About Species Universe | Consciousness, Nothingness, And The Unified Field

How Nothingness, Consciousness, and the Universe Converge into One Story

Species Universe began as a personal inquiry — a sincere attempt to understand the most fundamental questions of existence:

What is the universe made of?
What is consciousness?
And why does quantum mechanics appear to connect the two?

My name is John Zettel, and this project emerged as a result of decades spent studying Transcendental Meditation, modern physics, and the profound mysteries hidden within the foundations of nature. Over time, these explorations converged into a simple but radical insight:

The “Nothing” of quantum mechanics, the pure awareness experienced during transcendence, and the unified field sought by physics are not different things — they are the same thing described through different lenses.

Species Universe is the unfolding of that realization — part scientific synthesis, part philosophical exploration, and part invitation to see the world through a more unified lens.

This video presents the original, spoken introduction to Species Universe. The article below expands the ideas in a clear, structured form.

Click Here to Show Transcript

0:00 – About Species Universe. Hi, I am John Zettel, author of Species Universe.

0:03 – This blog, Species Universe, reflects my growth toward enlightenment or higher states of consciousness.

0:05 – If not that, then certainly about getting the benefit of practicing the Transcendental Meditation program as prescribed.

0:10 – In particular, I will be describing my realization of equating consciousness through that Nothing of quantum mechanics to the Unified Field, Unified Field Equation, String Theory, the Theory of Everything, or M-Theory — whichever you want to call it.

0:32 – Basically, this blog is about how remarkable that Nothing of quantum mechanics fits the bill for the discovery of the ultimate law of unity or source of life — the unifying principle of both the objective and subjective aspects of life, of the physical and consciousness.

0:47 – What is that Nothing of quantum mechanics?

0:49 – You can read my Species Universe page to get an in-depth description of where we get this Nothing from. The link is in the description below.

0:58 – Basically, this Nothing comes from the physics community trying to study the very small, which includes molecules, atoms, and subatomic components.

1:02 – However, when the physics community did study this atomic realm, they came up against a paradox resulting in a conundrum.

1:14 – First, they found that the very small world displays both a particle and wave nature at the same time.

1:18 – This was discovered through the Double Slit Experiment where scientists sent electrons through a double slit only to find the individual electrons acted both as particles and waves.

1:31 – When electrons were sent through the double slits individually, they still displayed wave-like properties on the receiving screen.

1:39 – Whether electrons were sent individually or collectively, we get a wave-like result.

1:44 – However, the conundrum occurs when we monitor or observe the experiment to see exactly which slit the individual electrons are going through.

1:53 – When we do this, the electrons go back to behaving like particles, not waves. The result is two columns of atoms hitting the back screen.

2:02 – When we make an act of observation, we get particle behavior; when not monitoring, we get wave behavior.

2:06 – This is the conundrum. Only an act of observation collapses the wave property into particle behavior.

2:09 – I recommend watching a video explaining the Double Slit Experiment as many times as needed until you thoroughly grasp what it is saying.

2:17 – You can watch the YouTube channel Space Time | PBS Digital Studios’ video “The Quantum Experiment that Broke Reality” for an excellent description.

2:32 – It is essential to understand quantum mechanics AND to understand what I and many others are saying about what quantum mechanics is really pointing to — that the true relationship between mind and body is that they are the same thing.

3:47 – The Nothing in the Double Slit Experiment comes from the math used to describe something that displays both a particle and wave property simultaneously.

3:55 – To do this, scientists employed the mathematics of probabilities.

3:59 – Probabilities are not certainties. They cannot be located in any one point in space and time.

4:07 – Instead, they are mathematical probability distributions — the likelihood of finding the particle/wave in any given location at any given time.

4:19 – Certainties can be located in space and time; probabilities cannot.

4:22 – A probability is most accurately described as a non-physical, non-local phenomenon — basically Nothing.

4:35 – This is where we get that Nothing of quantum mechanics.

