Seraphic VelocitySeraphic VelocitySeraphic VelocitySeraphic Velocity

By Troy BishopBy Troy Bishop

By Merritt HornBy Merritt Horn

By Bob HuntBy Bob HuntBy Bob HuntBy Bob Hunt

Seraphic Velocity

Riddle of the Missing Light Years

by Troy R. Bishop

The Urantia Book description of seraphic velocity has led a number of readers to what could seem like an inconsistency in a book which many of them have embraced chiefly because of its amazing consistency. The problem is that the distances traversed by seraphim, as described in The Urantia Book, do not seem to consume the time that they should, given the velocity of seraphic travel that is also described in The Urantia Book.

The Urantia Book teaches that seraphim can travel at triple velocity: three times the speed of light, or 558,840 miles per second, averaging about 550,000 miles per second (23:2.15; 23:3.2; 39:3.8). This speed, in and of itself, presents no problem, even in view of the theory of relativity, which teaches that the speed of light (186,280 miles per second) is the limit of speed for any object. The Urantia Book also teaches that the speed of light is a limiting speed – for most non-enseraphimed beings (23:3.2). As nonmaterial beings, seraphim might be expected to be exempt from the material speed limit of relativity.

Expected transit times

The seraphim seem to perform activities throughout the confines of the local universe, and even beyond, with an ability that transcends their apparent velocity of transit. The setting for most of these activities is the local universe, composed of one hundred constellations, each constellation composed of one hundred local systems. (The star cloud that is our local universe was organized from components of more than one nebula, which have been adjusted over a period of time to travel as a unit through space) (41:0.3). Our local system, Satania, contains 619 inhabited worlds, in over 500 different physical systems (32:2.10), and over two thousand brilliant suns, of which our sun is average (41:3.1).

Sun is another word for star. According to astronomy, the star nearest our sun is Proxima Centauri, located about four light years away. To traverse this distance – to get from here to the nearest star – would take a seraphim one-third of four, or over one year.

Drawing a line around any 2000-star group that includes our sun, in an attempt roughly to outline our system, is sure to set off a distance that would require scores or hundreds of years for a seraphim to traverse at triple velocity. It would seem reasonable that it should take this same amount of time for seraphim to journey between our planet, Urantia, and our system headquarters, Jerusem (and its circling, attendant mansion-world satellites).

The possibility might be raised that regardless of how big the system is, Urantia and Jerusem could be close neighbors inside it, situated only a relatively short journey apart. But The Urantia Book teaches that our solar system is the second-farthest in our local system from Jerusem (41:10.5), and that Urantia is on the outskirts of our system, Satania, (41:10.5), while Jerusem is very close to the astronomical center of Satania, which is occupied by an enormous dark island of space (41:2.2) (not a black hole).

A seraphic journey between Urantia and Jerusem should occupy scores – perhaps hundreds – of years at seraphic triple velocity. And seraphic travel between Jerusem and its constellation capital, Edentia – headquarters world for one hundred systems – should take hundreds or thousands of years.

Third-day question

A question asked by some Urantia Book readers is: how can the Urantia Book teaching that mortals are sometimes resurrected on Jerusem's Mansion World Number 1 on the third day following physical death, after being transported there by guardian seraphim, be reconciled with the fact that thirty years – or maybe three hundred years – would seem the minimum reasonable time for such a journey?

The suggestion is sometimes offered that the exact term is third period, not third day (112:4.6; 112:5.15); and period can denote any amount of time. This makes a little sense to me, although it leaves entirely too many vaguely unexplained activities going on in the economy of the realm for me to feel easy with it.

The argument fell completely apart for me a few years back when Dan Massey kindly sent me a copy of a letter he had written to a Urantia Book reader in France who had inquired into the apparent contradiction involving seraphic velocity and been referred to Dan. In the letter, Dan identified a direct Urantia Book referral to resurrection on the mansion world on the third day following physical death; and

since that time, I have seen other such references (49:6.9; 47:8.4; 76:6.2).

With travel to Jerusem identified as definitely occupying no more than three days, the next question often raised is: What is a day? Is it a Urantia day? A Jerusem day? Some other day?

Unless it's a Paradise-Havona day, which is about a thousand years (humor intended: this type of day is not applicable to the superuniverses of time), it couldn't make much difference to the question, for the days in question don't differ much – not nearly enough to explain the discrepancies being examined.

Some information can be gleaned from The Urantia Book about specific instances.

Specific instances

Thirty-seven thousand years ago, Adam and Eve were delivered by seraphic transport to Urantia from Jerusem, in dematerialized form (a combustion body of flesh and blood cannot be transported by seraphim). Ten days later, when their rematerialization into dual human form was completed, they regained consciousness simultaneously (74:0.1).

Soon after their awakening on Urantia, at high noon on their first Urantia day as conscious, functioning beings, they were installed as the custodians and rulers of Urantia (74:2.6).

On their seventh day on Urantia, just before noon – exactly six days after their installation on Urantia – a seraphic messenger brought to Urantia the Jerusem acknowledgment of this installation (74:4.5).

Jerusem could not have used the system circuits to receive news of the planetary installation, for the system circuits were in a severed status due to the rebellion (74:3.1); communication within the system and between the system headquarters and constellation headquarters had to be by messenger (53:6.5; 53:7.3).

Under some conditions, Solitary Messengers, who can travel at speeds of over 800 billion miles per second (23:3.3), are available at the system level (23:3.3; 53:7.3).

Even if a Solitary Messenger bore the news of the Urantia installation to Jerusem, the seraphim traveling from Jerusem could have had six Urantia – earth! – days at

most to reach Urantia. Since, from above, this journey should have required scores or hundreds of years for a seraphim to complete, this is a definite instance of an apparent conflict between Urantia Book descriptions of distance, seraphic velocity, and time of travel.

The Melchizedek receivers returned from Jerusem seventy days after the default of Adam and Eve (75:5.8); since the Melchizedek receivers travel by seraphic transport (74:5.2), this is another case of too-rapid seraphic travel.

The Adamic couple left the garden shortly after the Melchizedeks arrived and were met on the third day out (no significance to this figure) by the arrival of seraphic transports who had come from Jerusem for certain of the Adamic offspring (75:6.3). This seraphic journey from Jerusem, after the default of Adam and Eve, took a matter of days – not scores or hundreds of years – to complete (since the seraphim couldn't have begun the journey until the default, the reason for their trip) – a third instance of mysteriously enhanced seraphic travel.

Before the arrival of Adam and Eve on Urantia, in the times of the Planetary Prince, when the rebellion occurred 200,000 years ago, Van and the Loyalists awaited confirmation of their actions in defying the rebels, which came seven years later with the arrival of a Most High of Edentia with the emergency Melchizedeks (67:2.6; 67:3.10) (who travel by seraphic transport – see above – 74:5.2).

This delay of seven years – not seven score or seven hundred – was primarily for the purpose of allowing each personality on Urantia affected by the rebellion to make up his mind on his position (67:3.10).

Note that the Most High was a Most High of Edentia, who, if he came to Urantia from Edentia, should have traveled for probably thousands of years, as stated above. (So few literal facts are available about the Vorondadek order of Sonship, which also includes the Most Highs, that it 's of interest to note that this order of sonship – traveling with the enseraphimed Melchizedeks above – also relies on seraphim for transport.)

Consistent contradiction

Events of similar significance occur elsewhere in The Urantia Book, such as a Most High coming to the planet during Michael's bestowal here as Jesus of Nazareth.

A stunning example of the consistency of the apparent contradiction in The Urantia Book between the familiar formulas relating speed, distance, and time is the Urantia Book narration that Solitary Messengers, who travel at incredible speeds (at least 841,621,642,000 miles per second) (23:3.3), sometimes travel as temporary ambassadors from established local universes to newly inhabited local universes until regular ambassadors can arrive (23:2.15).

