it was formed. I do support the idea of evolution and the idea that our universe has been formed through changes of chemical and mystical means alike. I also believe that the deities that we all believe in (or do not believe in, for the atheist audience reading this, which I respect as well) might not have so much created this universe but might have also been a part of its forming.

To ask if our universe has existed forever is a question I definitely cannot even begin to speculate on. Forever can have such a meaning to every different person who thinks about the meaning of such a frame of time. I do believe our universe is constantly changing, and that it is nowhere near like it was when it first came to be. If it has been around “forever” or not is a question I am certain we will never know in our mortal lifetimes. Who knows what knowledge we might get after we die, but in this plane of existence, “forever” is so infinite that comprehending a beginning to our universe is most likely going to remain an unanswered question.

The question of who made the universe, or how it was made, is one that tops my thought process whenever this subject comes up. As I stated before, I not only believe in scientific process, but spirituality as well. I do believe in the very high possibility that there is an almighty power out there that might be in control or at least played a major hand in the forming of our universe. This is definitely a personal belief of mine and by far no claim at all to “knowing” or being sure of the answer.

Another area we look at is the reality of this universe and our surroundings. Are the trees, stars, men, and women really “there”, or are they mere creations of our minds or of the mind of a god/goddess? I believe they are really there. A lot of HOW we see things is indeed the creation of our minds. Our perceptions are definitely different from one another. You and I can stare at the same chair and see it in different ways. But this question focuses on if the chair is there at all. People do hallucinate. It does happen. But an object that can be confirmed by MULTIPLE people at the same time, in my opinion, can be stated is actually there. But if you see the chair, but I do not, and other people do not, then that chair is a creation of your mind.

Our universe is made up of so many different forms of matter, anti-matter, texture, light, chemical processes and spiritual planes that I could not even begin to comprehend an answer to tell about what our universe is officially made up of. Matter has so many different forms that a generalization is almost impossible. Scientists now use words like “carbon” or “mass” or other general qualities that can relate to our current planet. But look at the size of the universe that surrounds us. We have verified we are not even a microbial speck compared to what is out there. We do not yet know all of the materials and types of physical products that are out there. So this is a question I think will be better highlighted upon if we, as a species, ever make it to a point where we can explore deep space in ships that can attain the speeds necessary to at least start to make our local galaxy a bit smaller to explore.

As with all of my philosophical posts, these are mere opinions of my own, and I will endeavor to be open minded to anything anyone else ever tells me about their own views on these subjects. I thank you for reading this (if you really have) and I look forward to your replies and personal opinions. Only together can we expand and explore more possibilities, so please post here if you are compelled to give thoughts on The Nature of the Universe.