© 2006 Carmelo Martínez
© 2006 Urantia Association of Spain
¶ Introduction
The ideas presented below are an attempt to fit the vision of the Master Universe presented in The Urantia Book with what science on this planet knows today (or at least the part of it that I have access to) about the universe.
They are a personal proposal and in no way intend to be anything more than that.
Before continuing, I want to clarify my position regarding the method followed in this reflection: I have tried in every possible way to reconcile what the Book says with what science says, but when that hasn’t been the case, I have given more credibility to the Book. A “heretical” position that not everyone will share. I base this on my belief that the Book contains no errors (although it does contain much ambiguity) and that science works with the available data, that it advances as these data increase, and that, therefore, its postulates change over time.
¶ Our particular point of view
All the information we have about the universe has been obtained from the surface of the planet or very close to it. This makes the entire space just behind the luminous band that is the Milky Way difficult to access, and it is expected that we have less and worse information about this area than about others that are separated from the galactic plane.
We haven’t actually seen what the Milky Way looks like; we surmise this by comparing it with other galaxies we can see and by measurements made from within.
We are not capable of traveling through space, at least not yet, so the information we have has been obtained through telescopes and other devices that receive signals that reach our planet after traveling more or less and crossing more or less space. We must expect that data from nearby objects will be more precise and reliable than those from distant objects. We must also expect that over time, this precision and reliability will increase with the improvement of our instruments.
¶ Administrative divisions
The Book tells us that the various administrative divisions of the Grand Universe do not coincide with astronomical formations; they are rather oriented toward grouping the different celestial bodies into equal units.
We can assume that at the initial instant of temporal and finite creation (the zero second of time), only the central universe existed. From then on, the force-charge of space began to emerge from the Unqualified Absolute, which, after several transformations, transformed into energy and matter. This emergence gradually formed the different astronomical units. Throughout this process of formation, both the entire Grand Universe and each astronomical unit acquired certain movements, the first of which was a counterclockwise rotation around the central universe.
Administrative divisions are designed with the primary idea of obtaining very approximately equal groupings of matter-energy; for example, each superuniverse contains one-seventh of the total mass of the superuniverse space level. However, the total mass of each administrative division initially has a certain similarity of motion that distinguishes it from other divisions.
Throughout the evolution of each division, its mass gradually acquires a coordinated movement until it becomes a perfectly regulated and coordinated unit when it reaches its moment of light and life. In other words, administrative divisions, which initially are nothing more than an arbitrary grouping, evolve into an entity with an identity, a united and coordinated astronomical unit.
The boundaries of the various administrative divisions begin as very irregular and imprecise, and eventually become clearly defined. This applies to the superuniverses, but also to the other divisions: major and minor sectors, local universes, constellations, and systems.
Within each administrative division, matter-energy circuits are established (and progressively stabilized) that serve internally as transportation routes and channels of communication. Furthermore, the space encompassed by the major divisions (superuniverses and local universes) is permeated or marked in some way by the corresponding spirit (a Master Spirit in the former case, and a Mother Spirit in the latter).
¶ Astronomical units
The Book clearly identifies only one astronomical unit: the nebula. It defines it as the primary generator of suns and describes in detail the different stages it goes through in its process of formation and generation of suns.
I understand that the rest of the astronomical units we’re talking about are aggregates of nebulae in their different stages of development (including the initial state of spatial charge-force prior to the generation of matter-energy). What unites or groups different nebulae is their state of relative motion. For example, the entire mass of an arm of a galaxy like the Milky Way shares a common rotational motion that holds it together. This is probably because it originated in the same region with a “natural” (?) tendency toward that motion. There’s something that makes a galaxy what it is, and that’s the more or less coordinated motion of its entire mass.
By the way, a local universe can be formed from one or several nebulas, and Nebadon appears to encompass several nebulas: “Urantia is of origin in your sun, and your sun is one of the multifarious offspring of the Andronover nebula, which was onetime organized as a component part of the physical power and material matter of the local universe of Nebadon. And this great nebula itself took origin in the universal force-charge of space in the superuniverse of Orvonton, long, long ago.” (UB 57:1.1, emphasis mine to emphasize the idea of several nebulas). Another quote in this regard: “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.” (UB 41:0.3, emphasis mine here again). What defines a local universe, as an administrative division, is its share of mass: “Each local universe embraces exactly one one-hundred-thousandth part of the total energy charge of a superuniverse irrespective of nebular relationship, for energy is not organized by nebulae—it is universally distributed.” (UB 15:4.6)
At the beginning of the history of any administrative division, of all the nebulae that comprise it (or will comprise it), many are still potential and few are actual, and as time passes, more nebulae have yielded their full fruit of suns (that have been actualized). It seems that in Orvonton (and in the rest of the superuniverses) there is little matter left (few nebulae) that has yet to be actualized. Quite the opposite occurs in the different levels of outer space, and this is more pronounced the more external the level.
