© 2013 Israel Dix
© 2013 Olga López, for translation and republishing
© 2012 The Urantia Book Fellowship
| Luz y Vida — No. 34 — Presentation | Luz y Vida — No. 34 — September 2013 — Index | Caligastia, free or arrested? |
(Published in The Fellowship Herald, Summer 2012 issue)
From Israel Dix (Stockholm, Sweden)
¶ Count the stars
Machiventa said to Abraham: “Look now at the heavens and count the stars if you can; your offspring will be as numerous as them.” [UB 93:6.3]
In attempting to do just that, count the stars, you and I would probably be embarking on a journey over rocky, rugged terrain of number-crunching mathematics and I’m afraid necessarily filled with interesting quotes—lots. Therefore, I have tried to keep references to numbers few and out of the thread of reasoning, to avoid distracting us from the easy flow of this star-hunting adventure. In addition, there is the added boost of energy of knowing that, if we stay the course, at the end of the journey we will have a beautiful image, an amazingly organized structure - the world system of Satania. So come with me to this mountain that we are going to climb.
We begin with the problem that led me to undertake this exploration in the first place: Why does Urantia, a decimal world, end in the peculiar number six and not zero, which is a multiple of ten? There must be an explanation, and I had a hunch that there was an answer that led me to explore this seemingly insignificant piece of information in the first place. That small but troubling question would come back to my mind from time to time: “Did Urantia have to end at zero?” We may have a vague idea that there is an answer to this riddle. But do we have any clues, or is it just a mad race that comes to a standstill trying to count the stars? Let us first consider some apparent contradictions, more or less in the order in which I discovered them, for many contradictions in The Urantia Book lead to better understanding if we pursue them.
“On one world in each ten a greater variance in the standard life designs is permitted than on the other (nonexperimental) worlds.” [UB 36:2.15] This precise phrase refers to “one world in ten” and goes straight to the point. But a problem arises because, at least on the surface, he disagrees with the following: “But about one world in ten is designated as a decimal planet and assigned to the special registry of the Life Carriers.” [UB 58:0.1] Although the phrase “about one in ten worlds” indicates that there is some minor variation that can lighten our shoulders from a decimal world ending in six, we now need to reconcile these two quotes. What is it, one planet in ten or one planet in ten or so?
Wonderfully situated along the way, we have this clue: “You know that every tenth world is a decimal or experimental planet, but you know nothing of the other variables that punctuate the processional of the evolutionary spheres.” [UB 40:5.18] Here is It confirms that every tenth world is a decimal sphere, but added to this reconciliation are “other variables that dot the procession.” Someone mentioned to me that this particular quote doesn’t help us conclude anything about the two divergent decimal statements. I mention it, however, because it is the statement that gave me hope of an answer. Could these points in procession allow exactly “every ten worlds”, and also “every ten worlds or so”? Can they be given simultaneously as facts? Can these “other variables” account for a simple wording difference? We are warned here that “among the planets of the same group, the differences are too numerous to be described” [UB 40:5.18] but we are given, as we shall see, enough clues to discover something about these variables. For now, let us assume that these wording differences have implications as broad as the “of” and “about” regarding Christ and his teachings.
We don’t need to intentionally walk into this impasse, not only to suppress it from our curiosity, but also from possibility. We must suppress the objects that may hinder our clear astronomical vision. When we started, Machiventa challenged us to count the spheres. It’s fair. Starting with inhabited sphere number six, let’s count every tenth sphere up to 16, 26, and on to 96. That should give us ten decimal spheres. Similarly, let’s do this from planet 106 to 196, which makes another ten. Thus, if we simply count from decimal world 6 to 606, we will have sixty-one decimal worlds, in which world 596 is number 60, and our world, number 606, is 61st. So, sphere 616 would naturally be the last decimal world, which would give us the figure of 62 decimal worlds. It’s right? It is stated that “since life was established on Urantia, the Life Carriers have improved this healing technique as it has been introduced on another Satania world” UB 65:4.6, so there can only be one decimal world after the our.
