Public Lecture - GECD Dubai

1. Chapter II: The General
Elements of the Universe
By Jose Mussi
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Originally published in
April 18, 1857

2. Our universe
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3. Spirit and Matter
Q27. So are there two general elements in the universe: matter and spirit?
“Yes, and over everything is God, the Creator and author of all. These three
elements comprise the principle of all that exists – they are the universal trinity…”
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4. Matter
Spirit
God
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5. The Knowledge of the Origin of Things
Q17. Can humans know the origin of things?
“No. On earth, God does not allow everything to be revealed.”
Q18. Will they every be able to grasp the mystery of things now hidden from them?
“The veil is lifted as they become more and more purified, but in order to
understand certain things, they need faculties they do not yet have.”
Q19. Can’t humans grasp some of nature’s secrets through scientific investigation?
“Science has been given to them for their advancement in all matters, but they
cannot go beyond the limits set by God.”
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7. Size of the Universe
Q35. Is universal space infinite or limited?
“Infinite. If it had limits, what would be
beyond them? I know this baffles your
reason, yet reason itself tells you that it
can be no other way. The same is true of
the idea of the infinite – you will never be
able to comprehend it from your tiny
sphere of thinking.”
Big bang theory first supported by Edwin Hubble in
1929, later confirmed in 1964 with the discovery of
cosmic microwave background radiation.
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8. Matter
Q22. Matter is generally defined as: that which has extension; that which can
impress our senses; that which is impenetrable. Are these definitions correct?
“From your own point of view, they are correct because you can only talk about
matters that are familiar to you. Matter, however, also exists in states that are
unfamiliar. For example, it may be so ethereal and subtle that your senses cannot
detect it; it is matter nonetheless, even though you do not perceive it as such.”
- Then how may we define matter?
“Matter is the tie that enchains spirit; it is the instrument that spirit uses and upon
which it simultaneously exerts its action.”
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9. Periodic Table of Elements
• Confirmation that all matter
was made of atoms only
happened in early 19th century
• In 1869 by Dmitri Mendeleev
creates the periodic table of
elements
• Only 50 elements were known
at that time
• Today the lists extends to 118
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10. Atoms are grouped in molecules
First ever picture of molecules breaking (2013)
Q34. Do molecules have a
defined form?
“Certainly, molecules have a
form, but you are incapable
of discerning it.”
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11. Forces of Nature
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12. Fluids (forces)
Q27. So are there two general elements in the universe: matter and spirit?
“…However, to the element of matter must be added the universal fluid, which
plays an intermediary role between spirit and matter per se, since matter is too
dense for spirit to act upon it directly. Although from a certain point of view this
fluid may be regarded as part of the material element, it differs from it due to
special properties.”
- might this fluid be what we call electricity?
“We have stated that it is capable of countless combinations. What you call the
electric and magnetic fields are both modifications of the one universal fluid.
Properly speaking, this fluid is a perfect and subtler matter that may be considered
as being independent of matter per se.”
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13. Special theory of relativity (1905)
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14. Standard Model of Particle Physics
Developed since the mid 20th
century, the standard model of
particle physics explains most
everything in our visible universe
except gravity.
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15. Primitive Element
Q30. Does matter consist of one or more
elements?
“One single primitive element. The bodies
that you regards as simple are not true
elements, but rather transformations of
the one primitive matter.”
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16. The fabric of the universe
Q36. Is there an absolute void in any
part of the universal space?
“No, there is no void. What appears to
you to be a void is actually occupied
by matter that cannot be detected by
your senses or instruments.”
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First postulated by a group of six physicists led
by Peter Higgs in 1964.
Higgs boson particle only confirmed in 2012.

17. The unified theory of everything
Q33. Is the same elementary matter capable of undergoing all possible modifications and
acquiring all possible properties?
“Yes, and this is what you should understand
when we say that ‘everything is in everything.”
• General Theory of Relativity was created in 1915 by
Einstein but only confirmed more recently:
Gravitational waves were indirectly discovered in 1974
directly observed on earth 2016
• But theory does not work on the particle level, current
work on developing a unified theory of everything
• But current theories do not explain dark matter and
dark energy (make up 95% of the universe!)
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18. The present is still dark
Dark Matter
• Dark matter is a hypothetical
type of matter distinct from
ordinary matter
• Dark matter has never been
directly observed; however, its
existence would explain a
number of otherwise puzzling
astronomical observations.
Dark Energy
• Dark energy is an unknown form
of energy which is thought to
permeate all of space
• Dark energy could explain the
observations since the 1990s
indicating that the universe is
expanding at an accelerating
rate.
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19. The Spirit
Q23. What is spirit?
“The intelligent principle in the universe.”
- What is spirit’s innermost nature?
“It is not easy to explain spirit in your language. For you, it is nothing because it is
not something palpable; nevertheless, for us it is something. You must realize that
nothing means nothing and nothing does not exist.”
Q26. Can we conceive spirit apart from matter, and matter apart from spirit?
“Absolutely, through thought.”
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