¶ The seventh superuniverse
The Book clearly states that the Milky Way Galaxy “represents the central nucleus of Orvonton” (UB 15:3.1) and also states that “This great aggregation of suns, dark islands of space, double stars, globular clusters, star clouds, spiral and other nebulae, together with myriads of individual planets, forms a watchlike, elongated-circular grouping of about one seventh of the inhabited evolutionary universes.”
The Milky Way is part of Orvonton, the main part, but only a part. There are therefore other “suns, dark islands of space, double stars, globular clusters, star clouds, spiral nebulae, and others, along with myriads of individual planets” that are part of our superuniverse.
Concerning the distribution of our superuniverse, there is little ambiguity in the Book: “Observation of the so-called Milky Way discloses the comparative increase in Orvonton stellar density when the heavens are viewed in one direction, while on either side the density diminishes; the number of stars and other spheres decreases away from the chief plane of our material superuniverse” UB 15:3.3
We can imagine the space covered by Orvonton as similar to a rugby ball, or better yet, as a huge spatial lentil (“an elongated circular grouping resembling a clock”). The Milky Way would be at one of the peaks of the lentil, occupying approximately one-fifth of its largest diameter. One of the parts of the Milky Way closest to the peak would be precisely the area where our Sun is located, although we would be slightly shifted to the right as we look towards the other peak.
The rest of the spheres of the superuniverse would be for the most part in the same plane as the Milky Way, the plane of maximum density, and would be very difficult to observe from our position!
Looking at space maps (from http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/), I can’t find information on all the masses that are supposed to be there behind the Milky Way. I only see the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, all three “coincidentally” deviated from the main plane. Are they not there, or do we have no information? I’m inclined to think we can’t observe them with our current instruments. It’s a situation similar to when the distribution and shape of the continents on this planet were unknown, and imprecise and incomplete maps were drawn from what was known.
It also appears that the other peak of the bob would be about 500,000 light-years from this peak closer to us. Uversa would be in “that great group of suns which functions as the physical and astronomical center of the seventh superuniverse” (UB 32:2.11). It would have to be located exactly at the physical center of the bob, about 200,000 light-years from us and about 250,000 light-years from each peak.
Since it appears that the Grand Universe has not yet reached even half of its development and that our superuniverse is the youngest and therefore the most delayed in its evolution, it is to be expected that its boundaries of separation (the skin of the lentil) will be very irregular, encompassing bodies that are still very detached from the rest and that are being brought into the circuits of the superuniverse.
It must also be assumed that the lentil is progressively growing larger (I don’t think it will lengthen significantly) and gathering astronomical units that were not initially within its domains. However, this process will very likely have a limit: “The seven superuniverses are still growing; the periphery of each is gradually expanding; new nebulae are constantly being stabilized and organized; and some of the nebulae which Urantian astronomers regard as extragalactic are actually on the fringe of Orvonton and are traveling along with us.” (UB 12:2.3).
¶ Spatial directions
If one looks at the known distribution of galaxies (on the 5 million light-year map at http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/), reads paragraph UB 15:1.4, and takes into account that Andromeda is in outer space, one can deduce that the paradise north is between directions 270 and 360 of our Milky Way. And one can even specify that it may be between 300 and 330.
If we further recall that “The universe of Nebadon is now moving far to the south and east of the superuniverse circuit of Orvonton” (UB 32:2.12) we may deduce that Paradise north will not be far removed from what we now know as Milky Way direction 315.
It may be assumed, and I do, that the rest of the superuniverses have a distribution like that of Orvonton, the greatest density of their mass being in the same plane as the Milky Way.
With this in mind, and rereading paragraph UB 15:1.4, one would expect to find superuniverse number 1 in the 315th (or some other) Milky Way galaxy, beginning about 500,000 light-years from us and proceeding thence to an unknown distance, for all superuniverses are equal in mass but not in size of space encompassed.
We should find superuniverse number 6 perhaps between directions 60 and 80 and with its nearest edge at a distance of 300,000 light years?
The central universe would be roughly in the zero direction of the Milky Way Galaxy and perhaps at a distance of 2 million light-years. I insist that the paragraph UB 15:1.4 is key to this entire deduction. If this is true, the central universe would be in the same plane as the Milky Way Galaxy and in the zero direction (see Fig. 1). Precisely the area of greatest density within the plane of greatest density! What a coincidence! The area most “hidden” from our view in the entire universe. I cannot resist the quote: “When the angle of observation is propitious, gazing through the main body of this realm of maximum density, you are looking toward the residential universe and the center of all things.” (UB 15:3.3)
I know that the central universe is hidden behind the double belt of dark gravity bodies, but are these dark bodies somehow visible? It must not be forgotten that “[t]hese dark gravity bodies neither reflect nor absorb light; they do not react to physical energy light, and they so completely surround and envelop Havona as to hide it from view even of the nearby inhabited universes of time and space” (UB 14:1.14)