We might think that we have reached the end of the journey. After all, “in all of Satania there are only sixty-one worlds similar to Urantia, life-modification planets” [UB 58:0.1] This statement is peculiar in its ambiguity. At first glance, it might read “sixty-one worlds similar to Urantia”, which would support our numerical finding of sixty-two. But the Life Carriers remind us that “[Urantia] was going to be our six hundred and six experience[1] in the initiation of the Nebadon life patterns in Satania and our sixtieth opportunity to make changes and institute modifications in the basic and standard life designs of the local universe.” [UB 58:1.1]
It seems we have gotten a world too many simply by counting by tens. Since there is only one additional world where life has been modified since Urantia, the simple count falls short (actually goes too far) when we consider that “on this planet we make our sixtieth attempt to modify and improve, if possible, life.” satanic adaptation of Nebadon life designs“ [UB 65:4.1] The aforementioned ambiguous statement would be better read as ”only sixty-one total Urantia-like worlds“ in the system. So we can discard this ”every ten" method, as it gives us a world too many. It is a stalemate that does not lead to a vision of the stars.
Having reached an impasse with the simple “count by tens”, we can now reach our main attraction along the way, that clue that will allow us to reveal something of the “variables that dot the procession” of the inhabited worlds.
In a section perfectly titled “Organization of the Universe,” we find a celestial map. “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.” [UB 32:2.10]
¶ House of cards
If a simple tally doesn’t get us to the top of things, this surely will.[2] This is our last guidepost. We are nearing the pinnacle of our journey, a vantage point from which we can map the starry landscape of Satania. This celestial map will be the clue we need to harmonize the still discrepant “every ten” and “approximately every ten”. Words will literally fall into place. It will also help us figure out why a decimal planet ends in 6, and will also lead us to clues about the non-breather world “in close proximity to Urantia” [UB 49:3.6], as well as what “in close proximity” actually means. . But we have some really tough climbing ahead of us, and maths, so let’s move on a bit further. This quote, the equation above, although strangely worded, tells us that there are not in fact 619 solar systems. Some solar systems are home to more than one planet, and we are given a basic breakdown of this fact. So we have 619 worlds in Satania, of which:
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511 are lone planets in 511 solar systems (we will label this category with the letter O)
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92 additional planets in 46 solar systems, two spheres per system (we’ll call them XX)
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12 inhabited planets are in 4 solar systems of 3 worlds each (we can call them YYY)
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4 planets are contained in a solar system (we will label this simple group as ZZZZ)
At this point, we must take into account “Creature-kinship serials. Planets are not only organized vertically into systems, constellations, and so on, but the universe administration also provides for horizontal groupings according to type, series, and other relationships.” [UB 49:5.29] Suppose, hypothetically for the moment , that each of these four categories of worlds constitutes the kinship of creatures. All solar systems with solitary planets would be managed as a separate kin group, while solar systems with two planets would also be organized and managed separately, and so on. These individual kin groupings would then be “chaired by long-experienced finaliters” [UB 49:5.22] (It makes perfect sense to me that these groupings would be considered a series of related creatures, because two inhabited worlds in the same solar system would evolve along paths radically different than solitary worlds. Once these two worlds discovered each other, their paths would surely be greatly altered. The same is true for three or more interacting worlds). They are probably constituted as related creature worlds because there are “certain points of similarity in a group of worlds associated in a given system”, and “physical relationships among those planetary systems which belong to the same physical circuit, and which closely follow each other in the endless swing around the circle of universes.” [UB 15:6.16]
Now let’s go a step further and say that, in each of the kin groupings, every tenth world is a decimal planet. That is, one out of every ten planets in the group of 511 worlds (O) is a decimal planet, giving us 51 decimal spheres. It’s pretty straightforward. Now, let’s do the same for the other groupings. One out of ten planets in the group of 92 spheres (XX) gives 9 decimal planets, the tenth planet in the group of 12 planets (YYY) is a decimal sphere, and the grouping of 4 worlds of a solar system (ZZZZ) has no worlds. decimals (Note here that we are counting every tenth world as a decimal planet.) To go fast, we simply subtract the last digit of each number (or divide by ten) to find out how many decimal worlds each category has, as follows:
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51 of 511, with a world as the remainder.
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9 of 92, with two extra planets.
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1 of 12, also with two extra spheres that follow the decimal world.
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0 out of 4. There are no decimal planets here, as this category (of four worlds per solar system) has not reached ten worlds.
Adding them all up (51, 9 and 1) we arrive at exactly 61 decimal worlds, so we are on the right track! This solves for us the problem of 61 decimal worlds out of 619. Counting numbers, as we saw before, gave us a number of 62. Important here, and key to why Urantia ends in 6, are the remaining worlds of each category. I will point out here that, in the category of 511 (O), world 510 is decimal world 51 and that one more planet remains. Special mention should be made of the remaining planet, as these remaining planets, as I will call them from now on, are crucial!
