by Humza Ghani, Vice President

I find it easy to get lost in thought when pondering the existential questions of life. I’ll often find myself thinking (for hours at a time) about the origins or destination of existence and whether or not they’re even relevant. I decided to write this article because of an interesting realization I had recently regarding these thoughts. If you follow me on twitter you may have seen me recently post a few late night tweets about this epiphany.

              Our bodies are completely comprised of atoms, most of which were formed in the cores of stars over a billion years ago. As a result of this fact, the eyes we use to see are also made up of these atoms. I was staring at the stars and contemplating this thought when I realized that, the stars are actually just looking at themselves. My eyes are made up of atoms that were formed by stars, and those atoms were being used to look at those stars. It’s a weird thing to think about. We’re as much in the universe as the universe is in us. In a way, we are the universe looking at itself. Everything we see and experience expands our consciousness. But in the end that’s all we really are: our thoughts.

            Immediately after thinking about this, I was overcome with a familiar feeling. The same feeling I get when I hear the loud cracking sound of thunder and my heart jumps, or when I experience the immensity of the ocean and how it never seems to end, or witness a forest of giant trees that have stood long before I was born, and will stand long after my death. It’s the feeling of humility. In our society we are constantly worrying about vexatious problems such as deadlines, payments, weight loss etc. I believe it helps to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The importance of those troublesome problems begins to dwindle when you start to realize how tiny we are relative to the rest of the universe. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s just the way it is. The universe is immense beyond our comprehension. Many people would argue that trying to understand the universe only complicates things because you fall into a train of thought that ultimately has no destination. But I would argue that it makes things simpler.

            As fascinating as all of these thoughts may be, it’s possible you’ll find yourself forgetting them. Consistently being dragged back into the drudgeries of everyday life is inevitable, especially in our society. But if the world ever seems too much to handle just try to think of those atoms, and how they connect us to the universe. It may make you feel small, but maybe that’s just what you need.