Multiple Worlds
"There is a world elsewhere."
(Coriolanus, Act 3, Scene 3, Shakespeare)
The idea that there are multiple worlds—each unique in its own way—is ancient, humbling and hope-giving. It inspires a sense of wonder, a kind of cosmic humility, and a recognition that much more is possible, and perhaps actual, than we see with our three-dimensional eyes. Interestingly, Whitehead offers his own version of this idea with his notion that the cosmos unfolds within an extensive continuum, encompassing multiple cosmic epochs, each of which is a world of its own, with its own forms of order, some of which we can barely recognize as "ordered," given our own capacities for reflection.
Our present cosmic epoch, he proposes, is governed by the laws of electromagnetism, but there may be other worlds with very different forms of physical order—some perhaps unimaginable to us, and others easily imaginable, where even arithmetic is irrelevant. These non-electromagnetic and non-arithmetic worlds are profoundly unfamiliar. And yet we sense that we live in a broader space-time continuum, amid which our own "world" is but one. The other worlds may be strange to us, with different physical laws, but nevertheless part of a larger multiplicity: a community of communities of communities or, if you prefer, a nexus of nexuses of nexuses, all part of (in Whitehead's words) a vast Nexus.
The very idea of multiple worlds in a vast Nexus has far-reaching implications for both art and theology. For artists, it opens the door to new forms of creativity, imagining realities with different laws, textures, and possibilities. This is evident, among many places, in fantasy fiction—such as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, with its intricate cosmology and mythic history, or C.S. Lewis's Narnia, where time, space, and natural laws operate in profoundly different ways. These imagined worlds not only entertain but also invite reflection on moral, spiritual, and existential questions, stretching the imagination and pointing toward realities beyond the limits of the familiar. The imagined worlds may or may not be actual, but at the very least they are possible.
For theologians, the idea of multiple worlds expands the horizon of the sacred. It challenges religiously-minded folks (and I am among them) to recognize that God, or the Sacred, however understood, is much wider and more pluralistic than our earth-centered imaginations might otherwise allow. In a cosmos teeming with countless worlds—each with its own unique possibilities and forms of order—the sacred cannot be confined to a single narrative, tradition, or cosmic epoch. Instead, it beckons us toward a vision of the divine that is dynamic, relational, and ever-unfolding—a presence that transcends particular worlds while being intimately woven into their diverse realities.
This broader perspective fosters both humility and openness, encouraging us to embrace the mystery of a sacredness that is always more than we can imagine.
The idea also inspires a semi-playful but nonetheless plausible speculation: namely, that humans might partake in inter-epochal or multi-world communication, in which we experience mind-to-mind connections with “other worlds” even as we remain situated in our unique place in time and space.
This notion suggests that the boundaries between cosmic epochs or worlds might be more porous than we assume, with consciousness serving as a bridge that allows us to glimpse or resonate with realities beyond our own. It also inspires reflection on the ways in which imagination, intuition, and creativity might function as portals to these other realms, offering glimpses of possibilities not yet actualized in our current epoch.
(Coriolanus, Act 3, Scene 3, Shakespeare)
The idea that there are multiple worlds—each unique in its own way—is ancient, humbling and hope-giving. It inspires a sense of wonder, a kind of cosmic humility, and a recognition that much more is possible, and perhaps actual, than we see with our three-dimensional eyes. Interestingly, Whitehead offers his own version of this idea with his notion that the cosmos unfolds within an extensive continuum, encompassing multiple cosmic epochs, each of which is a world of its own, with its own forms of order, some of which we can barely recognize as "ordered," given our own capacities for reflection.
Our present cosmic epoch, he proposes, is governed by the laws of electromagnetism, but there may be other worlds with very different forms of physical order—some perhaps unimaginable to us, and others easily imaginable, where even arithmetic is irrelevant. These non-electromagnetic and non-arithmetic worlds are profoundly unfamiliar. And yet we sense that we live in a broader space-time continuum, amid which our own "world" is but one. The other worlds may be strange to us, with different physical laws, but nevertheless part of a larger multiplicity: a community of communities of communities or, if you prefer, a nexus of nexuses of nexuses, all part of (in Whitehead's words) a vast Nexus.
