“However, if we do discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason − for then we would know the mind of God.”

Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time

A fiery, chaotic explosion of infinite energy, or a great dream of a united mind? A world born in a Big Bang or in the mind of God? Which story better explains our world? Is one science fiction and the other, science fact? If so, which one? How do we tell? Do we count votes? Do we see which story is taught in the most schools or appears in the most textbooks? Or should we pick the story that explains more?

One way to judge the two stories is think them both through with an open mind. And, like a scientist conducting an experiment in a laboratory, we must remove our own beliefs and prejudices from the outcome of the experiment. The reader must try to look at the world purely, like a child. Strive for extreme objectivity; be the perfect neutral judge and make no decisions until the evidence comes in and the arguments weighed against each other.

Why is it important to consider which story is true? Well, for one, the answer tells us how best to advance the true purpose of science, which is to understand the world in order to master it. If the Big Bang model is correct, then the universe is essentially a machine and we control machines by manipulating their parts, like a car monmouth school for girls mechanic scraping rust from an old spark plug. If, on the other hand, the world is a dream, then we should be seeking to control the world by first improving the internal, or spiritual, states of the dreamers.

In a machine world high thoughts and a vibrant spirit may make us feel better, but these internal states will not change the course of the locomotive universe. Conversely, if the world is really a dream, all of our efforts to control the world by treating it as a machine will ultimately prove futile. The powers of thought, emotion, and willpower fuel dreams; they are not manipulated by physical force.

Our current culture accepts the storyline of the Big Bang almost without question, as if it were handed down from the sky. But does the Big Bang explain more than considering the universe as a great dream of God? Let’s compare the two storylines.

Storyline One: The Big Bang

This story is based upon the notion that the physical world- the sky, trees, grass, and all living things – exists independently of the mind and operates beyond its control. Scientists call this viewpoint the “principle of objectivity,” which assumes that there is a “real world independent of human perception.” (E. Mayr, This is Biology.) Everyone wants there to be a “real world independent of human perception,” and by all accounts there is a real world out there. The question though is whether this world we experience came from the Big Bang or the dream of God.

The principle of objectivity leads to the Big Bang theory. If a mind-independent world exists, then it is a world of stuff, of matter, and the question would be where the stuff came from. Extrapolating from observations that the universe is expanding outward, scientists have concluded that what they see through their powerful telescopes is the continuing saga of a primordial explosion — the Big Bang. Present at the Big Bang was a point of infinite density, a singularity, that held the contents of what was to be the universe of stars. (See S. Hawking, A Brief History of Time.)