The reason given for this is that regular ambassadors, who travel by means of seraphic transport, could be required to travel for long periods of time to reach such far-distant local universes (23:2.15). This ambassadorial outreach can span an entire superuniverse, not just the containing minor sector (23:2.14).

Since our superuniverse, Orvonton, is half-a-million light years across (250,000 light year radius) (32:2.11), it should require one-half million years for light to travel between two local universes at opposite ends of the super-universe: the time required for enseraphimed ambassadors to make this same journey should be one-third of that, or one hundred sixty-six thousand years – one-sixth of a million years! In keeping with its consistent contradiction, The Urantia Book refers to this maximum time as hundreds of years (23:2.16).

The writers of The Urantia Book, with its amazing consistency and their incredible intelligence, are undoubtedly aware of this apparent contradiction. They have coped in other areas with (then) impending advances in human knowledge by using wording which seemed innocuous before the new discovery, yet later was seen to contain previously unnoticed ambiguities allowing either the pre- or post -discovery interpretation. (The revelators are forbidden to anticipate the human discoveries of a thousand years) (101:4.2).

Something to learn

It would seem to me that there is a factor yet to be learned, in light of which this "brazen" contradiction will be most acceptable. Until then, the consistent contradiction is a part of The Urantia Book landscape, as the Easter Island statues are a part of the earth’s archeological landscape: conspicuous, challenging – and not explained.

[The Easter Island statues – or rather the people of this island and its use as an Andite religious and administrative center – do happen to be explained in the Urantia Book (74:8.4)].

The idea of a new factor first came to me, again, from Dan Massey, who, during a personal conversation, responded to one of my observations / questions about the problem of seraphic velocity with the view that perhaps that things change in ways other than currently envisioned by science during travel involving speeds very near to – or in this case several times greater than – the speed of light.

Perhaps time, or distance, change in ways other than the commonly envisioned time shift and length contraction of relativity. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is perhaps too often viewed as "correct" and exempt from the fallibilities of humankind, never needing correction, further development, or interpretation.

The writers of The Urantia Book have possibly left us a hint of the problem – and what is to come – with a little smile. In a discussion of the vulnerability of materialism, near the end of the book, they address the theory of relativity, humankind’s most impressive monument to its greatness, as "dabblings with the faintly glimpsed findings of ‘relativity’" (195:7.5).

The consistent contradiction doesn’t seem to fit the category of statements in accordance with existing scientific knowledge which will later be proven wrong as scientific knowledge advances (101:4.2). It flatly defies present scientific knowledge – just as did other statements in The Urantia Book with which science later has come to concur. It will be interesting to see what new findings will develop in science to show once again that The Urantia Book was right.

References for Seraphic Velocity:

23:2.15 (260¶2) 6. Ambassadors and Emissaries of Special Assignment. Local universes situated within the same superuniverse customarily exchange ambassadors selected from their native orders of sonship. But to avoid delay, Solitary Messengers are frequently asked to go as ambassadors from one local creation to another, to represent and interpret one realm to another. For example: When a newly inhabited realm is discovered, it may prove to be so remote in space that a long time will pass before an enseraphimed ambassador can reach this far-distant universe. An enseraphimed being cannot possibly exceed the velocity of 558,840 Urantia miles in one second of your time. Massive stars, crosscurrents, and detours, as well as attraction tangents, will all tend to retard such speed so that on a long journey the velocity will average about 550,000 miles per second.

23:2.16 (260¶3) When it develops that it will require hundreds of years for a native ambassador to reach a far-distant local universe, a Solitary Messenger is often asked to proceed there immediately to act as ambassador ad interim. Solitary Messengers can go in very short order, not independently of time and space as do the Gravity Messengers, but nearly so. They also serve in other circumstances as emissaries of special assignment.

23:3.2 (260¶6) The universe is well supplied with spirits who utilize gravity for purposes of transit; they can go anywhere any time—instanter—but they are not persons. Certain other gravity traversers are personal beings, such as Gravity Messengers and Transcendental Recorders, but they are not available to the super- and the local universe administrators. The worlds teem with angels and men and other highly personal beings, but they are handicapped by time and space: The limit of velocity for most nonenseraphimed beings is 186,280 miles of your world per second of your time; the midway creatures and certain others can, often do, attain double velocity —372,560 miles per second—while the seraphim and others can traverse space at triple velocity, about 558,840 miles per second. There are, however, no transit or messenger personalities who function between the instantaneous velocities of the gravity traversers and the comparatively slow speeds of the seraphim, except the Solitary Messengers.

39:3.8 (433¶2) 5. The Transporters. The fifth group of supervisor seraphim operate as personality transporters, carrying beings to and from the headquarters of the constellations. Such transport seraphim, while in flight from one sphere to another, are fully conscious of their velocity, direction, and astronomic whereabouts. They

are not traversing space as would an inanimate projectile. They may pass near one another during space flight without the least danger of collision. They are fully able to vary speed of progression and to alter direction of flight, even to change destinations if their directors should so instruct them at any space junction of the universe intelligence circuits. 39:3.9 (433¶3) These transit personalities are so organized that they can simultaneously utilize all three of the universally distributed lines of energy, each having a clear space velocity of 186,280 miles per second. These transporters are thus able to superimpose velocity of energy upon velocity of power until they attain an average speed on their long journeys varying anywhere from 555,000 to almost 559,000 of your miles per second of your time. The velocity is affected by the mass and proximity of neighboring matter and by the strength and direction of the near-by main circuits of universe power. There are numerous types of beings, similar to the seraphim, who are able to traverse space, and who also are able to transport other beings who have been properly prepared.

23:3.2 (260¶6) The universe is well supplied with spirits who utilize gravity for purposes of transit; they can go anywhere any time—instanter—but they are not persons. Certain other gravity traversers are personal beings, such as Gravity Messengers and Transcendental Recorders, but they are not available to the super- and the local universe administrators. The worlds teem with angels and men and other highly personal beings, but they are handicapped by time and space: The limit of velocity for most nonenseraphimed beings is 186,280 miles of your world per second of your time; the midway creatures and certain others can, often do, attain double velocity —372,560 miles per second—while the seraphim and others can traverse space at triple velocity, about 558,840 miles per second. There are, however, no transit or messenger personalities who function between the instantaneous velocities of the gravity traversers and the comparatively slow speeds of the seraphim, except the Solitary Messengers.

41:0.3 (455¶3) One or more—even many—such nebulae may be encompassed within the domain of a single local universe even as Nebadon was physically assembled out of the stellar and planetary progeny of Andronover and other nebulae. The spheres of Nebadon are of diverse nebular ancestry, but they all had a certain minimum commonness of space motion which was so adjusted by the intelligent efforts of the power directors as to produce our present aggregation of space bodies, which travel along together as a contiguous unit over the orbits of the superuniverse.

32:2.10 (359¶7) Satania is not a uniform physical system, a single astronomic unit

or organization. Its 619 inhabited worlds are located in over five hundred different physical systems. Only five have more than two inhabited worlds, and of these only one has four peopled planets, while there are forty-six having two inhabited worlds.

