I have often wondered how the beginning of everything came about. I’m not talking about the Big Bang. I’m not talking about God. I’m talking before all that. And then before that. The ultimate chicken and egg paradox. What came first? How can something be created from nothing?
A very deep and interesting woman who I recently discussed this issue with answered that line of questioning with something of a surprise, "That’s something we are not meant to know." I say it was a surprise because up until that point she had very clearly formed ideas about life, death and religion. This questioning is so basic, that it seems to transcend all of the usual "heavy" topics.
Perhaps this is something that we are not meant to know, and I question if it’s even physically possible to ever know, but the concept is an intriguing one. If God, or whatever "power" you believe in, meant for us not to think of such things, then he would not have given us such wonderful minds. It is only with this gift that we can begin to tackle such "impossible" subjects.
Imagine if you will nothingness. For some, this is perfect darkness—pitch black. For others, this is perfect whiteness—a brightness so blinding and all encompassing that you "see" nothing. However, these are all things, concepts that have come from something. We are incapable of envisioning nothingness, since we have no basis other than our physical and spiritual worlds, which have to consist of something. The closest thing I can personally imagine to nothingness is "clear", but even that takes a tangible form when envisioned. There had to be nothing at some point. If you don’t see that then you’re not trying to think back far enough or are letting religion or science blind you. This goes beyond that. Belief is one thing, but if you don’t have the freedom to think as you please, then you yourself are responsible, not outside forces.
Everything that we are and know, or think we know, is impossible. It can’t possibly exist. Yet it does. How? Simple organisms can reproduce themselves, yet there still had to be some point where there was something even more basic to evolve into the "simple" organisms that have this ability. What elements came together to begin that process? Science can provide many answers to what elements are required to form life, but, as they go farther back, there are elements so basic that it is unknown what makes them up, if anything. These are the problems that we face in trying to determine how something can come from nothing (if this is the premise that we wish to go with). At some point we will hit a barrier where technology fails us and our minds are unable to grasp further concepts. This is perhaps where the "not meant to know" part unavoidably comes into play. Perhaps we were "designed" with this limitation or perhaps we have not yet reached the point potential necessary to envision it.