As previously stated, we will postulate here that these four groupings are in fact kinship series and are part of what is meant by “variables that dot the procession of evolutionary spheres”. Now we are told that “Satania itself is an unfinished system containing only 619 inhabited worlds. Such planets are numbered serially in accordance with their registration as inhabited worlds.” [UB 49:0.3] We have just arranged these parentage series into separate categories, but we cannot forget their serial procession. To count this procession once more from 1 to 619, after having separated and arranged Satania into kinship groupings, we must, like a deck of cards, shuffle the categories again.
O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9 O10 O11 O12
The diagram above shows a procession of O-worlds, one per solar system, and the normal arrival of a decimal planet numbered 10 (which I’ve italicized and underlined to make it easier to identify). But attention! Something happens when we shuffle the categories again!
O1 O2 O^3 O4 O^5 (X6 X7) O8 O9 O10 O11 O12
You may have noticed that by including the category XX, both in the same solar system, the decimal world of the first category (O) is shifted two places! Counting all worlds in series, the first decimal world (O) becomes planet number 12, while planets X1 X2;are counted in the series as worlds X6 and X^ 7^ Take a breath! Grasp this concept before proceeding.
Before we get into the details of why Urantia ends in six, and how this may be related to a “very close_” non-breather planet, we can clear up at least one more puzzle. As shown above, we have discovered with respect to decimal worlds that both “every ten planets” and “every ten planets or so” can be factual statements. It is simply a matter of counting within a grouping of related creatures or counting all kinship series in the set and according to the serial record of life.
¶ “606”
Let us now see why our planet, Urantia of Satania, a decimal world, ends in six and not in zero. You will remember the “remaining worlds” as a crucial part of this displacement story. In this system of organization, the only way for our world (or any decimal world) to end up in six, or any other number that is not a multiple of ten, is for the “remaining worlds” of other separate categories to move us six places. . For example: if 12 XX planets, in increments of two, fall somewhere in the middle of 100 OO planets, world 112 will be a decimal planet of the O category, as well as planet 10 of the XX category (wherever it falls). .
It is important to recognize that if the XX worlds reach a multiple of ten, one decimal planet of their group, then they will shift all the decimal worlds (O) back to zero, so that only the remaining worlds (the worlds that are furthest beyond a multiple of ten) will cause a displacement in the aggregate of 619 spheres. This displacement takes place between all the worlds. For example, ZZZZ arrives somewhere in the middle of the procession and displaces all the worlds that follow it, in all categories and by four positions. Thus, after those four worlds, all the decimal planets of other categories will end in “4”: 504, 514, 524, etc.
We have thus reached the last step of the walk. If you need to take a break to review your journey so far, this would be a good time. We have one final step to the summit. Let’s take a look at the remaining worlds again:
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O - 510 is a decimal world, and there is one remaining to shift (by one) all the planets that follow it.
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XX - 90 is a decimal planet, with sister world 89 in the same solar system. We will return to these two planets shortly because… well, it’s a surprise! After 90, there are two remaining worlds in this category, worlds 91 and 92, grouped together in the same solar system.
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YYY - 10 is a decimal planet and there are two remaining planets that follow it. All three are in the same solar system.
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ZZZZ - 4 remaining planets are in the latter category, and all of them are in the undeniably beautiful solar system teeming with life. It will take two more tries in a 4 world solar system for the Life Carriers to start a decimal planet in such a world series.
It does not need much explanation to say that since Urantia ends in six, it must be displaced by six remaining worlds. In fact, it is offset by a combination of remaining worlds from various categories. You may have realized that, numerically, and given this organization theory, there are only a few possible combinations of worlds remaining to arrive at a multiple of six. From here, we are left with only two or three possibilities as to which group of related creature series we belong to. We already know that we are not in the ZZZZ series since, in our solar system, “there are currently only three planets suitable for supporting life” [UB 15:6.15] Let’s consider the possibilities in more detail.
Two combinations[3] that will move Urantia six places are:
- Let the twelve spheres YYY precede us plus the category ZZZZ. This combination includes us in the XX[4] category, and it would be something like this:
O498O499O500 (X89X90 (Urantia)) O501O502O503O504 O505O506 (X91X92) O507O508O509O510O511
You may have noticed that all of the above decimal planets end in zero when counted within their own category. I will again place these worlds in order, underlining and italicizing the decimal worlds but counting them serial, according to the total life record.