41:3.1 (458¶1) There are upward of two thousand brilliant suns pouring forth light and energy in Satania, and your own sun is an average blazing orb. Of the thirty suns nearest yours, only three are brighter. The Universe Power Directors initiate the specialized currents of energy which play between the individual stars and their respective systems. These solar furnaces, together with the dark giants of space, serve the power centers and physical controllers as way stations for the effective concentrating and directionizing of the energy circuits of the material creations. 41:3.2 (458¶2) The suns of Nebadon are not unlike those of other universes. The material composition of all suns, dark islands, planets, and satellites, even meteors, is quite identical. These suns have an average diameter of about one million miles, that of your own solar orb being slightly less. The largest star in the universe, the stellar cloud Antares, is four hundred and fifty times the diameter of your sun and is sixty million times its volume. But there is abundant space to accommodate all of these enormous suns. They have just as much comparative elbow room in space as one dozen oranges would have if they were circulating about throughout the interior of Urantia, and were the planet a hollow globe.

41:10.5 (466¶4) Urantia is comparatively isolated on the outskirts of Satania, your solar system, with one exception, being the farthest removed from Jerusem, while Satania itself is next to the outermost system of Norlatiadek, and this constellation is now traversing the outer fringe of Nebadon. You were truly among the least of all creation until Michael's bestowal elevated your planet to a position of honor and great universe interest. Sometimes the last is first, while truly the least becomes greatest.

41:2.2 (457¶1) Satania itself is composed of over seven thousand astronomical groups, or physical systems, few of which had an origin similar to that of your solar system. The astronomic center of Satania is an enormous dark island of space which, with its attendant spheres, is situated not far from the headquarters of the system government.

112:4.6 (1232¶1) If the human individual survives without delay, the Adjuster, so I am instructed, registers at Divinington, proceeds to the Paradise presence of the Universal Father, returns immediately and is embraced by the Personalized Adjusters of the superuniverse and local universe of assignment, receives the recognition of the chief Personalized Monitor of Divinington, and then, at once,

passes into the "realization of identity transition," being summoned therefrom on the third period and on the mansion world in the actual personality form made ready for the reception of the surviving soul of the earth mortal as that form has been projected by the guardian of destiny.

112:5.15 (1234¶4) During the transit of surviving mortals from the world of origin to the mansion worlds, whether they experience personality reassembly on the third period or ascend at the time of a group resurrection, the record of personality constitution is faithfully preserved by the archangels on their worlds of special activities. These beings are not the custodians of personality (as the guardian seraphim are of the soul), but it is nonetheless true that every identifiable factor of personality is effectually safeguarded in the custody of these dependable trustees of mortal survival. As to the exact whereabouts of mortal personality during the time intervening between death and survival, we do not know.

49:6.9 (569¶4) Throughout the earlier ages of an evolutionary world, few mortals go to judgment on the third day. But as the ages pass, more and more the personal guardians of destiny are assigned to the advancing mortals, and thus increasing numbers of these evolving creatures are repersonalized on the first mansion world on the third day after natural death. On such occasions the return of the Adjuster signalizes the awakening of the human soul, and this is the repersonalization of the dead just as literally as when the en masse roll is called at the end of a dispensation on the evolutionary worlds.

47:8.4 (538¶2) The union of the evolving immortal soul with the eternal and divine Adjuster is signalized by the seraphic summoning of the supervising superangel for resurrected survivors and of the archangel of record for those going to judgment on the third day; and then, in the presence of such a survivor's morontia associates, these messengers of confirmation speak: "This is a beloved son in whom I am well pleased." This simple ceremony marks the entrance of an ascending mortal upon the eternal career of Paradise service.

76:6.2 (853¶3) They did not long rest in the oblivion of the unconscious sleep of the mortals of the realm. On the third day after Adam's death, the second following his reverent burial, the orders of Lanaforge, sustained by the acting Most High of Edentia and concurred in by the Union of Days on Salvington, acting for Michael, were placed in Gabriel's hands, directing the special roll call of the distinguished survivors of the Adamic default on Urantia. And in accordance with this mandate of special resurrection, number twenty-six of the Urantia series, Adam and Eve were

repersonalized and reassembled in the resurrection halls of the mansion worlds of Satania together with 1,316 of their associates in the experience of the first garden. Many other loyal souls had already been translated at the time of Adam's arrival, which was attended by a dispensational adjudication of both the sleeping survivors and of the living qualified ascenders.

74:0.1 (828¶1) ADAM AND EVE arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. It was in midseason when the Garden was in the height of bloom that they arrived. At high noon and unannounced, the two seraphic transports, accompanied by the Jerusem personnel intrusted with the transportation of the biologic uplifters to Urantia, settled slowly to the surface of the revolving planet in the vicinity of the temple of the Universal Father. All the work of rematerializing the bodies of Adam and Eve was carried on within the precincts of this newly created shrine. And from the time of their arrival ten days passed before they were re-created in dual human form for presentation as the world's new rulers. They regained consciousness simultaneously. The Material Sons and Daughters always serve together. It is the essence of their service at all times and in all places never to be separated. They are designed to work in pairs; seldom do they function alone.

74:2.6 (830¶1) The next act was the delivery of the charge of planetary custody to Adam and Eve by the senior Melchizedek, chief of the council of receivership on Urantia. The Material Son and Daughter took the oath of allegiance to the Most Highs of Norlatiadek and to Michael of Nebadon and were proclaimed rulers of Urantia by Van, who thereby relinquished the titular authority which for over one hundred and fifty thousand years he had held by virtue of the action of the Melchizedek receivers.

74:4.5 (832¶5) It was a momentous day, and just before noon, about the time of the arrival of the seraphic messenger bearing the Jerusem acknowledgment of the installation of the world's rulers, Adam and Eve, moving apart from the throng, pointed to the Father's temple and said: "Go you now to the material emblem of the Father's invisible presence and bow down in worship of him who made us all and who keeps us living. And let this act be the sincere pledge that you never will again be tempted to worship anyone but God." They all did as Adam directed. The Material Son and Daughter stood alone on the mount with bowed heads while the people prostrated themselves about the temple.

74:3.1 (830¶4) And now, after their formal installation, Adam and Eve became painfully aware of their planetary isolation. Silent were the familiar broadcasts, and absent were all the circuits of extraplanetary communication. Their Jerusem fellows

had gone to worlds running along smoothly with a well-established Planetary Prince and an experienced staff ready to receive them and competent to co-operate with them during their early experience on such worlds. But on Urantia rebellion had changed everything. Here the Planetary Prince was very much present, and though shorn of most of his power to work evil, he was still able to make the task of Adam and Eve difficult and to some extent hazardous. It was a serious and disillusioned Son and Daughter of Jerusem who walked that night through the Garden under the shining of the full moon, discussing plans for the next day.

53:6.5 (606¶8) Manota: "Having been automatically thrown out of the constellation circuits by the secession of Lucifer, we were dependent on the loyalty of our intelligence corps, who forwarded calls for help to Edentia from the near-by system of Rantulia; and we found that the kingdom of order, the intellect of loyalty, and the spirit of truth were inherently triumphant over rebellion, self-assertion, and so-called personal liberty; we were able to carry on until the arrival of the new System Sovereign, the worthy successor of Lucifer. And immediately thereafter I was assigned to the corps of the Melchizedek receivership of Urantia, assuming jurisdiction over the loyal seraphic orders on the world of the traitorous Caligastia, who had proclaimed his sphere a member of the newly projected system of `liberated worlds and emancipated personalities' proposed in the infamous Declaration of Liberty issued by Lucifer in his call to the `libertyloving, free-thinking, and forward-looking intelligences of the misruled and maladministered worlds of Satania.'"

53:7.3 (607¶4) All secession propaganda had to be carried on by personal effort because the broadcast service and all other avenues of interplanetary communication were suspended by the action of the system circuit supervisors. Upon the actual outbreak of the insurrection the entire system of Satania was isolated in both the constellation and the universe circuits. During this time all incoming and outgoing messages were dispatched by seraphic agents and Solitary Messengers. The circuits to the fallen worlds were also cut off, so that Lucifer could not utilize this avenue for the furtherance of his nefarious scheme. And these circuits will not be restored so long as the archrebel lives within the confines of Satania.

