Light: what is it according to physics, philosophy, biology and spirituality

there are mysteries that remain as such because they are so evident that, when we look at them, they dazzle us and it is as if we did not see them. And of among those arcana that are not hidden, light is perhaps the first and maybe the last one too.

Not in vain we say that a mother “has given birth” when someone is born And also that exit towards the light is repeated at the moment of death, according to so many accounts of dying people who have come back to life. The spectacle of the world, what we are and what we do, would not be possible without the help of light.

But do we know what light is? For any of us, simply what makes us see. But light is so mysterious -and generous- that even a blind man can participate in it and even imagine it. Light is present in all orders of reality, manifesting itself in a different way, but without losing its ineffable essence.

What is light from physics

for scientistsis about the only constant in the universe, the reference that allows us to give a reason for time and space.

“All material forms are actually light waves in motion.” These words by Albert Einstein somehow summarize the relationship, almost identity, between matter and light.

The nature and behavior of light are certainly paradoxical Is it a particle or a ripple in the ether?

According to eminent physicists (De Broglie, Böhr, Schrödinger)it could be considered that both options are acceptable and would correspond to two ways of describing the same phenomenon.

It is said that light travels in a vacuum at a certain and amazing speed (300,000 km per second). But if we consider that it is a wave, it could be imagined that it does not really move in the sense of moving.

On the other hand, admitting that it is made up of luminous particles is not less surprising. Photons would be massless particlesthey would not properly occupy a place.

And since time, in relativistic physics, depends on the mass (temporality would be equivalent to the measure of its wear), such photons would come to be beyond time and space.

In the words of Werner Heisenberg: “The description of the world would be insufficient if another reality independent of it, light, is not added to matter.”

What is light from philosophy

This should not surprise us, since all the ancient cosmogonies considered that light is at the origin of the universe. Let us remember, in this sense, the “Let there be light” of Genesis in the Bible.

it was also believed decisive in its maintenance and orderingas shown by the phonetic proximity between the words light (luxin Latin) and law (lex). It is like saying that natural laws are secretly based on the norms of light.

The sun, maintainer of life on our planet through its light and heat, attests to it.

If we continue reviewing the history of philosophy, we see that it also the luminous creative verb has its equivalent inside the human being.

Thought and language, expression of that logos universal, is what distinguishes us from animals. And can it not be considered intelligence a kind of inner light?

We see the world through external light, but we need to enter ourselves to “reflect” (another word with optical connotations) and thus understand the meaning of things.

Curiously, we usually close our eyes at such moments to see better. But the simple fact of looking, of directing the attention, is like putting the light on that object. And when we understand the meaning of something, we say that we finally see clearly.

Finding any solution to a problem is like seeing a flash of light in the dark. Everything in the mental universe participates in that inner light, from learning to speak or write, to imagining or remembering.

Don’t we search for our memories in the memory archives with the help of the lantern of mental concentration? In the same way, when someone convinces another with their arguments it is as if a light turned on another light.

But not only that inner fire manifests itself as intelligence, it also does so as love, which is an expression of “warmth” of the soul. Thanks to this psychological possibility we can be enthusiastic, feel an artistic inspiration or simply love someone.

Love, in all its varied manifestations, does not cease to be a luminous communication, a bringing our internal flame closer to that of other beings. Especially the erotic love of a couple, supposes a fusion of souls. “Loving each other is putting yourself at the same deep thermal level,” says Pedro Caba with wise humor.

What is light from biology

It is a clear fact that life is sustained by light: vegetables by chlorophyll photosynthesis, and animals by light radiation through the skin and eating vegetables. Sap and blood are chemically close relatives: one has magnesium as its nucleus, the other iron.

Light is often accompanied by heat. Our own body burns, because metabolism involves combustion. Physical and biological life processes require a stable temperature.

The human being receives and emits light continuously. Even the theories that affirm that the material body is molded by an energetic body of a luminous naturebegin to be explainable by recent research in quantum physics.

Medical science begins to discover, with the help of new technologies, the importance of light. It has an undoubted repercussion on the human organism, stimulating various functions: nervous, hormonal, circulatory, musculoskeletal, etc.