The very idea of multiple worlds in a vast Nexus has far-reaching implications for both art and theology. For artists, it opens the door to new forms of creativity, imagining realities with different laws, textures, and possibilities. This is evident, among many places, in fantasy fiction—such as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, with its intricate cosmology and mythic history, or C.S. Lewis's Narnia, where time, space, and natural laws operate in profoundly different ways. These imagined worlds not only entertain but also invite reflection on moral, spiritual, and existential questions, stretching the imagination and pointing toward realities beyond the limits of the familiar. The imagined worlds may or may not be actual, but at the very least they are possible.
For theologians, the idea of multiple worlds expands the horizon of the sacred. It challenges religiously-minded folks (and I am among them) to recognize that God, or the Sacred, however understood, is much wider and more pluralistic than our earth-centered imaginations might otherwise allow. In a cosmos teeming with countless worlds—each with its own unique possibilities and forms of order—the sacred cannot be confined to a single narrative, tradition, or cosmic epoch. Instead, it beckons us toward a vision of the divine that is dynamic, relational, and ever-unfolding—a presence that transcends particular worlds while being intimately woven into their diverse realities.
This broader perspective fosters both humility and openness, encouraging us to embrace the mystery of a sacredness that is always more than we can imagine.
The idea also inspires a semi-playful but nonetheless plausible speculation: namely, that humans might partake in inter-epochal or multi-world communication, in which we experience mind-to-mind connections with “other worlds” even as we remain situated in our unique place in time and space.
This notion suggests that the boundaries between cosmic epochs or worlds might be more porous than we assume, with consciousness serving as a bridge that allows us to glimpse or resonate with realities beyond our own. It also inspires reflection on the ways in which imagination, intuition, and creativity might function as portals to these other realms, offering glimpses of possibilities not yet actualized in our current epoch.
The Cosmos as a Vast Nexus
of Cosmic Epochs
Physicists propose that the observable universe is roughly 13.8 billion years old and will persist for a good while longer, ending in one of multiple possible ways: a heat death, a big freeze, a big crunch, or vacuum decay. Yet, in the larger scheme of things, that's merely the blink of an eye. For Alfred North Whitehead, this span of time marks only a single cosmic epoch—a chapter within the infinite narrative of existence. Other cosmic epochs will succeed our own. In Process and Reality, Whitehead suggests that our universe, with all its physical constants, galaxies, and evolutionary processes, is just one among potentially countless epochs, each characterized by its own distinct order, laws, and possibilities.
Our present cosmic epoch, says Whitehead, is shaped by particular forms of order, both electromagnetic and geometrical. As Whitehead puts it:
“Our present cosmic epoch is formed by an ‘electromagnetic’ society, which is a more special society contained within the geometric society.” (Process and Reality)
However, he adds, there is no reason to assume that these forms of order are universal or found in other cosmic epochs. Each epoch may bring forth an entirely new framework of order, unfathomable by the standards of our current understanding. Even arithmetic may be irrelevant in some cosmic epochs. As Whitehead puts it:
"There is no difficulty in imagining a world—i.e., a cosmic epoch—in which arithmetic would be an interesting fanciful topic for dreamers, but useless for practical people engrossed in the business of life." (Process and Reality)
A cosmic epoch, in Whitehead's framework, is more than just a phase; it is a systematic world unto itself, organized around unique principles that govern its structure and activity. Our current epoch operates under specific physical constants and natural laws that have shaped the development of stars, planets, and life as we know it. But Whitehead envisions the possibility of other epochs, each existing with entirely different systems of order, perhaps governed by principles we can scarcely imagine. These epochs might precede, succeed, or may happen at the same time as our own. They represent alternative universes, prior phases of reality, or potential futures, each contributing to the unfathomable vastness of existence.