4:37 – Equating consciousness through that Nothing of quantum mechanics to the Theory of Everything is to be understood the same way Einstein equated acceleration to gravity.

4:47 – By equating acceleration to gravity, Einstein was able to equate the math of something simple — an accelerating elevator — to something more abstract: gravity.

4:59 – This was confirmed in the 1919 solar eclipse, which established General Relativity.

5:12 – I expect the equation of consciousness with the Nothing of quantum mechanics to operate the same way.

5:19 – If successful, it provides a workable conceptual framework unifying consciousness and the physical.

5:31 – This also means the Theory of Everything is a Theory of Consciousness. How could it be otherwise?

5:41 – Key takeaways:

5:44 – First, this blog presents both traditional and scientific attempts to equate consciousness to the source of life — the universe — or the Theory of Everything.

5:50 – Second, Nothingness in quantum mechanics is the educational tool for making consciousness and the physical conceptually simple to equate.

5:56 – Third, this project explores the remarkable implications of this equation.

6:03 – Eventually, I expect to write a book about Species Universe.

6:09 – Signing up will keep you current on this subject and notify you when the book/eBook comes out.

6:27 – That’s everything about Species Universe. If this idea resonates with you, please like and subscribe.

6:43 – Opinions expressed in the video do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone referred to directly or indirectly.

6:54 – All links mentioned in the video are listed in the description below.

To explore how these insights weave into a cohesive worldview, you can learn more through the broader Species Universe framework, which outlines the unified-field foundation for this entire project.

🌌 Why Species Universe Exists

Species Universe is not a conventional science blog, nor is it aimed at promoting a belief system. Instead, it stands at the crossroads of:

Quantum Physics
Relativity
Consciousness Studies
Vedic Science
Meditation and inner experience
Cosmic evolution

The project has a singular aim:

To show that consciousness and the physical universe arise from the same source — a non-physical, non-local field that quantum mechanics refers to as “Nothing.”

This perspective dissolves the divide between mind and matter, subject and object, science and spirituality. It allows us to understand the universe not as a cold mechanism, but as a living, conscious, evolving organism — a species in its own right.

Hence the name: Species Universe.

A deeper exploration of these ideas can be found in the full foundational vision, where I describe in detail how the Nothingness of quantum mechanics reveals the universe as a living, self-aware organism.

🧘‍♂️ How Transcendental Meditation Opened the Door

Species Universe did not begin with equations — it began with experience.

Through the practice of Transcendental Meditation, I repeatedly accessed the simplest state of awareness: a silent, non-physical level of consciousness that exists beyond thought. In this state:

There is no movement
No space
No time
No individuality
Just pure awareness, referring to itself

This inner experience provided a reference frame for interpreting the claims of quantum physics. When physicists describe the underlying structure of reality as “non-local,” “undefined,” or a “probability wave,” the language points toward the same thing meditators experience internally:

Consciousness without content — pure awareness — the silent field from which all thoughts, perceptions, and physical phenomena emerge.

This is what the Vedic tradition calls pure consciousness.
This is what quantum theorists describe as a probability distribution.
This is what physicists describe as the unified field.
This is what Einstein struggled to formalize.
This is what Species Universe calls Nothing — not emptiness, but the foundation of everything.

This connection between inner experience and outer science resonates with traditional insights that anticipated these discoveries, especially within ancient Vedic and contemplative traditions.

⚛️ The “Nothing” of Quantum Mechanics

(Why it matters for understanding consciousness)

Quantum mechanics uncovered a paradox that transformed science forever. When physicists studied the very small — atoms, electrons, and subatomic particles — they discovered something astonishing:

Matter does not behave like matter until it is observed.

This is revealed dramatically by the Double Slit Experiment, which shows:

When unobserved, electrons behave like waves — spread out, undefined, non-physical.
When observed, they behave like particles — localized, physical, measurable.

This wave behavior is described mathematically as a probability distribution. But a probability is not a physical thing. It is not located in space or time. It has no mass, no extension, no physical existence.

