In Hindu scriptures, "seeing the light" is equivalent to a spiritual awakening or seeing God.
By Basab Dasgupta
Most of my physicist friends are either atheist or agnostic, probably because the existence of God cannot be proved on the basis of the laws of physics. I believe that the existence of God is not only consistent with the laws of physics, but light or the electromagnetic field is, in fact, the same as God, or at least one manifestation of God. The physicists have already embraced the existence of God without even realizing it, and explained a multitude of phenomena in terms of God's miracles using a different description and technical jargon.
The association of light with God is not a new concept from a religious/spiritual point of view. "God is light" is a recurring theme in the Bible. Genesis says that "and God said 'let there be light' and then there was light". According to some Biblical verses, God has more explicitly said that He is indeed light. In Hindu scriptures, "seeing the light" is equivalent to a spiritual awakening or seeing God. We get married with light in the form of "agni" as an eternal witness. In the Quran, God is described as "light of the heavens and earth" and "light is a symbol of knowledge and of faith". In Judaism, the religious festival Hanukkah is called the "festival of lights"; light symbolizes everything holy and beautiful.
Consider the obvious similarities between God and the electromagnetic field from a layman's point of view. They are both invisible to the naked eye. We see an object when light shines on it. We cannot see God, but can see holy men blessed by Him. God and electromagnetic fields both exist everywhere in this universe. Our eyes cannot see the entire electromagnetic spectrum but only a narrow range of wavelengths. Similarly, we cannot fathom God in his entirety; we can only hope to experience some limited aspect of the supreme being.
Although we cannot see God, the devotees know that God is almighty and super-powerful. Similarly, electromagnetic waves can carry enormous amounts of energy, for example, in the form of gamma rays or LASERs. In order to appreciate the identification of light with God from a physics perspective, let us dig a little deeper into hardcore physics. A key basis of Einstein's special theory of relativity is the second postulate, which states that the speed of light is always the same regardless of the condition of motion of the source or that of the observer. This is like saying God’s movement appears to be the same to everyone.
Einstein did not prove this. He took it as a postulate and formulated his theory of relativity on this basis. In other words, if one accepts that God is not only omnipresent but also equally accessible to everyone, then all phenomena in our lives can be explained. Einstein also concluded that no material object can travel faster than light. In other words, no living being nor man-made craft can travel faster than God. For a true believer, God can, of course, travel at any speed that He wishes, but He has apparently set a limit that no human being can exceed to remind us that we are mere humans at His command.
In his effort to explain the so-called photoelectric effect, Einstein had to postulate a particle nature of electromagnetic waves. This wave-particle duality subsequently led to the development of quantum mechanics. At first, it seemed to be a mind-boggling concept that light can appear both as waves and as particles. However, this is not so surprising to a believer who always knows that God can appear in multiple forms.
Newton used a prism to demonstrate that visible light can be separated into different colors – those which appear in a rainbow. Later, the physicists realized that visible light is just a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The overall spectrum contains a continuous gamut of literally an infinite number of wavelengths. We can similarly think of God as a superposition of an infinite number of emotions and thoughts.
Every atom in the universe can emit electromagnetic waves of certain wavelengths unique to it when the atom is appropriately excited. God exists in every object and inside every living being, and God (or God's messages) will emanate out of them when they are appropriately excited!
Electromagnetic waves are the key to all modern-day communication links – be it telephone, television, internet, or satellite transmission! Just like we feel secure in handing out our message and innermost thoughts to God (through prayers and confessions), we have no hesitation in trusting electromagnetic waves as a medium to communicate all of our intimate thoughts.
Even metaphorically, we associate light with positive things: hope, love, happiness, bliss. People who have claimed to have had a God experience always describe God as light. In all religious images, regardless of religion, God is portrayed as being associated with light. The word "enlightenment" is used to indicate understanding and comprehension of God. All life forms are sustained because of light and energy from the sun.
The most fascinating aspect of electromagnetic waves is the mathematical representation. The existence of these waves is derived by solving Maxwell's equations, which are four first-order linear partial differential equations representing four laws of physics: Gauss' law for electrostatics, Gauss' law for magnetism, Faraday's law, and Ampere's law.
A striking feature of Maxwell equations is that, in a region free of electrical charges and currents (such as a vacuum), the electric field (indicated by the letter E) and the magnetic field (indicated by B) enter into the equations, almost in identical formats. Furthermore, these equations are coupled in the sense that the equation for the time variation of E involves B and that for B involves E, almost in a symmetric way. Mathematically, the equations would remain the same if we replace E by B and B by the negative of E.
One can combine these four first-order equations into two second-order differential equations, one for the B-field and one for the E-field, by eliminating one or the other. These two equations are identical in their mathematical formulation, and their solution yields the electromagnetic waves. If the E-field varies with time, it automatically generates a B-field and vice versa. One cannot isolate one from the other, and the two fields together constitute the electromagnetic waves. This description of electromagnetic waves is similar to the image of God consisting of Radha and Krishna: the essence of male and female embodiments of the two complementary aspects of the supreme being.
Together, they complete the image of God. Radha and Krishna control each other through love just like the way E and B fields couple! God is the ultimate truth, and God is the ultimate love. Or, in a physicist’s language, electromagnetic waves are the ultimate phenomena that determine how the universe works. Without light and without God, everything will be dark. To me, Diwali is not just a festival of lights nor a metaphor for the celebration of good over evil; it is a direct embracement of God Himself, who is the same as light.
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(California-based Basab Dasgupta has a doctorate in Physics from the University of Wisconsin and has worked with Sony as Vice President of an operating division)