23:3.3 (261¶1) Solitary Messengers are, therefore, generally used for dispatch and service in those situations where personality is essential to the achievement of the assignment, and where it is desired to avoid the loss of time which would be occasioned by the sending of any other readily available type of personal

messenger. They are the only definitely personalized beings who can synchronize with the combined universal currents of the grand universe. Their velocity in traversing space is variable, depending on a great variety of interfering influences, but the record shows that on the journey to fulfill this mission my associate messenger proceeded at the rate of 841,621,642,000 of your miles per second of your time.

75:5.8 (844¶1) Time passed, but Adam was not certain of the nature of their offense until seventy days after the default of Eve, when the Melchizedek receivers returned to Urantia and assumed jurisdiction over world affairs. And then he knew they had failed.

74:5.2 (833¶2) The farewell of the receivers occupied the whole of a day, and during the evening the individual Melchizedeks gave Adam and Eve their parting advice and best wishes. Adam had several times requested his advisers to remain on earth with him, but always were these petitions denied. The time had come when the Material Sons must assume full responsibility for the conduct of world affairs. And so, at midnight, the seraphic transports of Satania left the planet with fourteen beings for Jerusem, the translation of Van and Amadon occurring simultaneously with the departure of the twelve Melchizedeks.

75:6.3 (844¶5) The Edenic caravan was halted on the third day out from the Garden by the arrival of the seraphic transports from Jerusem. And for the first time Adam and Eve were informed of what was to become of their children. While the transports stood by, those children who had arrived at the age of choice (twenty years) were given the option of remaining on Urantia with their parents or of becoming wards of the Most Highs of Norlatiadek. Two thirds chose to go to Edentia; about one third elected to remain with their parents. All children of prechoice age were taken to Edentia. No one could have beheld the sorrowful parting of this Material Son and Daughter and their children without realizing that the way of the transgressor is hard. These offspring of Adam and Eve are now on Edentia; we do not know what disposition is to be made of them.

67:2.6 (756¶1) For more than seven years this struggle continued. Not until every personality concerned had made a final decision, would or did the authorities of Edentia interfere or intervene. Not until then did Van and his loyal associates receive vindication and release from their prolonged anxiety and intolerable suspense.

67:3.10 (757¶3) There is no end to the recital of the stirring events of these tragic

days. But at last the final decision of the last personality was made, and then, but only then, did a Most High of Edentia arrive with the emergency Melchizedeks to seize authority on Urantia. The Caligastia panoramic reign-records on Jerusem were obliterated, and the probationary era of planetary rehabilitation was inaugurated.

23:3.3 (261¶1) Solitary Messengers are, therefore, generally used for dispatch and service in those situations where personality is essential to the achievement of the assignment, and where it is desired to avoid the loss of time which would be occasioned by the sending of any other readily available type of personal messenger. They are the only definitely personalized beings who can synchronize with the combined universal currents of the grand universe. Their velocity in traversing space is variable, depending on a great variety of interfering influences, but the record shows that on the journey to fulfill this mission my associate messenger proceeded at the rate of 841,621,642,000 of your miles per second of your time.

23:2.15 (260¶2) 6. Ambassadors and Emissaries of Special Assignment. Local universes situated within the same superuniverse customarily exchange ambassadors selected from their native orders of sonship. But to avoid delay, Solitary Messengers are frequently asked to go as ambassadors from one local creation to another, to represent and interpret one realm to another. For example: When a newly inhabited realm is discovered, it may prove to be so remote in space that a long time will pass before an enseraphimed ambassador can reach this far-distant universe. An enseraphimed being cannot possibly exceed the velocity of 558,840 Urantia miles in one second of your time. Massive stars, crosscurrents, and detours, as well as attraction tangents, will all tend to retard such speed so that on a long journey the velocity will average about 550,000 miles per second.

23:2.12 (259¶5) 5. Explorers of Undirected Assignment. When the reserve corps of the Solitary Messengers is overrecruited, there issues from one of the Seven Supreme Power Directors a call for exploration volunteers; and there is never a lack of volunteers, for they delight to be dispatched as free and untrammeled explorers, to experience the thrill of finding the organizing nucleuses of new worlds and universes. 23:2.13 (259¶6) They go forth to investigate the clues furnished by the space contemplators of the realms. Undoubtedly the Paradise Deities know of the existence of these undiscovered energy systems of space, but they never divulge such information. If the Solitary Messengers did not explore and chart these newly organizing energy centers, such phenomena would long remain unnoticed even by the intelligences of adjacent realms. Solitary Messengers, as a class, are highly

sensitive to gravity; accordingly they can sometimes detect the probable presence of very small dark planets, the very worlds which are best adapted to life experiments.

23:2.14 (260¶1) These messenger-explorers of undirected assignment patrol the master universe. They are constantly out on exploring expeditions to the uncharted regions of all outer space. Very much of the information which we possess of transactions in the realms of outer space, we owe to the explorations of the Solitary Messengers as they often work and study with the celestial astronomers.

32:2.11 (359¶8) The Satania system of inhabited worlds is far removed from Uversa and that great sun cluster which functions as the physical or astronomic center of the seventh superuniverse. From Jerusem, the headquarters of Satania, it is over two hundred thousand light-years to the physical center of the superuniverse of Orvonton, far, far away in the dense diameter of the Milky Way. Satania is on the periphery of the local universe, and Nebadon is now well out towards the edge of Orvonton. From the outermost system of inhabited worlds to the center of the superuniverse is a trifle less than two hundred and fifty thousand light-years.

23:2.16 (260¶3) When it develops that it will require hundreds of years for a native ambassador to reach a far-distant local universe, a Solitary Messenger is often asked to proceed there immediately to act as ambassador ad interim. Solitary Messengers can go in very short order, not independently of time and space as do the Gravity Messengers, but nearly so. They also serve in other circumstances as emissaries of special assignment.

101:4.2 (1109¶3) Mankind should understand that we who participate in the revelation of truth are very rigorously limited by the instructions of our superiors. We are not at liberty to anticipate the scientific discoveries of a thousand years. Revelators must act in accordance with the instructions which form a part of the revelation mandate. We see no way of overcoming this difficulty, either now or at any future time. We full well know that, while the historic facts and religious truths of this series of revelatory presentations will stand on the records of the ages to come, within a few short years many of our statements regarding the physical sciences will stand in need of revision in consequence of additional scientific developments and new discoveries. These new developments we even now foresee, but we are forbidden to include such humanly undiscovered facts in the revelatory records. Let it be made clear that revelations are not necessarily inspired. The cosmology of these revelations is not inspired. It is limited by our permission for the co-ordination and sorting of present-day knowledge. While divine or spiritual insight is a gift, human wisdom must evolve.

195:7.5 (2078¶8) The realities and values of spiritual progress are not a "psychologic projection"—a mere glorified daydream of the material mind. Such things are the spiritual forecasts of the indwelling Adjuster, the spirit of God living in the mind of man. And let not your dabblings with the faintly glimpsed findings of "relativity" disturb your concepts of the eternity and infinity of God. And in all your solicitation concerning the necessity for self-expression do not make the mistake of failing to provide for Adjuster-expression, the manifestation of your real and better self.

SERAPIllC VELOCITIESand

Other Related Problems

by

Merritt C. Horn, Academic OfficerThe Boulder School

for Students of The URANTIA Book

There has been much discussion recently of certain problems regarding thevelocities of spiritual beings as revealed in The URANTIA Book. In this article,these problems will be summarized and a solution will be suggested.