A probability is, in the most literal sense:

A non-physical, non-local phenomenon — Nothing.

Yet this Nothingness becomes physical reality the moment it is observed.

That is the quantum conundrum.

This is also where consciousness enters the equation — not metaphorically, but functionally.

For readers interested in how these ideas align with contemporary research, I explore the modern scientific interpretations of quantum theory, relativity, and unified field physics throughout the site.

🧠 Equating Consciousness with Nothingness

Here is the key realization:

Consciousness behaves exactly like the “Nothing” of quantum mechanics.

Why?

Because like the quantum probability wave:

Pure awareness cannot be located in space
It has no shape, no dimension, no physical properties
It is non-local
It exists prior to thought or perception
It collapses into specificity only when attention focuses

This is the same behavior quantum mechanics attributes to the subatomic world.

Just as Einstein equated acceleration with gravity, thereby unlocking General Relativity, so too can we equate:

Consciousness = Quantum Nothingness

If this is true — and every experiment suggests it is — then consciousness is not produced by the brain.
Nor is it a side effect of matter.

Instead:

Consciousness is fundamental.
Matter emerges from consciousness.
Mind and body are two expressions of the same underlying field.

This is not philosophy — it is a direct implication of physics.

If you’d like a concise overview of how these elements fit together, the core concept of Species Universe distills this self-referral process into a clear, accessible explanation.

🌱 If Consciousness Is the Source, What Is the Universe?

Once consciousness and Nothingness are unified, a new picture of the universe emerges:

1. The universe is not a machine

Machines are built from parts.
Nothingness cannot be divided.
Therefore, the universe is not fundamentally mechanical.

2. The universe is self-organizing

Consciousness is self-referral — it knows itself by being itself.
This is what gives rise to structure, differentiation, and complexity.

3. The universe is alive

Not in the biological sense, but in the sense of being:

Self-aware
Self-regulating
Self-evolving

Everything from atoms to galaxies participates in this evolution.

4. You are an expression of the universe’s awareness

You do not stand outside the universe observing it.
You are the universe observing itself.

This is why I refer to the universe as:

A living species — “Species Universe.”

This perspective naturally leads to a broader understanding of cosmic and conscious evolution, showing how the universe unfolds as a living species expressing deeper layers of awareness.

🧩 The Mission of the Species Universe Project

1. Present the traditional and scientific foundations of consciousness

This includes:

Vedic philosophy
Transcendental Meditation
Quantum mechanics
Relativity
Unified field theories
Contemporary consciousness research

All pointing toward the same underlying truth.

2. Use the “Nothing” of quantum mechanics as a conceptual bridge

Nothingness offers a scientifically accessible way to unify:

Subjective experience
Objective measurement
Physical laws
Consciousness itself

3. Explore the implications of this unified perspective

If consciousness and matter are the same thing, then:

Mind-body dualism dissolves
Cosmic evolution becomes conscious evolution
Identity expands beyond individuality
Enlightenment becomes a natural understanding
The universe becomes a living organism

These implications are profound — and transformative.

4. Build a body of work that becomes a book

Over time, Species Universe will accumulate enough clarity, structure, and depth to become:

A book
An eBook
A cohesive roadmap to understanding consciousness and the universe

Readers who follow the project will be the first to know when the book is released.

Many thinkers across physics, philosophy, and consciousness studies have contributed to this emerging viewpoint, and I highlight several of these Quantum Enigmatists whose insights support this unified understanding.

🎥 About the Video on This Page

(And why the transcript matters)

The embedded video is an early explanation of these ideas. It captures the sincerity and emergence of the Species Universe concept in its formative stage.

Its transcript — included here as supplemental material — represents a snapshot of the unfolding thought process behind this project. While the video remains valuable, this rewritten About page serves as the polished, structured counterpart.

The transcript is preserved for:

Historical context
Readers who prefer exact spoken language
Search engines and accessibility
Archival value

To view the original introduction I recorded, you can jump to the video above.