What is Energy?

Abstract

“What is energy?” We appreciate it well when it manifests within the limits of our perception and hence we say it is “Everything”. Understanding energy as such can be frustrating because it is like looking for something that lies beyond the limits of our perception.

Key Words

Energy, Manifestation, Experience

A question that is utterly frustrating and for sure has no answer is “What is Energy?” If it’s everything, what does that mean? We apply energy in every equation that demonstrates the workings of everything in this world, despite of not knowing what it is, which builds the infuriation.

This is the reason physicists have laws that make energy the most fundamental unit of everything; it can neither be created nor destroyed, but can transform from one form to another. According to physics, energy is a quantitative property that must be transferred to an object in order to perform work on, or to heat the object. The loss and gain of energy can be equated to birth and death in the living, and creation and destruction in the non-living.

 

Energy can be utilized in superfluity to bring about obliteration or can be restrained to support life; energy can be potential or kinetic; energy has many names based on the form it takes within our limited perception.

The beauty of energy actually resides in its manifestations which forms the basis of all manifestations whether living or non-living.   

 

Energy manifestations are observed as patterns in the universe. Based on the geometrical patterns known and studied in the macroscopic and microscopic world, we can assume that energy moves and shapes itself in forms that may act as a solid support for its movement to form a system within itself which is visible in the atom and even in the galaxies and the universe.

 

Let us dissever an atom that which makes up everything in the universe. An atom is a composite of sub atomic particles like the quarks, leptons, baryons and the list goes on and on. According to the string theory, each of these sub atomic particles is further made up of strings which hold tremendous amounts of energy and which maintain the compactness of a particle.

Based on this theory, eventually we end up with empty spaces within an atom for which there is no explanation but for sure we can assume there is energy in there which supports the atom and its sub atomic particle with its stability and compactness.  

Energy is a fundamental unit and without it we cannot proceed further with understanding what is created and what we can create. Seeking an understanding of energy is like looking into empty space that which lies within the limits of our perception and understanding.

Scientists and philosophers though acknowledge the existence of energy, think differently about energy where a scientist explains energy through change and motion, while some philosophers conceive it to be a spiritual force.

  Religion on the other hand equates it to God, a super power that controls all of mankind and so the devil creating the divide of good and evil. 

 

From an Advaitic perspective, the universe is a manifestation of energy, not because of the existence of a fluid that is continually manipulating or changing as per the scientists nor because of a higher entity that can transform it to things and activities as per the philosophers but because change is the form of the universe and the true meaning of this change we see as energy that never changes; what changes we observe lies in our perception.  

 

“Everything is one”. Advaitic philosophy somehow can provide us a better understanding about energy, but the inconsistency lies in perception wherein the emergence of such a concept also comes out from our very own perception making it flawed.  

To seek and answer to this question we need to perceive it from where it begins and for that we need to be the energy to know what it is. All theories and concepts therefore breakdown here; we need to be in that space to understand it but with our limited perception that is restricted to only our senses it seems impossible.

We therefore end up with only one choice which is to experience and perceive its manifestations.

Conclusion

“What is energy?” This question will always remain a mystery until we be the energy.  

Dr. Contzen Pereira (Editorial Board Member/Contributor)

Independent Scholar, Mumbai, India
Corresponding Author. Address: Nandadeep, Chakala, Andheri (East), Mumbai 400 099, India. Email Address: contzen@rediffmail.com, contzen@gmail.com