A Note on Symbols:In the interest of brevity, the following symbols will be used in this

article:

C = the speed of lightUD= Urantia dayJD = .J erusem dayYt = theoretical velocity: N x CD = distance in CyT = elapsed time

0:.1

Cy = light-yearUY = Urantia yearJY = Jerusem yearYo = observed velocity in CN =a variable, multiple of C

-:Problem #1:

How do guardian seraphim on death duty reach Jerusem in three days ifthey can travel only three times the speed of light, as -Jerusern must be more than9 (or 27) light-days away from Urantia? .

Before we can begin to solve this problem we must first determine thelength of the "days" referred to, and second, estimate the distance to Jerusem.

Length of Day: .It should be noted that while we do not know what "day" or "period"

refers to,l the revelators could have refrained-rrom using "day" if it 'wasmisleading; Therefore it must have some recognizable meaning, though the use oi ""period" may indicate that the: day referred to is not the UD. The most likely daywould be the JD which is almost exactly (99% of) 3 days of Urantia time. 2 (Thisleads to the 27 light-day figure suggested above: 3C x 3JD = 27 Urantia lightdays.)

It will be assumed, for reasons that will be made clear later, that the"day" referred to in this connection is the Jerusem Day.

Distance to Jerusem:The distance to Jerusem is not revealed to us, but using some clues that

are' revealed, and current scientific knowledge, we can make a reasonable estimate: .. We are told ' t ha t there are about 2,000 . suns in Satania. 3 .The star

population density in our local area of the universe is about one star per 300 cubiclight-years. 4 The volume of space required for 2000 stars is thus about 600,000cubic light-years. If Satania is roughly spherical it would therefore be about104.2Cy in diameter.

Jerusem is near the center of Satania 5 and is therefore about 50Cy from

planets at the outskirts of the system, and Urantia's solar system is, with oneexception, the farthest removed from J erusem in Satania.f The distance fromJerusem to Urantia is thus about 50Cy, though 30Cy to 70Cy would be a reasonablerange.

Problem #2:The Mel chizedek receivers arrived on Urantia 70 days after Adam and Eve

defaulted. There is no question here about the meaning of "days''." Since theMelchizedeks returned to Jerusem about 7 years after Adam and Eve arrived, wehave no reason to suspect that they would return from any other place-at leastnot from any nearer location. 70 x 3C = 210 light-days which is far less than the50Cy distance to Jerusem. We do not know if the Melchizedeks departedimmediately upon learning of the default; they might have deliberated for sometime before leaving Jerusem, but they had no more than 70UD to make the trip.

Problem #3:Six Urantia Days after Adam and Eve were installed, a messenger seraphim

arrived from Jerusem bearing acknowledgement of the installation.S We do notknow how or when the Jerusem authorities received notice of this action (more onthis later), but it must be possible to travel to Jeruseni in 6UD or less at avelocity of 3C.9

Problem #4:Weare told that Solitary Messengers sometimes serve as ambassadors

ad-interim for a Local Universe "when it develops that it will require hundreds ofyears for a native ambassador to reach a far-distant universe.FThese ambassadorstravel by serap 'ric transport at ~C,10 We do pot know what "year" the:r~!'e

referring to, but usually if they. are referring to other than Urantia standards ofmeasurement they give us some indication to that effect. We will assume UYbecause the velocities are also given in Urantian time . units, .

The' superuniverse is approximately 500,000Cyin diameter.llTherefore abeing travelling at 3C should take 166,000 years to cross it. This, is 200 to 1,000times the length of time that "hundreds" of years would seem to indicate. (Again,we must assume that the revelators said "hundreds" because they meant "hundreds".)

Problem #5:The Divine Counselor writing Paper 19 tells us that he travelled from

Uversa to Urantia in 109 days of Urantia time.12 This distance is approximately200,000Cy.13 If you calculate the velocity that this Divine Counselor attained in hisflight, you will find that it was about 671;141C. This velocity, while astounding, isnot of itself a problem as the Diyine Counselor tell us that he is able to moveabout "fr-eely and quickly".14 ' . .

A problem does arise, however, when that velocity is compared to thatrecorded for a Solitary Messenger: 841,621,642,000 miles per second.If This velocityis approximately 4.5 million ' times C, or only about 6.7 times · the speed of theDivine Counselor. This difference-s-analogous to a car moving 10 miles per hourbeing passed by another going 67-While great, is not of an order that would .evokethe Divine Counselor's musings in Paper 23 as to how a being can move as fast asthe Solitary Messenger and still remain personal. The Divine Counselor's attitudeimplies a relative difference of a far higher magnitude,

Problem #6:We are told that Lucifer expressed open disloyalty to Michael's rule to

Gabriel just a few "days" (presumably JD) prior to open rebellion and that Gabriel

therefore went directly to Edentia to confer with the Most Highs "regarding themeasures to be employed in case of open rebellion". 16 This statement leads us tobelieve that Gabriel was able to travel to Edentia in less than "a few days" or atleast that he believed he could reach Edentia before the outbreak of the rebellionwhich he regarded as certain and "impending".

We do not know how fast Gabriel can travel through space, though we canassume that his velocity is no less than that of a seraphim and perhaps more,though probably less than that of the Divine Counselor.

How far is Edentia from J erusem? Using the same star density figuresreferred to above, and assuming that the proportion. of stars to inhabited planets isabout the same in Norlatiadek as in Satania, Norlatiadek in volume would beequivalent to a sphere with a radius of about 241C. Because Satania is near theoutskirts of Norlatiadek, we will use 250Cy as the distance rr orn Jerusem toEdentia. This is admittedly a gross .es t imate , but .it is probably of the correctmagnitude.

If we calculate the length of time that we would expect a seraphim totake to make this journey, we obtain 83.3UY or 101.4JY! A Divine Counselor couldmake the sam e journey in .14JD which is ' quite fast enough to satisfy ourrequirements except for the problem noted above that this speed appears to bemuch too close to that of a Solitary Messenger to be correct. If we simplycalculate the velocity required to travel between Jerusem and Edentia in 3JD weget 10,145.8C which is 0.2% of the Solitary Messenger's speed-a very high number.

Problem Summary:

1) Death-duty seraphim2)· Melchizedeks from J erusem3) Messenger from Jerusem4) Transport 'across Orvonton5) a) Divine Counselor

b) Solitary Messenger6) Gabriel Jerusem to Edentia

Interptetation:

Revealed As

3JD or 3UD70UD6UD"hundreds of years"not revealednot revealednot revealed

Calculate·s as Being

16.7UY16.7UY16-32UYup to 166,000UY671,141C4.5 million C10,145.8C

These problems apparently have in common a misunderstanding of therelation between velocity and time when travelling faster than the speed of light.

Science gives us little assistance here, as our only source of information isthe activity of light itself under certain conditions. The velocity of light appears toremain constant no matter what the velocity of its source-even as the sourcevelocity approaches C. We cannot therefore project what the .result of thesuperimposition of two, three, or more of these constant velocities will be.

The way that these velocities are presented in The URANTIA Book: leadsus to believe that they can be simply added together, :probably because this .addition gives a fairly clear idea of the nature ' of seraphic propulsion without -, 'getting into the problems of time and velocity relativity that are involved in travelbeyond the speed of light. The numbers presented to us must be related toobserved velocity in some way, and the revelators give enough clues for us toformulate a predictive theory about such relationships.

