Listen to the podcast… read along below!

Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, which encompasses both his Special Theory of Relativity (1905) and General Theory of Relativity (1915), fundamentally changed our understanding of the physical world.

Special Relativity

Special Relativity deals with objects moving at constant speeds relative to one another and says that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in such a state of relative motion. This theory introduced the concept of time dilation, in which the passage of time appears to slow down for a moving observer relative to a stationary observer, and length contraction, in which objects appear to become shorter in the direction of their motion.

Special Relativity also has implications for our understanding of mass and energy. According to the theory, the energy of a moving object increases as its speed approaches the speed of light, and this increased energy is equivalent to an increase in the object’s mass. This led Einstein to his famous equation, E=mc², which states that mass and energy are equivalent and can be converted into each other.

The implications of this theory are profound. In essence, space and time are interwoven and not separate entities. Wikipedia says:

Time and space cannot be defined separately from each other. Rather space and time are interwoven into a single continuum known as spacetime. Events that occur at the same time for one observer could occur at different times for another.¹

What follows from this can be challenging but has been experimentally supported: We are each in our own, individual spacetime because we have each moved in unique directions and velocities while living on Earth.

In everyday life, it appears that many events occur in a shared spacetime but they do not. The reason it seems things happen in the same spacetime is due to the extremely tiny spacetime differences among us. So you ask Jenny what time it is. She looks at her watch and says, “5 p.m.” But her 5 p.m. and your 5 p.m. will most likely differ just a teeny, tiny bit.

General Relativity

General Relativity extends the principles of Special Relativity to include the effects of gravity. It states that gravity is not a force between masses, as described by Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation, but rather a consequence of the curvature of spacetime caused by the presence of mass and energy. Massive objects cause a distortion in spacetime, similar to the way a heavy ball placed on a stretched fabric will cause the fabric to curve. This distorted spacetime acts as a “gravitational field,” causing objects to move along curved paths as if they were being pulled by a force.

For example, the Earth orbits the Sun not because of a gravitational force from the Sun, but because it is moving along the shortest path possible in the distorted spacetime caused by the Sun’s mass.

One of the key predictions of General Relativity is the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, in which light from a distant star is bent by the gravitational field of a massive object, causing the star’s light to appear distorted. The theory also implies the existence of black holes, regions of spacetime where the curvature is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory has been supported by numerous astronomical observations, including the detection of gravitational waves, ripples in spacetime caused by the collision of two black holes. General Relativity is also supported by the orbital motion of the planet Mercury which, from the perspective of Newtonian theory, seems anomalous and baffled astronomers prior to the modern era.

What Relativity Does and Doesn’t Mean

For me, the most radical aspect of Einstein’s work is how the Special Theory predicts that time slows down as objects move. And the General Theory predicts that gravity affects the passage of time. Both of these hypotheses have been supported by atomic clocks and GPS measurements.² So, quite unlike idle speculation and imaginary fantasies, Einstein’s seemingly weird ideas are supported by empirical evidence. While other theories of gravitation exist, they have a lot in common with Einstein’s.

To close, I’ll note that the Theory of Relativity does not deal with the quality of life or more specifically the realm of ethics. An evil madperson and a benevolent genius will each affect spacetime in the same way, according to the parameters set out by Einstein. However, spiritually-minded folk see different spiritual forces influencing and emanating from the madperson and the genius. This dimension hinges on two possible realities not addressed by Einstein, namely, heaven and hell, along with their respective spiritual powers.

Perhaps in the future, all of these dimensions will be integrated into a ‘grand unified theory’ but for now, our outlook remains splintered from a cosmological standpoint. In fact, it is so splintered that most people don’t know that the word “cosmology” doesn’t just refer to the visible universe but also to spiritual realms which according to many autobiographical and biographical accounts are perceived and often seen inwardly.³

¹ This quote is from a 2015 Wikipedia entry.

²  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation.

³ One could argue that both higher physics and advanced mysticism are taken as articles of faith. Also, most say that our inner world influences our perception of time (e.g. “time flies when you’re having fun”) and that ‘vibes’ can influence our perception of gravity, making us feel heavy or light.