Serie A brev nr 11

Magazine Overview

This issue of BREVCIRKELN, specifically "Serie A - brev nr 11", features a book review by Yngve Freij of Jeremi Wasiutynski's "Universum, skapelse och utveckling" (Universe, Creation and Development). The book, published by Universitetsforlaget in Oslo, Norway, is a 412-page pocket-book format with 39 plates, priced at 12.50 Norwegian Kroner. The review highlights the book's unique "organic cosmology" and its integration of metaphysical and scientific ideas.

Book Review: Universum, skapelse och utveckling

The review begins by noting that while new astronomy books are common, Wasiutynski's work stands out due to its philosophical and metaphysical worldview. Wasiutynski, born in Warsaw in 1907, became a scientist in Poland before moving to Norway in 1937, where he earned his doctorate in 1948 and is now active at the Astrophysical Institute in Oslo. He has increasingly dedicated himself to philosophical studies in recent years.

The book offers a captivating depiction of complex modern research findings, but it demands a lot from readers unfamiliar with astronomy due to its detailed and fact-packed nature. The reviewer suggests focusing on the author's unique metaphysical worldview, which he terms "organic cosmology." This perspective, according to the review, can be seen as an expression of occult truths rephrased in scientific terms.

Key Concepts from "Organic Cosmology"

The review quotes extensively from Wasiutynski's book to illustrate his ideas:

• The Creation as a Catastrophe: The creation of the world is described as a "fruitful catastrophe" resulting from the "invasion of the unconscious into consciousness" – a "darkness" invading "light," and "chaos" invading "cosmos." This event separated physical from mental reality and atomized the original cosmic unity.
• Cosmic Evolution: This atomization occurred in stages, leading to the formation of giant cosmic "ur-organisms" which then dissolved into smaller cosmic organisms, ultimately resulting in the physical elementary particles.
• The Universal Self: Every individual "self" is seen as a reflection of the universal self, our true identity. Life on Earth is presented as a specific form of life that bridges molecules and living planetary bodies.
• Planetary Integration: It is anticipated that the integration of organic life on Earth will lead to the formation of a planetary pattern, transforming the entire planet into a fully integrated organism. This process is expected to be governed by higher-order quantum laws, making Earth akin to a complex atom. Similar transformations are predicted for solar systems and galaxies, turning them into higher-order organisms.
• Mental Reality: Currently, mental reality is largely obscured and unconscious for most people. However, the book suggests that by engaging with its ideas, readers can perceive the interconnectedness of the physical and mental universe.

Physics and Consciousness

Wasiutynski posits that physics deals with thoughts behind perceived changes, implying a universal thinker. He argues that the brain, rather than being the source of consciousness, may limit it in time and space. Matter is described as a perceived property with a certain firmness. Mystics, he suggests, can access a "cosmic consciousness" where they feel one with the universe and the "ur-consciousness."

The author asserts that fantasies are not arbitrary but draw from the unconscious mind. Those who can "fish" in the "depths" of the unconscious bring forth material of universal interest, a feat achieved by poets, metaphysicians, and mystics.

The Nature of Physical Reality

The conditions for the emergence of physical reality are non-physical, discoverable only through inner-psychic and mental laws. Theoretical considerations and observations suggest that the universe has undergone a seven-step (or plane) dissolution process, with each step governed by its own quantum laws. Higher cosmic bodies, belonging to different planes, would be invisible to us due to the lack of electromagnetic interaction.

Observations indicate that the universe's expansion energy currently far exceeds its gravitational energy. For this to be true, there must be significantly more invisible matter than currently accounted for. This could lead to the conclusion that after reaching a maximum volume, the universe might contract again.

Life's evolution is viewed as a gradual building up of higher-order organisms, including matter of higher order. Earth's evolutionary process is seen as elementary stages. The "organic" theory of the universe's origin suggests that the evolutionary process aims to restore cosmic unity on a higher organic level.

If Wasiutynski's "organic cosmogony" is correct, the process will involve cosmic organisms of increasingly higher orders, with life synthesizing higher-order matter and reawakening new quantum laws and organizational principles.

Human Evolution and Consciousness

The review suggests that humanity may have already completed the lowest stages of this process, being subject not only to physical laws but also to higher-order laws superimposed on them. The author notes that life on Earth has many characteristics of an organic whole. Creative activity often connects to unconscious notions of identification with Earth as an organic and psychic entity, and a necessary shift of this identification from Earth to the sun and the wider universe.

As humanity prepares for technological conquest of the solar system, the demand for these higher psychic identifications is increasing. The phenomenology of unconscious processes suggests that the initial stages of planetary and solar consciousness are present in the unconscious, and personality integration is impossible without these potentials being realized.

Critical Reception and Commentary

The review acknowledges that Wasiutynski's metaphysical arguments might not be sensational to a metaphysician, but they are significant because an established scientist has dared to "smuggle in" such theories into a popular science work, which may be deeply unsettling to convinced materialists.

Observator Gunnar Larsson-Leander, in a review for "Populär Astronomisk Tidskrift," expresses difficulty in seeing beyond pure speculation in Wasiutynski's ideas, despite the references to depth psychology and cosmic consciousness. He suggests that if the "organic cosmology" were omitted, the book would provide a valuable and detailed account of cosmological and cosmogonical theories.

In response, the review emphasizes that science has only explored a small fraction of material reality, and instrumental science is limited to our physical reality. It is suggested that as our consciousness develops, we perceive more of reality. The review implies that Wasiutynski's book offers parallels to esoteric truths presented by mystics and occultists throughout history.

Atomfysiker Jacques Bergier is quoted as saying that by exploring reality with imagination, one discovers that the boundary between the visible and invisible universe is thin, and that other worlds may exist alongside ours.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the nature of the universe, its creation, and its evolution, viewed through a lens that blends scientific inquiry with metaphysical and philosophical speculation. The editorial stance, as reflected in the review, seems to be one of openness to unconventional ideas that challenge established materialist viewpoints, while also acknowledging the need for critical evaluation and the speculative nature of some of the presented theories. The issue champions the idea that consciousness and non-physical laws play a significant role in reality, pushing the boundaries of conventional scientific understanding.