Whitehead elaborates on this vision of epochs as part of a "vast nexus," a network of interconnected realities extending beyond our perceptual and conceptual limits. He writes:
"In these general properties of extensive connection, we discern the defining characteristic of a vast nexus extending far beyond our immediate cosmic epoch. It contains in itself other epochs, with more particular characteristics incompatible with each other. Then from the standpoint of our present epoch, the fundamental society in so far as it transcends our own epoch seems a vast confusion mitigated by the few, faint elements of order contained in its own defining characteristic of ‘extensive connection.’ We cannot discriminate its other epochs of vigorous order, and we merely conceive it as harbouring the faint flush of the dawn of order in our own epoch. This ultimate, vast society constitutes the whole environment within which our epoch is set, so far as systematic characteristics are discernible by us in our present stage of development. In the future the growth of theory may endow our successors with keener powers of discernment" (Process and Reality).
This vision of reality as a dynamic, layered multiplicity invites both awe and curiosity. The current cosmic epoch, with all its intricacies, may be only a small fragment of a much larger story. As science and philosophy progress, new tools of understanding may reveal the faint outlines of these other epochs, deepening our grasp of existence’s complexity.
Our present cosmic epoch, says Whitehead, is shaped by particular forms of order, both electromagnetic and geometrical. As Whitehead puts it:
“Our present cosmic epoch is formed by an ‘electromagnetic’ society, which is a more special society contained within the geometric society.” (Process and Reality)
However, he adds, there is no reason to assume that these forms of order are universal or found in other cosmic epochs. Each epoch may bring forth an entirely new framework of order, unfathomable by the standards of our current understanding. Even arithmetic may be irrelevant in some cosmic epochs. As Whitehead puts it:
"There is no difficulty in imagining a world—i.e., a cosmic epoch—in which arithmetic would be an interesting fanciful topic for dreamers, but useless for practical people engrossed in the business of life." (Process and Reality)
A cosmic epoch, in Whitehead's framework, is more than just a phase; it is a systematic world unto itself, organized around unique principles that govern its structure and activity. Our current epoch operates under specific physical constants and natural laws that have shaped the development of stars, planets, and life as we know it. But Whitehead envisions the possibility of other epochs, each existing with entirely different systems of order, perhaps governed by principles we can scarcely imagine. These epochs might precede, succeed, or may happen at the same time as our own. They represent alternative universes, prior phases of reality, or potential futures, each contributing to the unfathomable vastness of existence.
Whitehead elaborates on this vision of epochs as part of a "vast nexus," a network of interconnected realities extending beyond our perceptual and conceptual limits. He writes:
"In these general properties of extensive connection, we discern the defining characteristic of a vast nexus extending far beyond our immediate cosmic epoch. It contains in itself other epochs, with more particular characteristics incompatible with each other. Then from the standpoint of our present epoch, the fundamental society in so far as it transcends our own epoch seems a vast confusion mitigated by the few, faint elements of order contained in its own defining characteristic of ‘extensive connection.’ We cannot discriminate its other epochs of vigorous order, and we merely conceive it as harbouring the faint flush of the dawn of order in our own epoch. This ultimate, vast society constitutes the whole environment within which our epoch is set, so far as systematic characteristics are discernible by us in our present stage of development. In the future the growth of theory may endow our successors with keener powers of discernment" (Process and Reality).
This vision of reality as a dynamic, layered multiplicity invites both awe and curiosity. The current cosmic epoch, with all its intricacies, may be only a small fragment of a much larger story. As science and philosophy progress, new tools of understanding may reveal the faint outlines of these other epochs, deepening our grasp of existence’s complexity.
