Are We All Connected?
/Looking out into the infinite universe, it’s hard to see what the purpose of our existence is. Is it all just random chaos, or is everything a piece of a larger picture? This question has been pondered throughout all of human history. Philosophers reflect and reason, mathematicians and physicists pore over facts and data. They spend lifetimes in pursuit of the truth, but each answer just reveals new questions.
As it turns out, not knowing things leaves plenty of room for our imaginations to run wild. Between the known and the unknown exists the creative genre of space fiction. What lies beyond the realm of human understanding is a playground of speculation – an infinite hardware store of tools and supplies to craft endless stories. And yet, one theme seems to come up all throughout the genre: connection. More specifically, the connection of every living thing in the universe.
In Star Wars, there’s the Force. In Voltron, quintessence. She-Ra could tap into the energy of a planet and propel it through dimensions! Each fictional voyage into space seems to find the characters face-to-face with some massive well of energy to which every living being is linked.
The reason behind this is rather simple; space fiction is just a whimsical, emotional exploration into the nature of existence. It is yet another vehicle heading toward the goal of understanding our place in the universe, but it takes the scenic route. While it is often inspired by existing research and philosophy, space fiction takes liberties that make the void seem less overwhelming and pants-shittingly scary. It’s similar to religion, except disagreements just lead to nerds arguing online instead of war and human tragedy.
The storylines of space fiction that pursue this idea of interconnectedness often follow the same basic formula: a small number of people, some good and some bad, have the ability to draw power from what is fundamentally the essence of life itself. The hero must learn to wield this power in order to face a great evil, overcoming their own personal struggles along the way. Throughout their training, they form a deeper understanding of this energy and learn to set aside their individuality to become part of something bigger. Written all out like this, it seems kind of cheesy.
And yet…
There’s something about this story arc that speaks to me. And judging by the obsessive enthusiastic fanbases supporting these kinds of stories, it must resonate with a lot of other people as well. There’s something incredibly comforting about being part of something more significant, something that we can feel even if we can’t understand what it is.
It could be that there is a God that created everything and watches over us. Or maybe we’re all part of the Living Force, and when we die we become part of the Cosmic Force. We could just be one being experiencing itself in infinite ways. Or we could be nothing.
But until we know for sure, we can keep writing stories about the endless possibilities.
HANAN OMAR - An alien cosplaying as a big nerd. I like thinking about big questions and writing down whatever my brain pukes up.