Solution:

It will be suggested here that velocities which are faster than C can bemeasured in miles per second only theoretically, that is, instantaneously. If youcould measure the velocity 3C without the traveller moving any distance duringthat measurement, you would describe the velocity as about 558,000 miles persecond. But if you attempt to calculate the time actually required to cover aspecified distance at this speed, you run into serious trouble, as found in theproblems outlined above. Therefore, the velocities presented in The URANTIA Bookwill be described as lItheoreticalll .velocities (Vt) based on the velocity of certainbasic currents in space which are to be contrasted with observed velocities (Vo)which predict the time required to make a journey between two points.

There must be a relation between Vt and Yo and I suggest that aserviceable formula is this (where Vt = N x C by definition): -N)

. 1) Yo = N(lO(N-{l/NN)))C,. · · ~ /tic. (/0 /f}- N

By definition, Vo = D/T, and from these formulae, we can solve for the othervariables:

2) T = DIVo

3) Vt = Vo(lO-(N-(l/NN)))

Unfortunately, equation #3 has the variable N on both sides so it is not actuallyserviceable. A direc t solution for N has eluded me though it is fairly easy to,," .-.•: _ - ~ ~ accuratc'v (<::M> GrR'1h in,",,"::)"'LJ ljCLl.~ (1."",u. .... ";;. . .,,. L"l - - ... -L _ _ ,

Vo is constant for each Vt as shown here:

When Vt = Ie, Vo = ICWhen Vt = ·2C, Vo = 112.47CWhen vr = 3C, Vo = 2754.8C

When Vt = 4C, Vo = 39,642CWhen Vt = 5C, Vo = 499,632C,

If we use these equations to solve the problems listed earlier, we obtain someinteresting results:

#1: "l'he travel time for seraphim from Urantia to Jerusem.

T = DIVo

T = 50Cy/2754.8C = .OI82UY = 6.64 UD = 2.24JD

This answer is well within our parameters.

#2: Melchizedek travel from Jerusem to Urantia.- This journey would, presumably, also take 2.24 Jerusem Days .which .meansthat the Melchizedeks did not leave Jerusem immediately upon receiving news ofthe default, but delayed departure for some reason-probably in order to considerthe various courses of action available to them.

#3: The seraphic messenger from Jerusem.The velocity of seraphim allows them to travel between Jerusem and

Urantia in 2.24JD or 6.64 Urantia days. This calculated interval is almost exactlyequal to the the time which elapsed between the installation of Adam and Eve andthe arrival of the messenger. .

While a small modification of the formula would allow for a round trip inthat time, it is not necessary to do so based on .t he information available to us.Though it is true that the system circuits of intercommunication were cut at' thetime of the Lucifer Rebellion, .and that communication could only be had within thesystem by seraphic messengers for that reason (suggesting the need for a round tripby seraphim to inform J erusem of the installa ti on and to return with theacknowledgement), it was possible for Gabriel to broadcast to Urantia his decreeending the Prince's dispensation and beginning the Adarnie age. 17 It would seemreasonable that if the Gabriel broadcast could be received on Urantia, it could alsobe received on Jerusem. Thus, the news of the installation of Adam and Eveprobably came by way of this broadcast to J erusern, ' and-no messenger was requir e dto travel to J erusem from Urantia to so inform the System:,Sovereign. ' If theSovereign sent his acknowledgement upon receipt offhe broadcast, ' the messengerbearing that acknowledgement would arrive on Urant ia about 6 Urantia, dayslater-the interval revealed in The URANTIA Book. '

#4: Seraphic travel across Orvonton,- Because we are told that on very long journeys ' the seraphic velocity dropsto about 550,000mps,18 we will change the value for Yo , accordingly:

T = DIVa

T = 500,000Cy/2412C = 207.3UY or 252.4JY

This magnitude is now also correct: hundreds of years rather than hundredsof thousands of years.

#5: The Divine Counselor and Solitary Messenger velocities.- The Divine Counselor's Vt can be, estimated from his Vousing Graph ttl.An accurate estimate is 5.12C. ,This velocity could 'certainly .be decribed as"quickly", and is now far below the Solitary Messenger'sYt which is 4.5 million C.

The Solitary Messenger's Vo is of an incomprehensible magnitude (8.3 x 10to the 10,000,000th power x C), but he would still not be classified as aninstantaneous space traverser. At this velocity a Solitary Messenger would begin tobe hampered by space only in the inconceivable reaches of the Cosmos Infinite.

#6: Gabriel's velocity from Jerusem to Edentia.In order to reach Bdentla in exactly the required' 3JD, Gabriel would have

to .tra vel at 3.48C-only slightly' faster thanjransporfseraphlrn• .Hemay well traveleven faster, but probably not quite so fast as the 5.12C· of the Divine ' Counselor, Ifwe assign a velocity of 4C to him arbitrarily" . we find that he , would -b e able totravel from Jerusem to Edentia in about.77JD-a. ' very reasonable number.

Conclusion:The suggested formula thus seems to solve, in a consistent manner, all of

the .problems which were presented at the beginning of the article, showing that allof the problems grew from a single misunderstanding; and that if thismisinterpretation is accounted for, The URANTIA Book velocities which had seemedso confusing and conflicting are shown to be mutuauy consistent and intelligible.

It is not possible to explore here the implications of this solution, but Iwill suggest an explanation: Apparently, in a certain sense, time itself travels atthe speed of light, so that when a being's velocity exceeds that of light, therelationship of that velocity to time changes, so that miles per second of velocitydoes not convert directly into elapsed time of travel over some distance. It appearsfrom the predictive accuracy of the formula herein presented, that no longer iselapsed time inversely proportional to the velocity, but inversely proportional to thevelocity multipled by a variable which is dependent on ' the ' multiple of the speed oflight at which that being is travelling. . '.

As to Why this may be true, .we can only 'conjecture, but it .appears to beso, and we can now predict with reasonable accuracy certain time and velocity.magnitudes which previously eluded us. It should.benoted In this connection thatthe accuracy of the formula is very likely thegr-eatest .a t Vt 'va lues .of about 3Cbecause tha t is the velocity from which mostLofitha evidenceiused in, thederivation of the formula was taken. To what extent; 'and. how quickly .the formula'spredictive capabilities are exhausted as the magnitudeiof.ivelocity departs .from thisvalue are not known. For all practical purposes, howeve.r,;it is probably. accuratefer any velocity below that of the Solitary Messenger, and can only be Romp-whatsuggestive of the magnitude of that being's ability to nearly transcend time.

Graph #1: vt-Vo Conversion

This graph may be used to estimate either .Yt or Vo if the other is . known,but because the Vo scale is calibrated to the log of . Vo, . estimation of Vo fromknown Vt values is rather difficult. The reverse procedure can be accomplished' with .greater accuracy. " . ,

: . , "

(See attached sheet)

#2: Travel Time at Various Velocities

:.. .

This graph may be used' to compare the time it :would take ' beingstravelling at various Vt's to go any distance from 1 :t o 100,000 'light -:-ye a r s . As ..thisgraph also uses logarithmic scales, it is difficult to .estimate .. accurately ' from it,but you can get an idea of the magnitudes involved. ..'

(See attached sheet)

Footnotes:1. The VRANTIA Book, URANTIA Foundation, Chicago, .n., 1955, (to ,be hereinafterabbreviated as VB), pp. 569:4, 1232:1, 1234:'4.2. VB p. 519:3.3. VB p. 458:2.4. Astronomy, August 1980, p. 15. (Thanks to St8nH~t:man for this . reference.) .5. VB p. 457:l.6. VB p. 466:4.7. VB p. 844:l.8. VB p, 832:5.9. Thanks to Troy Bishop for bringing this problem to my attention. ' .10. VB p. 260:2&3.11. VB p. 360:0.12. VB p. 222:5.13. VB p. 359:8.14. VB p. ' 222:5.15. VB p. 261:l.16. VB p. 602:7.17. VB p. 830:3.18. VB p. 260:2.

