An Electrician’s Guide to Our Galaxy – Living Life On The Widest Frequency
Chapter One–Ground Zero
The number 42 is significant in the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.
The number 42 answers the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a 7.5 million-year period.
Can we, the human race, be saved by the number 42?
Though I often ponder the BIG questions of life and what lies within the furthest reaches of our Milky Way galaxy and even beyond, I am not in contact with superintelligent aliens, nor am I a galactic hitchhiker, so my journey must be of a philosophical, intellectual, and spiritual nature. I once was an electrician, however, and my insight-powered personal supercomputer, through some “deep thought” of my own, found another answer.
The answer to the greatest questions of life is
Zero!
How can we possibly be saved by
Zero?
Let me explain by starting with a few definitions of the word zero.
- The symbol or numeral 0 represents the complete absence of any quantity, magnitude, or substance.
- The point, marked 0, from which positive or negative quantities are reckoned on a graduated scale, as on a thermometer.
Who is the father of zero?
- Aryabhatta—Zero’s origin in India came from a well-known astronomer and mathematician of his time, Aryabhatta. The well-known scientist used zero as a placeholder number. In the 5th century, Aryabhatta introduced zero in the decimal number system and, hence, introduced it in mathematics.
What was the original term for zero?
- Sifr evolved to mean zero when it was used to translate śūnya (Sanskrit: शून्य) from India. The first known English use of zero was in 1598. The Italian mathematician Fibonacci ( c. 1170 – c. 1250), who grew up in North Africa and is credited with introducing the decimal system to Europe, used the term zephyrum.
What does 0 signify, symbolize, or mean spiritually?
- The number 0 is seen in many number sequences but has incredible power when seen in numbers 00, 000, and 0000.
- Before any number, there is zero. As a result, in numerology, zero is often associated with potential and possibilities and all that comes before the changes.
- Number zero relates to eternity, oneness, potential, infinity, wholeness, cycles, and flow, listening to your intuition, and beginning a spiritual journey.
- The number zero represents the absolute reference voltage for ground for all electrical circuits on planet Earth.
Navigating the Infinity Within Zero: A Reflection on Ego, Universe, and Existence
The simple symbol for zero, 0, often taken for granted, holds within it a rich tapestry of meaning that stretches across mathematics, philosophy, spirituality, and culture. Its circular form, a line that meets without beginning or end, encloses a space that both is and isn’t, simultaneously representing the bounded individual and the boundless universe. This duality, the finite and the infinite, the ego and the cosmos, invites a profound contemplation on our place within the vastness of existence.
At first glance, the symbol for zero appears as merely an empty circle. Yet, this emptiness encapsulates a fundamental human dilemma: the sense of being an isolated ego cut off from the rest of the universe. However, the “stuff” inside zero is the same material as everything outside, symbolizing our intrinsic connection to the cosmos despite our perceived separateness. This duality of being at once separate and unified with the infinite challenges our understanding of self and other, inviting us to reconsider what it means to be an individual within the grand tapestry of the universe.
Philosophically, zero embodies the challenging concept of nothingness or emptiness. It tempts us to ponder the nature of existence and non-existence, framed by the boundaries of human cognition. The transition from nothing to something – from zero to one – mirrors the mystifying leap from non-being to being, a central inquiry of ancient and modern thought. In this light, Zero is not merely the absence of quantity but a placeholder for the profound mystery of creation and the void that precedes it.
Mathematically, the invention of zero revolutionized arithmetic, introducing the concept of a placeholder that enabled the decimal positional notation system and the arithmetic operations as we know them today. The complex calculations underpinning modern science, economics, and technology are possible with zero. Zero’s introduction to mathematics was as much a leap in human understanding as a practical tool, enabling us to quantify the world increasingly sophisticatedly.
Culturally, the acceptance of zero has traveled a remarkable path. Initially met with suspicion and rejected by some societies for its representation of the void, zero gradually became recognized as a symbol of potential, innovation, and the beginning of the new. Its acceptance marked a shift in civilization’s viewpoint, from seeing emptiness as lacking to appreciating the space of possibility it represented. Today, zero is celebrated for its utility in computation and its philosophical and cultural significance, embodying the paradoxical nature of human progress.