The importance of sunlight is well known to ensure good bone calcificationavoiding childhood rickets and osteoporosis.

also that it can improve a depressive state by exposure to a light source (phototherapy).

But perhaps the most decisive advance is the discovery of “biophotons” by various researchers (one of the pioneers is the physicist Fritz Albert Popp).

In this sense, it is shown that the language with which cells communicate with each other is that of light.

This electromagnetic emission would have one of its main sources in the DNA of the cell nucleus, so that this central molecule control biochemical reactions (including enzyme activity) through biophotons.

Russian researchers have also shown that the acupuncture meridians can be considered as a kind of networks fiber optic where light information circulates more easily.

Medical lasers are concentrated monochromatic lights, vibrating in a single plane, and we all know its power when used as a scalpel or to stimulate biological processes.

Chromotherapy, for its part, uses the information contained in light and the frequencies of colors to restore energy balance and activate the healing process.

I like to use it in my practice because, In addition to being effective, it is an innocuous therapyand even has a beautiful poetic tone (almost an “elvish” medicine) when healing through the rainbow.

What is light as a spiritual symbol

In all the spiritual traditions of humanity, light or fire have been considered an image of the divine. The very root “div” indicates precisely something resplendent, luminous.

the apparent worship of the sun and the stars on the part of some cultures, for example, it should be seen in a rather symbolic sense (which does not mean unreal).

Because Light, like divinity, is what allows us to see, but at the same time it is not allowed to be seen directly. Indeed: we do not perceive physical light in its pure form, but as a reflection or glow when touching material objects. We see clarity.

In the same way, our conscience, or individual intelligence, it reflects in a limited way what we could call universal intellect or Spirit. Of which Shankara says: “It is the primordial light from which the universe is illuminated.”

In all religions, the spiritual dimension is described -if words can do it- in terms of clarity and lovewhose fusion cannot but result in serene happiness.

We are finishing the little journey that we have made around the symbol of light, remembering its multiple aspects: physical, biological, psychological and spiritual. What conclusions can we draw from such reflections?

It is difficult to decide what a specific reading or consideration is for, everyone will have their way of understanding and feelingits angle or perspective from which to see the reflections of that elusive and at the same time omnipresent light.

But love the lightin its many facets, I believe that it’s always a good thing. AND without this meaning abhorring the inevitable shadows that the light itself also creates.

In other words, that everyday things, although apparently small, also have a universal character. That the mysterious light that encompasses everything is present in us, in our eyes, thoughts and feelings.

And every dawn and duskthat punctuate our days, In turn, they indicate the possible meaning of life.

In the words of the Vedic wisdom (Chandogya Upanishad): “The Essence is consciousness and life, it is light and truth, it is infinite space. From it are all actions, all desires, all perfumes and flavors. Embrace the entire universe and, in silence, you will discover that it is love towards all things.“.

Moments to light a candle

Candles have the power to create light without destroying the darkness. and they can also be seen directly. It is very easy to check.

Here is a simple and interesting experiment. One has to pick a quiet moment after dark and just turn off the electric light and light one or more candles.

They are then observed changes that occur both in the way of perceiving the room and in the interior sensation.

Whatever the outcome, there is one constant fact: time and space are modified in some way. It does not mean that the dimensions of the room are altered or that the clock marks the hours in a different way.

It is not a quantitative change but a qualitative one: the same reality is experienced in another way.

The fascination we feel before the flame of a candle It comes from the fact that, on a reduced scale, we are facing the primordial fire and light. This supposes a small experience of the sacred or the solemn.

That’s why candles have not gone out of stylebut they continue to be something that makes certain situations special.

Let’s remember some:

A celebration. When we want to make something special out of the daily act of eating, as in the Christmas celebration (a festival of light, by the way), candles are an excellent decoration. They also promote intimacy and a good omen when two people seek to bring their hearts closer.Loving meeting. Lighting a room with candles, or more specifically the bedroom, is something that couples sometimes do. Perhaps because a tribute is paid to life and its mystery through eroticism. For the rest, the play of light and shadow invites a pleasant reverie.Remember the absent When a loved one disappears, or is in serious difficulty, lighting a candle in their memory is common in…