Everything is connected by an all-pervasive field which explains a number of scientific mysteries and weaves humanity into a unified tapestry of consciousness.

In started in 1959 — Ervin László began probing into the meaning and mysteries of the cosmos. A musician by trade, László now found himself pouring through mounds of philosophy and science, jotting down his random thoughts, theories, and connections. One night, after performing live at The Hague, he was caught up in a heated discussion with a 'Dutchman', who asked to come back to his room to see some of his notes. Waking the next morning, László realised the Dutchman was gone, and so was his notebook.

‍

The Dutchman turned out to be the philosophy editor at a renowned Dutch publishing house. Finding László later that day, he insisted on publishing his theories. This affirmed László’s new direction, causing him to pursue more formal education at Fribourg, Yale, and the Sorbonne. László sought to find a theory of everything, including the origin and nature of matter and consciousness. His ambitious efforts led to his writing a slew of books in the 80s and 90s, as well as the publication of Science and the Akashic Field in 2004, which has come to be seen as his seminal work.

Separate aspects of the universe seem to ‘cohere’ or work together in a unified, almost coordinated, manner. In physics, quantum particles can become entangled, such that the fate of one instantaneously impacts the fate of the other, even if they are separated by a thousand miles. In cosmology, things like matter and anti-matter are perfectly balanced in order to allow for stars, planets, and life to arise. In biology, the distinct parts of an organism seem to communicate with one another simultaneously, allowing the body to function as a coherent whole. In paranormal psychology, one mind can impact and telepathically read another from a distance, suggesting that individual minds are not isolated from each other but are somehow connected. László believes that the best explanation for such coherences in the universe is what he refers to as the Akashic field (named after a similar concept in Indian philosophy). 

‍

Fields are like invisible oceans in which we all swim. We can’t see the field any more than fish can see water, yet the field is indeed everywhere. And just as we can feel the waves from a passing boat without actually touching the boat itself, so too can fields allow things to interact from a distance. For example, the gravitational field explains how the sun guides the earth’s orbit from nearly a hundred million miles away. László believes the Akashic field can explain how there can be an interaction between quantum particles at a distance, between separate minds, and between distinct parts of organic bodies of matter. 

‍

An Akashic field would allow us to transcend spatial distances and also temporal ones. The past is preserved in the field, in the same way that a wave from a New York ferry can travel intact for weeks before hitting the beaches of Brittany. The ripples and chain reactions do not simply disappear but rather merge and reinforce one another like waves in the ocean, preserving the collective history and memories of the cosmos in the process. 

‍

László believes mainstream science has already provided evidence for the Akashic field through embracing the concept of the quantum vacuum. An initial fluctuation in the vacuum apparently explains the Big Bang, while subsequent fluctuations explain why matter clumped together in some parts of space rather than others, allowing for gravity to gather enough materials to create stars, galaxies, planets, and life. And insofar as matter eventually dissipates back into this vacuum, it constitutes both our origin and our end. By surviving an infinite series of recreations and destructions, this cosmic ‘meta-verse’ yields a unified state that is truly eternal, rather exquisitely mirroring the Hindu notion of Brahman.

‍

László believes this model of the universe not only answers the problems of coherence but also a number of other issues, as well. As a result, it promises to be a genuine 'theory of everything': If the quantum vacuum is the Akashic field, then it would also store memories of past universes, allowing each new universe to build upon the lessons of the previous one. The cosmos would not have to start from scratch each time, explaining once and for all why our universe is so perfectly shaped for the emergence of intelligent life. Additionally, based on the alleged role of consciousness in quantum events, László believes that an eternal quantum vacuum could resolve the problem of how human consciousness began: Consciousness would not need to mysteriously arise out of matter if it already existed within the quantum vacuum itself.  

If one accepts László’s account, then a number of implications follow. First, scientists’ current search for a theory of everything – the holy grail in physics – is doomed to fail, for they have forgotten to factor in the ‘integral’ components of consciousness and coherence. Second, since consciousness is not reducible to matter, humans are not merely mortal flesh but spiritual, significant, and potentially eternal beings. Third, László argues that the Akashic field provides an alternative explanation of why people remember past lives, i.e. instead of reincarnating, one might simply be accessing memories that were previously uploaded into the field by another individual. Fourth, by accessing these memories, humanity can gain the lost lessons of prior universes and civilisations in order to build a more prosperous future. Fifth, while László does not think he has vindicated religion once and for all, he certainly has crafted a cosmos where the Akashic field takes on many of the divine attributes, slowly evolving the quantum vacuum into ‘The Self-Realized Mind of God’. As such, anyone who accepts László’s theories will likely have their life, faith, and picture of the world turned upside down.