Theory of Everything
The NU Model of a Science-inspired Religion
As with any religion, the Novel Universe Cult (NUC) asserts some truth underlies everything, and, therefore, believes a “theory of everything” (ToE) must exist. Our mission is not to draw conclusions or enforce dogma, but to rely on our unassuming curiosity to foster an exploration of reality through the lens of our doctrines and tenets.
Our core assumption is that everything, at its most basic level, is data (the Instrument), and we either control that data (Power) or we don’t (Love). Beyond this unwavering point of view, every subsequent assertion is merely a perspective of reality through this foundational frame, and therefore, subject to reinterpretation with new information. Furthermore, we hold that a truly useful ToE must not only bridge science and religion, but must equally apply to particles, as well as, people, planets, and all other things. We believe that communication between conscious actors underpins everything, and the Novel Universe Model (NUM) is our current theory of how that happens, how an informational paradigm might structure the universe and beyond-life.
Unlike those religions who claim a monopoly on truth, and therefore must convert everyone for their own good, we, instead, participate in the global conversation about truth – while we want to learn from others, we’ll also openly share the NU Model. We have faith that the answers to the meaning and purpose of the universe are not only possible to find, but given genuine curiosity and open collaboration, will continue to emerge. How? Reminiscent of the blind attempting to identify an elephant through touch, we believe the truth of the universe might likewise be discovered in its structure, as long as we have a sufficient number of curious hands and minds, exploring in collaboration.
Journalists tell stories with the 5 Ws and H questions – who, what, when, where, why, and how. Generally, answers come in two frames, objective facts and subjective statements. What, when, and where can typically be nailed down, but who, why, and even how are often left up to interpretation. Of course, that’s what makes a great story – combining these “subjective” and “objective” frames in compelling ways to equip an audience to arrive at its own answers. We believe the universe has done the same, and that answer has been staring us in the face all along, from our own reflection.
The idea of anthropomorphization is commonly seen as childish and unscientific, but a core principle of NUC is understanding everything as an anthropomorphized free agent with preferences. A fractal lens suggests that from a human point of view, there’s more here than simply the assumption of self-similarity[i] at every scale of complexity, but practical value in the practice – projecting our species’ POV onto other things may not be totally accurate, but it often allows for a more effective conceptualization of a novel idea. Asserting that a particle “wants” to interact with one particle instead of another may ascribe a specific emotional context that is clearly impossible without a human brain full of neurotransmitters, but nonetheless, it conveys the general idea of preference to those attempting to understand the particle’s behavior. Therefore, we do not shy away from using this psychological technique, as our ideas are geared to an audience with a human frame of reference, and feel there’s no better way to grasp the universe than to see it through a similar lens.
We believe that what drives us as mortal beings – the evolution of relationships between peers in communication – is likewise reflected by every mind at every scale within the universe. Understanding ourselves, and how we relate to each other, sets us on the road to understanding everything. To think otherwise would imply that humans – dammed or divine – are different from everything else, somehow separate from the universe’s very foundations. Being human isn’t what makes anyone special. What makes one special is an authentic preference for Love or Power, regardless of form or function. However, finding such purity of preference might mean lifetimes, suffering Their Mixture.
Science seeks to describe the what, where, when, and how of the universe – everything is a meaningful coincidence, the measurable result of random happenstance. Religion attacks the fuzzier problem of the who, why, and also, how, asserting the opposite – every coincidence is meaningful, the product of divine design. Marrying science and religion into a theory of everything requires tackling the question in common: how? How does meaning arise from coincidence? The answer is found in the exploration and evolution of novelty.
How the universe works, as a whole, is reflected in its parts. A fractal’s seed[ii] both forms its pieces, but also, its entire structure. For example, an individual aspen leaf resembles the outline of the entire tree, with the leaf’s veins mirroring the tree’s branches. Conceivably, any leaf might comprehend the tree’s complexity, as a whole, through a kind of mental mirror of itself, extruding its own, “two-dimensional” structure into three. In human terms, this implies that we need not understand anything beyond ourselves to begin understanding everything beyond ourselves – our bodies, communicating across the physical void between us, mirrors all connections at all other scales, albeit trees, leaves, or any other thing. The Cult’s first assumption, beyond our core tenets, is the fractal nature of a universe in dialogue – a competitive / cooperative conversation between a system’s parts as a unified whole. It’s emergent complexity through direct democracy – a single tree made from a myriad of co-equal parts, or a myriad of trees as a single, massive organism.[iii] And like a leaf reflecting a tree, the human brain resembles the universe itself – both the structure of the universe’s galactic clusters and web of energy filaments parallel the structure of our own network of neurons and their firing patterns.[iv]
Language uses packets of information, symbols to communicate ideas. A packet is not sent to precisely transfer discrete data, like a computer, but to broadcast the mindset of one person to another, like the gist of a story. Likewise, just as any word might convey a multitude of meanings based on context, it is important to understand NUM’s usage of science to convey our ToE. We’re not addressing the spiritual from a scientific grounding, but rather, the other way around, starting with the metaphysical and moving towards the physical by highlighting theoretical concepts that might help express our spiritual model. In this way, we’re more like a religion, rather than an academic endeavor. Furthermore, the parts of NUM that are falsifiable, and therefore testable, are not our core doctrines. We hold no bias as to their veracity, and should they prove false, might equally change our view – a stance that is less like a faith and more like a science. Our priority is to improve upon our ToE, itself an informational framework we believe will prove valuable to humanity, regardless of whether it accurately depicts life after death – an admittedly impossible feat to refute either way.