O602O603O604X605X606 (Urantia)O607O608O609O610O611O612X 613X614O615O616O617O618O619
In this combination of worlds we have a twin world, a sister sphere in our solar system. From this vantage point, we cannot determine all the locations of the planets that arrived before or after us, but we can have a rough picture of the last 15 worlds in the Satania system. I place XX worlds arbitrarily on the 613 and 614, but in this combination they might shift up or down a bit. You will see that 613 and 614 shift the last decimal planet by two places, world O 510, in series to world 618. This leaves one world remaining, number 511 of the solar systems with only one world.
- The other possibility is that the final two worlds X91X92 plus the entire ZZZZ category precede Urantia. In this case, we must be the decimal world ten of the group YYY [5]. The worlds Y11 and Y12 directly follow Urantia, the world Y10, and therefore do not displace us. Of course, in this scenario there are two other inhabited planets in our solar system.
X91X92O500 (Y10 (Urantia) Y11Y12 ) O501O 502O503O504O505O506O507O508O509O510O511
Once again, we can see that all decimal planets end in zero when counted within their own category. But by counting them serially, the numbers on the decimal spheres shift, and Urantia falls back into its “familiar place in the universe” [6].
X603X604O605Y606 (Urantia) Y607Y608 O609O^610 O611O612O613O614O615O616O617<u>O</u>618O619^
In possibility number two, we find ourselves with not one, but two brothers in our solar system. And The Urantia Book allows for that possibility when it says that “[i]n your solar system there are currently only three planets suitable for supporting life” [UB 15:6.15] You will see again that the last decimal planet is offset two places for a different category of worlds, ending once again as world 618. Once again, the system ends with a world left over, world O 511, as world 619 in the series. I have placed the last XX worlds arbitrarily at positions 603 and 604, just to show how they can move Urantia to 6, along with the ZZZZ somewhere earlier. I do not claim to know what the numbers are, though I suspect that successive revelations of God’s will expand the horizons of the universe around us. I will also point out that whereas in the first combination world 604 is a decimal planet, in this combination 605, just before ours, is a decimal world. It is ten worlds away (in the O category) from world 618 in both possible circumstances.
From the perspective we have now, we can see the stars much more clearly. From this astronomical point of view, there seem to be only two_ possible answers, two combinations of worlds that shift us towards six while keeping us as a decimal world, followed by just another decimal world, while obeying the rest of the listed rules. previously. Urantia, the 606 of Satania, the 60th decimal world in the cluster, is:
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Either classified as belonging to a solar system with two planets, which is 90 of 92, the ninth decimal planet of the XX group. We can further postulate the location of the two remaining spheres, the worlds X91 and X92. They follow Urantia and move two places to the last decimal planet. Therefore, world 618, not 616 as is generally assumed, is the last decimal planet in the Satania system, and world 619 is our probable remaining world (O).
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Either classified as belonging to a solar system of three worlds, of which there are only four in Satania, and it is the first decimal world of that category, decimal world 10 of 12. Again world 618, not world 616, is a decimal planet, with one world remaining.
Let’s pause for a moment to consider all of this before we go any further. It is an enormous sight that is seen from the top. Let’s consider both combinations side by side:
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O602O603O604X605X606 (Urantia) O607O608O609O610 O611O612X613X614O615O616O617O618O619
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X603X604O605Y606 (Urantia) Y607Y608 O609O 610O611O612O613O614O615O616O617O618O619
Once again, I will point out that it is not possible to know for sure whether the world 604 (in the first case) or 605 (in the second case) is decimal (O), since other categories (perhaps the ZZZZ) could be inserted by chance. just before us. I’m just putting it in this order for simplicity and to show the spectacular displacement this method of shuffling causes. The odds are in favor of this arrangement in any case, that the ZZ__ZZZZ__ZZ is not right in front of us.
Also, it cannot be determined exactly where worlds 613 and 614 (XX) are placed in combination number 1. It is only precise that they are somewhere after 606 and before 619. Hypothetically, world 616 could be the last planet decimal if the group X91X92 falls on the 617 and 618 , but the odds, once again, are against it. I have arbitrarily placed the two worlds at points 613 and 614.
Now three mysteries may have been solved:
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Urantia ends in six because it is displaced by a procession of worlds of other categories. Until this summit was reached, it had been a simple assumption on our part that the decimal record is counted in the same way as in the aggregate—in series and according to the record of life. The reality is that, in total, the worlds are numbered according to the record of life, and yet they are numbered decimally according to the related creatures—by categories. This differential method of counting the worlds is the reason why Urantia, as a decimal planet, ends in six.
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“About every ten” and “exactly every ten,” as far as decimal worlds are concerned, are both factual statements.