Inter-Epochal Communication?
a speculative possibility
In addition to the implications above, there is a speculative possibility worthy of consideration. It is that there can be communication between cosmic epochs. Whitehead does not speculate on this. Indeed, he seems to think that we can no very little about other cosmic epochs, given our current knowledge. However, he speculates that future generations may know more: "This ultimate, vast society constitutes the whole environment within which our epoch is set, so far as systematic characteristics are discernible by us in our present stage of development. In the future the growth of theory may endow our successors with keener powers of discernment"
Nevertheless, his own philosophy offers one possibility: namely his idea of knowing through what he calls "hybrid physical prehensions." The idea invites us to consider a mode of communication that transcends the usual constraints of space, time, and physical causation. In Process and Reality, Whitehead proposes that actual entities—momentary events of experience—are fundamentally relational, with their prehensions (or feelings) connecting them to the wider universe. While most prehensions involve the immediate past and the physical environment, hybrid physical prehensions point toward a deeper connectivity that could potentially operate across cosmic epochs or parallel dimensions of existence.
Through hybrid physical prehensions, actual entities can feel one another's experiences directly, without requiring spatial or temporal contiguity. This raises the possibility that human beings, as a series of concrescing subjects or actual entities, might have moments of resonance with entities from other cosmic epochs—whether past or parallel.
These cosmic epochs - these worlds - are not necessarily "far away," because the regions they occupy in the space-time continuum (the extensive continuum) may overlap with our present cosmic epoch. Two or more "worlds" can occupy the same regions. Thus a hybrid prehension may be of an actual entity in another world, albeit close at hand
*
Unlike traditional communication, which is limited by the speed of light, physical distance, and temporal alignment, hybrid prehensions operate at the level of pure relationality within the metaphysical fabric of the universe. This could allow for a kind of "mind-to-mind" or "event-to-event" connection unconstrained by the material mechanisms of causality. Whitehead emphasizes that every prehension includes a subjective form—the way an entity feels its object. If humans were to engage in such cosmic communication, it might involve tuning our subjective forms to align with those of entities in other epochs, creating a shared relational field.
Certain conditions could facilitate this speculative form of communication. Experiences such as deep meditative states, artistic creation, or intense intellectual focus might create a mode of experience open to hybrid prehensions. These experiences could function as "antennas," aligning human perceptions with the rhythms and patterns of distant entities.
Additionally, in Whitehead’s universe, God provides initial aims—lures toward creative novelty—to all entities. These shared lures could form the foundation for connectivity between vastly different epochs, allowing humans and cosmic entities to "meet" in their shared pursuit of beauty, truth, or harmony. Humanity’s collective experiences might themselves function as an actual entity on a larger scale, forming a nexus that could prehend other collective consciousnesses across cosmic epochs. This suggests that communication might not occur at the individual level but through collective alignments of purpose and feeling.
If such communication were possible, it would redefine our understanding of relationality, positioning human existence as fundamentally interconnected with the whole cosmic process rather than isolated in a specific epoch. It would also carry profound ethical implications. If we are connected with entities in other cosmic epochs, our actions and intentions might ripple through these connections, contributing to the shared well-being of a much larger, inter-epochal community. Whitehead's cosmology suggests the universe is deeply intimate, with every actual entity carrying within itself the traces of the entire cosmos. Cosmic communication through hybrid prehensions would make this intimacy explicit, weaving humanity into a vast web of relationality that includes entities from unimaginable dimensions and times.
Challenges remain, however. How might human beings intentionally attune themselves to experiences from other cosmic epochs? What practices—spiritual, intellectual, or artistic—might cultivate this kind of receptivity? Furthermore, if such communication occurs, how would we interpret or translate the feelings of entities with radically different contexts and experiences? Lastly, while hybrid prehensions challenge empirical verification, is there a way to anchor this idea in observable phenomena, or must it remain purely philosophical?
Exploring the possibility of communication through hybrid physical prehensions invites us to imagine ourselves as participants in a vast, interconnected cosmic drama, where boundaries of time and space dissolve in favor of deeper, relational connections. Whether or not this speculative idea finds grounding in empirical reality, it opens up a profound way of thinking about human existence, relationality, and our place within an ever-evolving universe. This cosmological vision challenges us to rethink the limits of communication and embrace the possibility of a metaphysical intimacy that binds all epochs, entities, and experiences together.