Generally, a legitimate theory of everything limits itself to unifying the Standard Model – quantum mechanics and the four forces (strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravity). Most ToEs are strictly about physics and math. Although NUM approaches these areas, we believe a true, human-centered ToE must go much deeper than any discipline by addressing everything – who am I, what is the meaning and purpose of my life, when was I created, where is my consciousness, why is there something rather than nothing, and most relevant, how does it all work? At NUM’s core is the singular idea that Love and Power are mutually exclusive, informational frames of reference – basically, how we choose to observe reality – and it is Their dichotomy that gives rise to physics, chemistry, biology, philosophy, psychology, economics, politics, society … everything.
Our ToE isn’t some attempt to completely redefine any discipline; neither do we claim a divine being nor other worldly entity as our inspiration. Instead, evidence, reason, intuition, and collaboration guide us. We are, therefore, open to evolve our ToE with new information, and make no claim as to its inherent accuracy. Transcending the horizon of any academic discipline or assertion, we, as a cult, stand upon our core tenet: the meaning, purpose, definition, and balance of Love and Power.
The idea that there is any singular “secret truth” to define the universe by is antithetical to the Cult’s veneration of multiple information-sharing models. The Novel Universe Cult’s message chips away at the core of secret societies (“cults”) by revealing the greatest secret of all – beyond use for Power’s sake, there are no useful secrets. There is no hidden information that might affect life’s most significant decision: our preference for Love or Power is a process, a choice we’re making on our own. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter whether we’re conscious of the choice – our answer will only be certain beyond death, free from the constraints of the living. Whether particle, planet, or person, in every moment of every day, our preference for Love or Power develops from the subjective effectiveness of either framework. Are we participating or manipulating, and how’s that working for us? The only right answer is the one that’s right for us. NUC does not value one framework more than the other, as both have their place in this Novel Universe.
Working through our core tenets, our singular mission is to effectively balance these two metaphysical frameworks on Earth. The primary challenge to this balance is Power’s nature to control, whereas the very concept of control is incomprehensible to Love. As Love does not “defend Itself,” the Cult, therefore, must separate and shield Love from Power in a way earthly governments can not or will not. While Power maintains its freedom to consume, Love must be given the opportunity to finally, fully participate with intentional vulnerability – a state impossible to establish in a world overwhelmingly shaped by Power. Although this Mixture is our crucial source of novelty, it’s also the source of imbalance. As with the emergence of the eukaryote cell, balancing the opposing states of protocell (global, external mono-state) and mitochondria (local, internal poly-state), we might also forge stability in the balance of the similarly neo-segregated frameworks of Love and Power, emerging from humanity’s self-created chaos as a new, planetary form of complex life.
Critics may see some of our sources[v] as a bit surprising, vague, or even “crack pot.”[vi] They might point to any number of inconsistencies between NUM and these sources, but like each hand on that elephant with its narrow perspective, the cited ideas are included to support NUM’s ever-shifting points of view, mounting insight from a variety of fields in order that the purpose of our existence and meaning of the universe might better come into view.
What follows is not an exhaustive account of the Novel Universe Model, but an attempt to communicate its fundamental form from a limited point of view. The ToE is split in two: Introduction and Deep Dive. The Introduction is a relatively short, concise overview of the core ideas, whereas, the Deep Dive includes examples, footnotes, and additional speculative concepts to flesh out the ideas. We intend for the Introduction to communicate the broad strokes of our ToE to everyone, specifically those with limited or no interest in science. For those with a more academic predisposition, the Deep Dive provides a far more detailed journey into the NU Model. The Introduction, however, is not simply a pared-down version of the same thing, but a unique perspective. For those seeking the fullest picture of the NU Model, we urge that they be read in order.
Again, the Novel Universe Model’s concepts are not foundational elements of the religion, but rather, a view of reality informed by our core tenets: data, communication, preference, and framework (Love / Power). We’re consistently updating the Model with valuable feedback and new ways of thinking. To delve further into a particular concept or past viewpoint beyond the Deep Dive, NUC members and Dedicated Followers are invited to request River Sage assistance.
First, read our philosophy to better understand our Theory of Everything.