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opposite of electrons: positrons. Because we know that within microquasars, antimatter and matter combine to form light in the form of gamma rays, a process called “annihilation”, New Scientist magazine dubbed them "The Great Annihilators".’ What is the cause of this strange behaviour? Why are microquasars spewing out material so rapidly? If there is a black hole associated with a microquasar, then why isn't it sucking up everything? Astronomer Sir Martin Rees commented that we should study microquasars because what we find out about black holes of this size will inform us about larger black holes; so there is a general agreement that all black holes probably behave in the same way, just at different scales. so powerful that not even light can escape—hence a "black" hole. For decades, these objects remained a theoretical concept: they sparked the imaginations of science fiction writers, but it was not known if black holes really existed. It was not until the dawning of the 21st century when our telescopes were picking up black holes everywhere that we realised that not only did black holes exist, but they were actually quite common.‘ How is a black hole detected if no light can escape it? One of the ways is to look at the material around them: an accretion disc which spins very fast around it—so fast that only the gravity of a black hole could be creating it. Amazingly, when we turned our telescopes on nearby galaxies, we found a supermassive black hole at the heart of each one. We even found a black hole at the centre of our own galaxy! So instead of being rare exotic creatures, black holes are actually quite common, appearing not only in the heart of every galaxy but with smaller black holes all over our galaxy, too. Sometimes they are associated with objects such as quasars which give out bright radiation. But hold on a minute: why would a quasar, which has an associated black hole, give out such bright radiation? Surely the black hole would suck up all the light so that we couldn't see it? Indeed! In fact, the more we looked, the more the data showed up surprises that contradicted our current theories. our own galaxy! So instead of being rare exotic creatures, | The Universe Speaks black holes are actually quite common, appearing not I was pondering all of these conundrums—black holes, only in the heart of every galaxy but with smaller black — dark matter, dark energy and microquasars—as | took a holes all over our galaxy, too. Sometimes they are — walk with my dog in the woods in the autumn of 2003. | associated with objects such as quasars which give out —_ also wanted to find out how everything fitted together bright radiation. But hold on a minute: why would a — with the notion that consciousness is fundamental to the quasar, which has an associated black hole, give out such universe, which has arisen out of the work of quantum bright radiation? Surely the black hole would suck up all —_ physicists such as Amit Goswami’ and Fred Alan Wolf.* the light so that we couldn't see it? Indeed! In fact, the Radical scientists such as these had looked at the more we looked, the more the data showed up surprises conclusions of quantum physics which tell us that a that contradicted our current theories. subatomic particle only comes into existence when it is measured. They realised that the act of conscious The Great Annihilators observation has a role in creating reality. Some It was in studying objects called microquasars, which physicists have gone further and concluded that are smaller version of quasars, that I started to findsome consciousness is fundamental to the universe. answers. Microquasars also have a black hole associated Mulling all of this over in the woods, | took a rest on an with them, but their behaviour again is peculiar. They, oak tree branch and remembered something I had seen too, are spewing out material very rapidly despite the years ago in a video featuring the mathematical black hole associated with them. Sometimes they give | cosmologist Brian Swimme.’ He recommended that we out gamma ray radiation, sometimes electrons at closeto _ take time to tune in to the rotation of our own planet; the speed of light, and sometimes the antimatter and, for some reason, here on this branch of an oak tree was the first time I tried it. What came next is something | find hard to describe, but it was as if | had been thrown into the very fabric of the universe and caught a glimpse of its secrets. Everything seemed to be made up of the most exquisite Positive! geometry and mathematics, which itively z were at the same time both infinitely charged Negatively complex and ever so simple. | particle of charged suddenly understood how black holes anti-matter particle of work, and it wasn't at all how we had positron matter previously theorised. I had been electron shown what I now call the Black Hole Principle, and it was a discovery that would profoundly alter the course of my life. Dimensions of Consciousness In order to understand the Black Hole Principle, we first need to Positively charged particle of anti-matter positron Dimensions of Consciousness In order to understand the Black Hole Principle, we first need to Photon 34 * NEXUS OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 20I1 www.nexusmagazine.com