Nevertheless, his own philosophy offers one possibility: namely his idea of knowing through what he calls "hybrid physical prehensions." The idea invites us to consider a mode of communication that transcends the usual constraints of space, time, and physical causation. In Process and Reality, Whitehead proposes that actual entities—momentary events of experience—are fundamentally relational, with their prehensions (or feelings) connecting them to the wider universe. While most prehensions involve the immediate past and the physical environment, hybrid physical prehensions point toward a deeper connectivity that could potentially operate across cosmic epochs or parallel dimensions of existence.
Through hybrid physical prehensions, actual entities can feel one another's experiences directly, without requiring spatial or temporal contiguity. This raises the possibility that human beings, as a series of concrescing subjects or actual entities, might have moments of resonance with entities from other cosmic epochs—whether past or parallel.
These cosmic epochs - these worlds - are not necessarily "far away," because the regions they occupy in the space-time continuum (the extensive continuum) may overlap with our present cosmic epoch. Two or more "worlds" can occupy the same regions. Thus a hybrid prehension may be of an actual entity in another world, albeit close at hand
*
Unlike traditional communication, which is limited by the speed of light, physical distance, and temporal alignment, hybrid prehensions operate at the level of pure relationality within the metaphysical fabric of the universe. This could allow for a kind of "mind-to-mind" or "event-to-event" connection unconstrained by the material mechanisms of causality. Whitehead emphasizes that every prehension includes a subjective form—the way an entity feels its object. If humans were to engage in such cosmic communication, it might involve tuning our subjective forms to align with those of entities in other epochs, creating a shared relational field.
Certain conditions could facilitate this speculative form of communication. Experiences such as deep meditative states, artistic creation, or intense intellectual focus might create a mode of experience open to hybrid prehensions. These experiences could function as "antennas," aligning human perceptions with the rhythms and patterns of distant entities.
Additionally, in Whitehead’s universe, God provides initial aims—lures toward creative novelty—to all entities. These shared lures could form the foundation for connectivity between vastly different epochs, allowing humans and cosmic entities to "meet" in their shared pursuit of beauty, truth, or harmony. Humanity’s collective experiences might themselves function as an actual entity on a larger scale, forming a nexus that could prehend other collective consciousnesses across cosmic epochs. This suggests that communication might not occur at the individual level but through collective alignments of purpose and feeling.
If such communication were possible, it would redefine our understanding of relationality, positioning human existence as fundamentally interconnected with the whole cosmic process rather than isolated in a specific epoch. It would also carry profound ethical implications. If we are connected with entities in other cosmic epochs, our actions and intentions might ripple through these connections, contributing to the shared well-being of a much larger, inter-epochal community. Whitehead's cosmology suggests the universe is deeply intimate, with every actual entity carrying within itself the traces of the entire cosmos. Cosmic communication through hybrid prehensions would make this intimacy explicit, weaving humanity into a vast web of relationality that includes entities from unimaginable dimensions and times.
Challenges remain, however. How might human beings intentionally attune themselves to experiences from other cosmic epochs? What practices—spiritual, intellectual, or artistic—might cultivate this kind of receptivity? Furthermore, if such communication occurs, how would we interpret or translate the feelings of entities with radically different contexts and experiences? Lastly, while hybrid prehensions challenge empirical verification, is there a way to anchor this idea in observable phenomena, or must it remain purely philosophical?
Exploring the possibility of communication through hybrid physical prehensions invites us to imagine ourselves as participants in a vast, interconnected cosmic drama, where boundaries of time and space dissolve in favor of deeper, relational connections. Whether or not this speculative idea finds grounding in empirical reality, it opens up a profound way of thinking about human existence, relationality, and our place within an ever-evolving universe. This cosmological vision challenges us to rethink the limits of communication and embrace the possibility of a metaphysical intimacy that binds all epochs, entities, and experiences together.