What is the Universe?

It has always fascinated me, always made me wonder, what is the universe?  Does it have a purpose?  How big is it?  Why do we exist?

Why do we exist? 

Scientists give us a very simple answer to this question we exist because of evolution.  By some freak chance, we the humans of planet Earth, alive today, have the highest honour the universe can bestow - intelligence and self-awareness.  We know we exist; we have the intellect to understand how we biologically came into being.  In my demented mind, I see a problem, a niggling itch that will not go away.  If we have self-awareness and it is part of us however small, that tiny part of our sub-conscious brain.  Why do many of us want to have a reason for having this great gift?  In so many different ways, whether we realise it or not we crave an answer.  Why do we exist?  Is there a purpose to our existence?  And if there is, what is it?

If there is no answer to this question, and the non-answer is we do not have a purpose, we do not have a reason to exist; we are only participating in the great game of the universe.  We are only the newest version, fresh off the factory floor, moving the process onwards.  If that is the case, then it is a curse to be self-aware.  It is a devil and a cruel trick, to have this ability to think beyond the realms of our planet, to break free from the shackles of stupidity, inanity, the leave behind the instinctive mindlessness of not knowing.  If we have this amazing ability to see beyond, then it gives reason to believe that in fact, we do have a purpose, we do have a reason to exist, the problem is we have not figured out what that purpose is. 

We are a tiny blip in the fabric of the universe; we are blind to what the universe is and what its purpose is.  It makes sense that if we exist and have a purpose to exist then the universe as well must have a purpose and in its entirety exist for a reason.  How can we ever know this?  We are so small and insignificant, not even noticeable on our tiny planet Earth.  Are we the beginning of something great, something special, or are we just another freakish, evolutionary, anomaly.  Will we in our own time go out like the flame of a candle, slowly burning down into insignificance. 

This is the curse of self-awareness, because if we look at our planet, and the human population most of us do not do something we are proud of, we do not do something with purpose.  Yet inside our minds are these thoughts, deep down for some hidden unknown, and for others they are there present, gnawing away.  They take us in many ways, religious, spiritual, scientific, some just have no concept of what it is they feel, they know yet do not know, but it is there inside us.  Why is it there?  We feel the need to want to understand these things, want answers to these questions.

How does a trillion, trillion trillion, or whatever the amount is, of particles and energy, combine together to create our brains.  We have an incredibly complex biological super computer, created through evolution by pure chance.  It happened here, we know it did because we are alive to experience it, to enjoy its amazing abilities.  For the majority humans on this planet, our brains and minds are underused, they are severely controlled, and curtailed from expression and comprehension of self-awareness.  By some freak chance, we are all susceptible to petty simplistic delusions that stop us from doing what we should be doing.  Most minds are caged, unable to break free from the shackles of mediocrity, and they are so underused to become automatons, following strict procedures, fearful of change and freedom of expression.  We are seven billion minds, we are all connected, together we are one, we were born from the same mother, we feel each other’s pain, we feel all the suffering, collectively we are a mess, a shambles, a disgrace.

Unfortunately, we are the self-aware experiment that went wrong, we have not understood the universe, how it works, and how it feels.  We do not move with the flow towards the right path; we are chaotic and uncontrollable; we are a catastrophe.  Our minds do not work in unison with our planet and our universe, we will be like a giant star, we will burn bright and large for a short time before we use up all our energy and then we will supernova out of existence.

Sad really, we have so much potential, yet it is wasted.