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Time and Space

Time and Space

by Bob Hunt, Ph.D.

I have always been intrigued and challenged by The URANTIA Book discussions of time and space. These presentations have motivated me to seek out books and articles on these subjects. Many of these are consistent with the information in The URANTIA Book and offer examples or theories that provide further insight into the sometimes tantalizing possibilities suggested in various places in The URANTIA Book. I have selected some examples that illustrate this as the basis for this presentation.

I will juxtapose URANTIA Book quotations with related discussions from a variety of recent sources, most of which are on the accompanying bibliography. At the same time, I am attempting here to better understand the associated concepts by the selection and organization of the material. I will begin by examining some descriptions of time and space from The URANTIA Book and elsewhere. Please note that all quotations with a page number indicated and no other attribution are from The URANTIA Book. In some instances, these are not complete sentences, only phrases.

TIME--the moving image of eternity (*2021)

SPACE--the fleeting shadow of Paradise realities (*2021)

These are poetic, but lacking in specificity.

TIME--a succession of instants (*1297)

SPACE--a system of associated points (*1297)

These are more specific but still in need of development.

TIME--the succession-arrangement whereby events are recognized and segregated (*1439)

SPACE--a property of all material bodies when a body moves through space, it also takes all its properties with it, even the space which is in and of such a moving body (*1297)

Suppose we travel back in time about three centuries and note what the 17th century German mathematician Leibniz wrote:

SPACE is the order of coexistence whereas TIME is the order of successive existence. (Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, 1646-1716)

Two URANTIA Book references deal with the combination of time and space. From Paper 106, Universe Levels of Reality, it states:

Time and space (are) man's greatest aids to relative reality perception and yet his most formidable obstacles to complete reality perception. (*1173)

From Paper 118, Supreme and Ultimate--Time and Space:

Time and Space--a conjoined mechanism of the master universethe devices whereby finite creatures are enabled to coexist in the cosmos with the Infinite. Finite creatures are effectively insulated from the absolute levels by time and space. (*1303)

Let's focus briefly on "time" and some recent writings from physicists. Fred Wolf, in his 1984 book Star Wave, which is subtitled Mind, Consciousness and Quantum Physics, writes:

There has never been an adequate definition, a clear metaphor, or even a good physical picture of what time is.

He goes on to say, "In quantum mechanics, time is not an observable phenomenon; it is only an extraneous ordering parameter."

Paul Davies in his book, The Cosmic Blueprint, published this year, in a section called "Whatever happened to time?" observes:

Time exists merely as a parameter for gauging the interval between events.

David R. Griffin, in the Preface to Physics and the Ultimate Significance of Time, a 1986 publication of essays and discussion, states:

The notion that physics is in some fundamental sense `timeless' has been widely accepted.

It may be helpful before moving on to space to mention a time interval of significance in quantum physics.

Shortest meaningful lapse of time:

Planck Time = 5.36 x 10-44sec

Chronon = 10-23sec

The time required for light to travel the radius of an electron

Suppose we turn for a brief, but somewhat longer, time interval to space. First, another statement from Fred Wolf and then one from Paper 12, The Universe of Universes:

In quantum mechanics, space is an observable. To observe space, we need the observer and the observed. Their separation is `space.'

Space is, from the human viewpoint, nothing--negative; it exists only as related to something positive and nonspatial. Space is, however, real. (*133)

In his discourse at Carthage on time and space, Jesus stated:

Space is not merely an intellectual concept of the variation in relatedness of universe objects. (*1439)

Then, from Paper 118, Supreme and Ultimate --Time and Space:

The real difficulty we have in understanding space on the material level is due to the fact that, while material bodies exist in space, space also exists in these same material bodies. (*1297)

The concept of space includes extension and measure. For the quantum level, we should know this:

Shortest meaningful space measurement:

Planck Length = 1.61 x 1033 cm

(21 powers of 10 smaller than the diameter of an atomic nucleus)

Planck, by the way, is Max Planck who, in 1899, discovered Planck's constant which, when combined with the velocity of light and Newton's gravitational constant, establishes a system of units that sets the scale for quantum gravity.

Planck's Constant, /h

Newton's Gravitational Constant, g

Velocity of Light, c

System of units for Quantum Gravity

In reference to this scale, Bryce DeWitt makes this observation in an article entitled "Quantum Gravity" that appeared in Scientific American in December, 1983:

To probe these scales of distance and time experimentally, using instruments built with present technology, one would need a particle accelerator the size of the galaxy!

In his 1980 book, Quantum Theory and Gravitation, John Wheeler writes:

At Planck length, the effects of quantum gravity make our notions of `before' and `after' meaningless.

At Planck length, all geometric concepts break down, including connectedness, containment, locality, and especially order, and one is therefore forced into a set of assumptions prior to any kind of geometry.

Now let's explore some connections between time and space. In Paper 196, Universe Levels of Reality, we read:

Without time sensitivity, no evolutionary creature could possibly perceive the relations of sequence. (*1173) and

Without space sensitivity, no creature could fathom the relations of simultaneity. (*1173)

This is a puzzling statement since "simultaneity" means, basically, "at the same time." A quotation from Fred Wolf is helpful. "When we say we are measuring space, we are simultaneously measuring two or more locations. It would not make sense to measure the distance between a point where one end of an object is at noon and a point where the other end is at midnight. Thus, the measure of space implies the single instant. It implies what we call `now.'" Then, Wolf makes these connections:

NOW = SPACE = THE OBSERVED

HERE = TIME = THE OBSERVER

He also offers this geometrical analogy:

NOW is a line, surface or solid

HERE is a point.

All lines, surfaces and solids can be generated from a point. Thus:

SPACE IS GENERATABLE FROM TIME.

The latter statement is consistent with one made by Jesus in his discourse on time and space:

Space is measured by time, not time by space. (*1439)

Jesus goes on to say:

The confusion of the scientist grows out of failure to recognize the reality of space. (*1439)

The concept of motion is a link between time and space. From Paper 12:

Time comes by virtue of motion and because mind is inherently aware of sequentiality. (*134)

Wolf writes that "We do not observe time we observe motionwe infer time by comparing movementsthe sweep second hand does not sweep time; it sweeps space periodically." He goes on to say:

When we say we are observing the passing of timewe are observing the 'movement' of our own thought processes.

Two additional quotations from Paper 12 are helpful here:

Relationships to time do not exist without motion in space, but consciousness of time does. Sequentiality can consciousize time even in the absence of motion. (*135)

Man's mind is less time-bound than space-bound because of the inherent nature of mind. (*135)

Some of the difficulties associated with analysis of time are discussed by physicist David Bohm in his book Wholeness and the Implicate Order and in a recent paper, "Time, the Implicate Order, and Pre-Space." I regard Bohm as the leading theorist on this and related topics. His ideas are consistent with information and suggestions in The URANTIA Book.

Consider the distinction of past, present, and future. In general, what we are conscious of as now is already past, even if only by a fraction of a second. The conscious content of the moment is therefore of that which is past and gone. The future is not yet. The present is but it cannot be specified in words or thoughts, without its slipping into the past. When a future moment comes a similar situation will prevail. Therefore, from the past of the present we may be able to predict, at most, the past of the future. The actual immediate present is always the unknown.

All possibilities of prediction evidently depend on the assumption that the movement is sufficiently slow, regular, and unambiguously related to what comes next, that the difference between the time to which our perceptions and knowledge actually refer and the present makes no significant difference.

