INTERPRETATION OF THE CONCORDANCE RESULT USINGMINKOWSKI’S METRIC-

Raju Chidambaram, Ph.D

(4/10/08)

The author presented in previous papers the basis for a mathematical model of spiritualityalong with some analysis of that model (Ref 1). Among the results of the analysis wasone which indicated that there is a strong correspondence between the time-spacerelationship in Einstein’s Special Relativity Theory and the relationship between spiritualdetachment and suffering in Vedantic teachings. This correspondence suggests that thenearly equivalent use of the terms “space” and Consciousness”, (as well as “light” and“knowledge”) found throughout in Vedantic scriptures appear to be more than just asimile.The correspondence between Vedanta and Relativity Theory stands out more clearlywhen the Minkowski’s Metric for time-space continuum is used. To start the discussions,consider Fig 1 below with a jeeva of uniform detachment

.Let AB and CD be two time arcs and PQ the radial at angle

intersecting the two timearcs at P and Q respectively. PQ = is the distance between P and Q in the

` `` `

space

. Let usdenote PQ by

.PR=

.cos

is the incremental experienced time, denoted by

δτ

, over the time interval

. RQ =

.sin

, denoted by

G, is the incremental goodness or “merit” over the sametime interval.We have the relation

δτ

……. (1)This is similar to the Minkowski’s Metric of distance (or time) in Relativity Theory forthe 4 dimensional time-space continuum:

PQRA CDB

Fig 1

M M M M ` `` `

Cosmic Mind Space

δτ

–

------- (2)where

s = the distance in the ordinary three dimensional Euclidean space,

t =

.time,

d = the metric (distance or time) in the 4 dimensional time-space continuum, and

beingthe speed of light. For convenience, the units of measurement of time and space may beset such that

= 1. This equation shows how time and space are related and why twoobservers moving in the Euclidean space relative to each other experience time and spacein different ways.Physicists sometimes explain the basic relationship between time and space in a way thatis particularly helpful to our discussions (Ref 2). Everybody and everything in thisuniverse, they point out, is constantly moving through the time-space continuum at thespeed of light. Even objects stationary in space are also traveling at that speed, exceptthat their travel is in time dimension only. They are moving through time at the fastestspeed possible, namely speed of light. We may say that time moves the fastest for theseobjects. When something or somebody is moving through space, it is in fact divertingpart of its speed in time dimension to accomplish travel in the three dimensional space.Because of this diversion, its speed in time is reduced; that is “time slows down” for it.In the extreme, time stops for an object moving through space itself at the speed of light.All these observations are of course cast in robust mathematical terms in relativityphysics.We can re-write Eq. (2) as follows:

– (i

------- (3)where i =

√

-1 is the unit imaginary number. Comparing equations (1) and (3), we see thecorrespondence between the following pairs of terms:a) the four dimensional time-space continuum

with the space

` `` `

;b) the imaginary time

i.t

with experienced time

on the horizontal axis; andc) the three dimensional Euclidean space

with

, the vertical axis of PureWitness or Consciousness.The time-space relationship of Special Relativity Theory can be readily translated now inspiritual terms as follows.Everything and every jeeva, as discussed in Ref 1, is in the

Mahat

(

` `` `

space) and allmove constantly at the speed of cosmic time, just as everything is moving at the speed of light in the time-space continuum

. This is the basis for the mathematical modelproposed in Ref 1. In the Fig 1 above, for example, the universe, which is in the arc ABat a certain time, is in the arc CD after the elapse of

in cosmic time. All things andbeings must also necessarily move with the universe. However, spiritual beings, or

Jesus puts it more eloquently:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being;

...

” Bible Acts 17:28