A Warm Coffee in Hand as a Black Hole Whispers in the Cosmos

Only one thing matters: to be grateful for the opportunity to live

A Warm Coffee in Hand as a Black Hole Whispers in the Cosmos — Image by Author.

Sound of a black hole | NASA AUDIO — 11Alive Youtube Channel

Extreme — “More than words” — OfficiallyExtreme Youtube Channel

Play both videos at the same time. And then start reading.

Thank you for your trust!

Me: I sit at my desk. I think. My mind processes abstract ideas. I decide to write. I turn on the PC, the screen emits a blue light, and the system starts up.

I open the Word file, the cursor blinks on the white page. I rest my hands on the table, I feel the smooth wood, I caress that surface, the physical contact reminds me that I am here now. I live the present through my senses. All this is a miracle.

Black hole: A swirling bright disk surrounds a core of pure darkness. Vortices of incandescent gas sucked in at frightening speed towards the centre. Transmutation of matter into pure energy. Beyond that curved threshold, time ends. Bottomless cosmic magnetism from which nothing escapes. Infinite pouring into the unknown.

Me: I take a glass of water and drink a sip. The cool water wets my mouth and throat. A simple gesture that reminds me of the beauty of existence. The liquid goes down and quenches my thirst. I put the glass back on the table, and caress the wood with my fingers. The hard, smooth surface confirms that I am real.

Black hole: A space-time tunnel where the laws of classical physics lose meaning.

An impossible point from which not even light returns. Terminal horizon beyond which nonsense reigns. The gravitational field is so intense as to overturn all certainty. The end of logic, the last Thule of the known universe. Compact relic of a dead star, in whose core a theoretically impenetrable mystery lies.

Me: The aroma of coffee reaches my nostrils. I deeply inhale that roasted effluvium which evokes pleasant sensations. I get up to pour myself a cup. The heat of the ceramic warms my palms. I savour the intense, bitter and pleasant taste. Every sensory experience is a gem to be jealously preserved. All this is made possible by the priceless gift of consciousness.

Black hole: A cosmic vortex wrapped in mystery. Extreme boundary beyond which understanding dissolves. An ultimate force that bends and distorts spacetime.

The hyperdense relic of a star collapsed upon itself. A bottomless well of pure gravitational attraction.

Me: I turn on the radio, and the song “More than Words” by “Extreme”, starts playing. The notes fill the room and my eardrums. The sense of hearing works, the music transports and moves me. Brain, heart and soul vibrate in unison. Inspiration arises for this article on black holes. I imagine observing one from space. I feel small and in front of that cosmic giant, yet I can understand it with my mind. How wonderfully privileged I am!

Black hole: A collapsed sun that swallows light and planets. Chasm surrounded by a disk of glowing gases. Singularity that sucks in like a cosmic vacuum cleaner.

Nothing escapes its gravitational grip, not even a photon. Beyond the horizon of events, one enters another dimension.

Me: All these visions and sensations fill my heart with wonder and gratitude for the gift of conscious life. The universe overflows with wonders that I can, at least in part, understand and appreciate. I feel rich and lucky for this opportunity to explore the mysteries of the cosmos with mind and soul, even just with imagination.

Black hole: Last relic of destroyed worlds. Impenetrable archive of extinct civilizations. A final receptacle of phenomenal existence. The point in the universe where every story concludes and dissolves into nothingness. The subsequent origin of potential new worlds.

Me: I turn off the computer, and close my eyes. I live this precious moment in all its fullness, letting thoughts and sensations flow without clinging to them.

Now, in this trip of emotional landscapes, it matters little what is real or not.

How rich I am! rich to be a creature who can push himself even far away from himself, very far! Only one thing matters: to be grateful for the opportunity to live.

What is the role of imagination in our understanding of the world?

How can science and philosophy help us understand the mystery of consciousness?

What is the relationship between the human mind and the universe?

Feel free to leave a comment.

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