[However] according to modern physics, microprocesses are very fast, irregular, and ambiguously related to what comes next. Indeed, it is not in general possible to relate the specifiable information content unambiguously to succeeding events (this is just the essential meaning of the Heisenberg uncertainty relations). The relevance of the usual motions of time may be questioned. What seems to be called for is that we recognize the "point event" of relativity theory cannot in general have an unambiguous meaning.

To expand on both the concept and the experience of time, consider this excerpt from Jesus' discourse:

to mantime appears as a succession of events; but as man ascends, as he progresses inward, the enlarging view of this event procession is such that it is discerned more and more in its wholeness. That which formerly appeared as a succession of events then will be viewed as a whole and perfectly related cycle; in this way will circular simultaneity increasingly displace the onetime consciousness of the linear sequence of events. (*1439)

This ties in with the following statement from Paper 118:

"The Gods are related to time as an experience in eternity. In the evolutionary universes eternity is temporal everlastingness--the everlasting now." (*1295)

Fred Wolf writes that "The closest we come to observing time is observing what Buddhists call 'being-time.' Everything that is, is, was and will be. Every moment remains motionless and frozen. Past, present and future represent a map for the perusal of the all-seeing being-time."

When I mentioned to a friend that I was preparing this talk, he gave me this definition of time:

TIME IS THE STUFF THAT KEEPS EVERYTHING FROM HAPPENING AT ONCE. --Anonymous

Returning to the observations of David Bohm, he writes, in comparing the points of view of relativity theory and quantum theory:

Relativity theory describes time-space as completely analyzable down to dimensionless points related by absolute causal lawsthere is no possibility of giving meaning to a moment 'now'.

However, quantum theory suggests a concept of overlapping moments with extension and duration in space and time, embedded in a broader context, and governed by the quantum-mechanical wave function.

Thus, as with a motion picture, our experience has a sense of movement, or becoming. Bohm states that:

In the time aspect, [we comprehend] the BECOMING OF BEING, while in the 'timeless' aspect, [we comprehend] the BEING OF BECOMING.

Going back to Paper 118, we are told by a Mighty Messenger that we:

perceive time by analysis. (*1297)

[perceive] space by synthesis. (*1297)

Briefly, these words may be interpreted with these meanings:

● ANALYSIS--separating the whole into parts to find out the nature of the whole; working from the unknown to the known. ● SYNTHESIS--putting parts together to form the whole; working from the known to the unknown.

Suppose we now consider some more advanced concepts and ideas associated with transcending time and space. From Paper 106:

Mortals and other creatures find it necessary to think of potentials as being actualized in space and evolving to fruition in time, but this entire process is a time-space phenomenon which does not actually take place on Paradise and in eternity. On the absolute level there is neither time nor space; all potentials may be perceived as actuals. (*1173)

With this information about Paradise, recall this statement, to me one of the most intriguing in The URANTIA Book:

The ultimaton, the first measurable form of energy, has Paradise as its nucleus. (*467)

Then, of course, we know from the Foreword that:

The Isle of Paradise has a universe location but no position in space. (*7)

And from Paper 11, The Eternal Isle of Paradise:

Paradise exists without time and has no location in space. (*120)

Consider how David Bohm may be making some discoveries that support this UB information. He writes that, in physics, we find that:

atomic structure dissolves into electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks, subquarks, etc., and eventually into dynamically changing forms in an all-pervasive and universal set of fields. When these fields are treated quantum-mechanically, we find that even in what is called a vacuum there are 'zero-point' fluctuations, giving 'empty space' an energy that is immensely beyond that contained in what is recognized as matter.

Also, In the vacuum state the 'state function' (which represents the whole of space and time) oscillates uniformly at a frequency so high that it is utterly beyond any known physical interpretation. Further, "we would be justified in saying that the vacuum state is, in a certain sense, 'timeless' or 'beyond time,' at least as time is now known, measured and experienced."

With this in mind, it is less than surprising that science is confused about what occurs at the quantum level. For example, L. Beynam, in a paper called "The Emergent Paradigm in Science" that appeared in Revision in 1978, gave a formulation of the well-known Bell's Theorem:

Basic principles of quantum theory spatially separated parts of reality cannot be independent

He goes on to say that this "opens up avenues of scientific development for which the classical constructs of space and time prove almost totally useless and meaningless."

Paul Davies in God and the New Physics reports on a 1982 experiment by Aspect, Dalibard, and Roger at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Optics in Paris. From this experiment, this conclusion is drawn:

Either objective reality does not exist and it is meaningless for us to speak of things or objects as having any reality above and beyond the mind of an observer OR faster-than-light communication with the future and the past is possible.

In a recent book called Time--The Familiar Stranger, J.T. Fraser writes:

For a photon traveling at the speed of light, the passage of time has no reality. In the "life" of a photon, all events happen at onceand all distances shrink to zero.

Returning briefly to Paradise, we read in Paper 11:

The eternal Isle is composed of a single form of materialization--stationary systems of reality. This literal substance of Paradise is a homogeneous organization of space potency(called) absolutum. (*120)

Space potency is a term difficult to define -- its meaning should convey the idea of potencies and potentials existent within space. (*126)

David Bohm seems to be coming up with theories along these lines when he states this:

The implicate order leads to the notion of a pre-space expressed in terms of algebraic relationships, out of which ordinary space-time emerges as a special case.

A few other glimpses into the mysteries of space and time should be mentioned here. From Paper 9, Relation of the Infinite Spirit to the Universe, we have this:

Infinite mind ignores time, ultimate mind transcends time, cosmic mind is conditioned by time. And so with space: the Infinite Mind is independent of space, but as descent is made from the infinite to the Adjutant levels of mind, intellect must increasingly reckon with the fact and limitations of space. (*102)

And from Paper 12:

Time and space are inseparable only in the time-space creations, the seven superuniverses. Nontemporal space (space without time) theoretically exists, but the only truly nontemporal place is Paradise area. Nonspatial time (time without space) exists in mind of the Paradise level of function. (*135)

During our time-space careers, there are many areas ripe for exploration. Perhaps time is the concept most closely related to personal experience. For example, in Paper 12, we are presented with the "three levels of time cognizance."

● 1. Mind-perceived time consciousness of sequence, motion, and a sense of duration. ● 2. Spirit-perceived time insight into motion Godward and the awareness of the motion of ascent to levels of increasing divinity. ● 3. Personality creates a unique time sense out of insight into Reality plus a consciousness of presence and an awareness of duration. (*135)

As you know, The URANTIA Book often refers to advancement as being "inward" and "upward." In the light of this discussion of time and space, here is an interpretation of one meaning of these terms:

Inward/Inner Space Transcendence of Time

Upward/Outer Space Transcendence of Space

Now, consider this statement from Jesus' discourse:

There are seven different conceptions of space as it is conditioned by time. (*1439)

I will close with this conjecture: Perhaps "inward" and "upward" are higher space dimensions; and each of us has an independent, personal time scale for these dimensions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Beynam, Laurence M. "The Emergent Paradigm in Science," Revision, Spring, 1978.

2. Bohm, David. Wholeness and the Implicate Order. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980.

3. Davies, Paul. The Cosmic Blueprint. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988.

4. Flood, Raymond and Lockwood, Michael (Editors). The Nature of Time. New York: Basil Blackwell, Inc., 1986.

5. Fraser, J.T. Time, The Familiar Stranger. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1987.

6. Griffin, David R. (Editor). Physics and the Ultimate Significance of Time. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1986.

7. Ramsey, Norman F. "Precise Measurement of Time," American Scientist, Vol. 76, pages 42-49, January-February, 1988.

8. Talbot, Michael. Beyond the Quantum. New York: Macmillan, 1986.

9. The URANTIA Book. Uversa Press, Chicago, 1996.

10. Wolf, Fred Alan. Star Wave. New York: Macmillan, 1984.