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There is a numerical substantiation in The Urantia Book that there is indeed life elsewhere in our solar system! At the top of the mountain, we are left to guess at the possibilities.
¶ Non-breathing
We are told that “You would be more than interested in the planetary conduct of this type of mortal because such a race [non-breathing] of beings inhabits a sphere in close proximity to Urantia.” [UB 49:3.6] I continually meet readers of _The The Urantia Book _ that raise the question of the distance that “very close” supposes.
Let us remember that “in our solar system, there are currently only three planets suitable for hosting life” [UB 15:6.15] These three worlds cannot support life if the first organizational structure is correct, or else Urantia would belong to the group YYY. In the first case, a planet would remain unused to be inhabited; in the second case, the three worlds would be inhabited. To clarify, the planets are defined as the «larger aggregations of matter which follow an orbit around a sun or some other space body; they range in size from planetesimals to enormous gaseous, liquid, or solid spheres.“ [UB 15:6.14] Thus, moons can support life, as well as what we define as traditional “planets.” We’ll return to non-breathers after we address some issues with the wording of that non-breather statement. I am going to propose here that we are of the second category—that we have three habitable worlds in our solar system, but that we belong to the XX category; that there are only two inhabited worlds here.
END of PART 1
¶ References
- Light and Life Magazine (all old issues): https://aue.urantia-association.org/numeros-antiguos-del-lyv/
- Full article published from Fellowship Herald.
| Luz y Vida — No. 34 — Presentation | Luz y Vida — No. 34 — September 2013 — Index | Caligastia, free or arrested? |
¶ Endnotes (Urantia - 606 from Satania)
A note here about Hornell Hart’s New Gateways to Creative Living, Abingdon Cokesbury Press (1941). According to Matthew Block, New Gateways was used as the source text for Document 111, specifically the section titled “The Inner Life” (see Block message number 45080, dated May 23, 2003, titled “606”;, at UBRON.org archives). On page 43, “606” is mentioned, a chemical laboratory used in the treatment of syphilis. A Google search for books and articles on the “‘666 experiment’” yields many results for this chemist about experimental attempt number 606. It is interesting to note that the idea of 606 in connection with an experiment is found in a text source of the Jesus documents. It’s clear that the idea is somehow derived from these thought patterns, but things deviate from here, as our world is the 60th experiment, not the 606th. We will soon see how far that deviation goes. Matthew has commented via email that he has yet to find any additional sources related to 606. Perhaps Harry Houdini’s card tricks as a possible source for such complex number combinations? I doubt it. ↩︎
An anecdote about the night I realized it. It was at the end of September 2002 in Budapest (Hungary), while I was going to the Old Man’s Pub with several colleagues who I met in the hostel where I was staying. While conversing with one of them, it suddenly occurred to me that the spheres of Satania were organized as I describe here. After realizing these possibilities, my excitement was rewarded with fireworks going off in another part of town, and our location gave us an excellent view as we walked. Later, in the pub, I scribbled the different numbers of worlds and combinations on a small pad. Although I insisted that what I was writing about was boring, they insisted, so I told them about a mathematical formula to determine, not alien life in our solar system, but simple… apples and oranges. Upon hearing this they agreed that it was boring, so I finished jotting down my notes and returned to the lively conversation. ↩︎
I have to say here that the jury is still out. I cannot be sure that I have tried all the combinations. I’m sure there are only three, two of which I’ve covered here. I’m pretty sure I’ve found all the possible combinations, and I think that of the two considered in this article, one combination is more likely than the other. ↩︎
We must belong to category XX in this case because, if we belonged to category O, we would of course have to be a decimal planet. This would either cause us to be followed by two decimal worlds (breaking rule number 6) or, if we are number 510, we wouldn’t have 13 worlds following us (breaking rule number 5). ↩︎
This is so because, if Y10Y11Y12 were to follow Urantia, and since the three worlds are all in the same solar system, they would all have to go after Urantia. This creates a number of problems. First, it would leave nine worlds (3 x 3) in front of us, moving us to the odd number of nine. Let us remember that we still have X91X92 and ZZZZ before Urantia that move us six positions. Adding these remaining 9 worlds (with three after us) moves us by 15 (actually 5) worlds (breaking rule number 3). Also, we would have to be the last decimal O planet, followed only by another world, number 511 (which breaks rule number 5). ↩︎
I quote these words as an aside: the name “Urantia” means in Latin “place in the universe” or “place in the heavens.” I have to thank Chris Halvorson for this wonderful piece of information. ↩︎