The symbol for zero invites us on a reflective journey. It challenges us to confront our ego’s limitations and acknowledge our inseparable connection to the infinite universe. By meditating on the meaning encapsulated within this simple symbol, we can appreciate the profound truth it signifies: in the heart of nothingness lies the potential for everything. Zero, therefore, is not just a number but a symbol of human exploration, creativity, and our unending quest to understand the universe and our place within it.
When Does Zero Equal One? The Paradox of Salvation Through Nothingness
At first glance, the notion of zero equating to one feels intrinsically paradoxical—a challenge to the laws of mathematics, logic, and reality itself. Yet, if we step outside literal interpretations and examine this through a lens of consciousness, philosophy, and spirituality, the equation becomes symbolic, profound, and perhaps even liberating. Could it be that zero, a concept of apparent emptiness or absence, holds the key to an entirely different kind of completeness? Can it whisper the way to salvation if we learn to align our inner selves?
One must first confront the dominion that time exerts over modern consciousness to unravel this paradox. Our thoughts, tethered endlessly to the past or fears of the future, distort and scatter our sense of presence. These time-based thoughts act as chains, subtly convincing us that what truly defines us lies somewhere we can no longer reach or somewhere we haven’t yet arrived—never here, never now.
This fragmented state creates a perpetual yearning—an ache for identity sourced in achievements, possessions, or relationships. We are stuck in the endless arithmetic of “one more” to feel whole. If I have one more promotion, one more possession, one more validation, I’ll be complete. Yet such arithmetic is futile. Each one we add requires yet another, keeping us running on an unending treadmill toward illusions of fulfillment.
What if we could disrupt this arithmetic entirely? What if, instead of endlessly chasing ones, we could achieve stillness—zero?
Zero is astonishing in its simplicity. On paper, it represents nothing. But philosophically, zero signifies something profound—a blank slate, freedom from attachments, and the fertile void in which new possibilities can emerge. It is no accident that countless spiritual traditions regard emptiness, silence, and surrender as states of transcendence.
To be saved by zero is to fine-tune consciousness and strip away the tangled web of identity built upon time. It is to step beyond the boundaries of “what I was,” “what I might become,” and even “what I have.” When all layers are peeled back—when we detach from the illusory metrics that underpin self-worth—we arrive at pure presence. The eternal and unchanging essence of being.
Through zero, we find a unity that collapses all separation, dissolving the line between “you” and “me,” self and other, subject and object. It is in this great equalizer—the stripping away of the layers of ego, past, and future—that zero paradoxically becomes one. From apparent absence grows the acute awareness of oneness with all beings, unbound by time or circumstance.
But how do we step into this zero state? How can we shift from time-based thought to presence-centered awareness?
- Witness the Mind’s Time Games
Begin with observation. Notice how often your thoughts are rooted in the past or future. The mind creates stories: regret for what was, and anxiety for what might be. Simply recognize these movements without judgment. Awareness is the first step to breaking their hold.
- Anchor in the Present Moment
The body exists only in the now. Use it as an anchor when the mind drifts. Focus on your breath, the sensation of your feet touching the ground, or the feeling of water as you wash your hands. These tiny moments of presence are gateways to zero.
- Surrender Symbols of Identity
Reflect on the attachments—whether material, emotional, or conceptual—that define you in time. What are you clinging to? What “ones” do you believe will complete you? The act of noticing begins the process of loosening your grip.
- Appreciate Space, Silence, and Stillness
Create opportunities to cultivate stillness in your life—through meditation, quiet walks, or simply sitting without distraction. Empty space isn’t void of substance; it is full of potential.
- Cultivate Gratitude for Being
Rather than measuring life by accomplishments or possessions, practice gratitude simply for being. Gratitude is the recognition of oneness—that we are sustained without the need for endlessly “adding more.”
Zero and one—absence and presence—are not opposites but two sides of the same coin. When we strip away the constant noise and clutter of time-based thought, we create a clearing where true completeness resides. Here, we do not need “one” in a conventional sense. Instead, we realize we already are.
Salvation, then, is not a destination but a remembrance. A return to the still point where zero and one converge. By finding zero, we uncover the singular essence of being, an undivided wholeness that erases every false division.
Can you find the courage to leap into the emptiness and be a savior and be saved, all in one breath?
