Multiverses/Parallel Universes/Other Dimensions

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Hope1960

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I’m reading a book called Imagine Heaven, by a pastor (formerly an engineer)
named John Burke. It’s endorsed by reputable people, including Lee Stroble.
It’s a book about near death experiences and Heaven.

On page 108 there’s a section called “Through the Wormhole” where he discusses how science has been pointing to an unseen fifth dimension, parallel universes, and how string theory proposes there are actually hidden dimensions beyond our three spatial dimensions.
Burke asks, “why then can’t we conceive of Heaven existing in a higher dimensional space we can’t see?

I’ve asked before and now that CAFs format has changed and we have new posters here, I want to ask again.
If other dimensions exist does this contradict the Bible or go against our Catholic faith?
 
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Hope1960 said:
It’s endorsed by reputable people, including Lee Stroble. It’s a book about near death experiences and Heaven.
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Hope, none of these “reputable” people are Catholic.
Hope1960 said:
I’ve asked before and now that CAFs format has changed and we have new posters here, I want to ask again.

If other dimensions exist does this contradict the Bible or go against our Catholic faith?
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Given your serious levels of scruples and anxiety and your tendency to fixate on things like this-- you need to be talking to your spiritual director and getting his approval before you read books that speculate about alternate realities, aliens, the end times, “near death experiences” or anything like that.

You need structured spiritual guidance. Stop reading this junk. It stresses you out and makes you doubt the faith.
 
1ke said:
Hope, none of these “reputable” people are Catholic.
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While they haven’t endorsed the book, I believe Brother Guy Consulmagno (sp) and Fr. Robert Spitzer entertain the idea of these things.
 
Hope1960 said:
Burke asks, “why then can’t we conceive of Heaven existing in a higher dimensional space we can’t see?
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The concept of higher physical dimensions does not contradict Church teaching, but the interpretation of heaven as essentially being a physical dimension rather than a “state of being” is just an interpretation that may or may not be consistent with Church teaching; although it may work well as just an analogy. I would also refrain from describing heaven in a scientific context because we are talking about something that is ultimately spiritual in nature as far as i can see…

I would argue that to portray heaven as essentially a physical place is in error because it implies physical limitations. There may be a place where we experience a state of heaven, but ultimately heaven describes a relationship with God experienced through the beatific vision. In other words heaven is essentially God, for he is the end to which we are all in act. God is the good for which our being was created. Physical reality is not our ultimate end. God is.
 
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IWantGod said:
I would argue that to portray heaven as essentially a physical place is in error because it implies physical limitations.
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Jesus and Mary’s bodies are there, therefore it must be a physical place.
 
Based on my reading regarding ideas like this, the available literature is not pointing to anything real. A few interesting things have been written, but as someone who works in ‘speculative fiction,’ I am often involved in discussions about building worlds and what may or may not be plausible. Not real - it just sounds real enough. It is highly unlikely that there really are parallel universes or other dimensions. The multiverse has been adapted to comic book storytelling. On the science side, there are suggestions that our universe may be connected to somewhere else. Where is unknown. Heaven is an actual place that exists outside our space/time continuum.

Other questions should be asked.
  1. Where is our Universe? Is it floating in some sort of void?
  2. Where is our galaxy in relation to the rest of the universe? Is it near an edge? Near the middle?
  3. Where does the energy come from to keep an electron flying around the core of an atom? From nowhere?
 
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edwest211 said:
Heaven is an actual place that exists outside our space/time continuum.
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  1. What does that mean, exactly?
  2. Do you believe or disbelieve in the thousands of researched and documented NDEs (Near Death Experiences), which is also what this book is about?
 
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  1. Heaven is someplace other than in our Universe.
  2. I study fringe science. Near Death Experiences have been recorded but the possible explanations are limited.
A) Near the moment/time of death, the brain experiences a dream-like state. Whether this is real or stimulated by an artifact of something the person heard is an open question.

B) Like OOBs (Out Of Body Experiences), the person is able to see or experience something that shouldn’t be real, but apparently is in some cases.

Now, the following is true. This is someone I knew telling me about a Near Death Experience.

“It was like being at a wedding. People were standing around, talking. I saw a light in the distance and felt drawn to it, but something told me ‘not yet.’ I’ll tell you. People who don’t believe in Heaven are going to be in for a big surprise.” He died the following morning.
 
edwest211 said:
Heaven is someplace other than in our Universe.

I study fringe science. Near Death Experiences have been recorded but the possible explanations are limited.

A) Near the moment/time of death, the brain experiences a dream-like state. Whether this is real or stimulated by an artifact of something the person heard is an open question.
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If Heaven is somewhere other than our Universe, which I agree with, then does that mean it’s in another Universe, another dimension, etc? I didn’t understand your first post.

About NDEs, a lot of research has been done over the years, and what baffles me and researchers, are the experiences where the patient had been in a coma or other state that prevented him/her from knowing things or being aware, (such as the man whose upper dentures were removed and he later was able to describe who removed them and exactly where they could be found…in a drawer at the bottom of a medical cart)
 
Why must it be a physical place just because Jesus and Mary have physical bodies? Sure, Mary’s body must be in a physical place of sorts, but it would be a misunderstanding to think that being in this place is essentially what causes Mary to be in a state of heaven. It’s her relationship with God that causes her to be in a state of Heaven. God is our ultimate end, not a physical place,
 
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In a parallel universe I’m a Pokemon Trainer.
 
I don’t know where that might be or what it consists of, but i know that God is the essential cause of what it is to be in a state of heaven. It is a spiritual state of being. It is to be in a perfect union with God. Without that union you cannot possibly be in heaven, and that’s why it doesn’t make sense to think of it as essentially a physical place. Otherwise being in heaven is merely about where you are and not your relationship with God; in other-words it would be possible to have zero relationship with God and still be in a place called heaven, which clearly does not make sense.
 
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IWantGod said:
I don’t know where that might be or what it consists of, but i know that God is the essential cause of what it is to be in a state of heaven. It is a spiritual state of being. It is to be in a perfect union with God. Without that union you cannot possibly be in heaven, and that’s why it doesn’t make sense to think of it as essentially a physical place. Otherwise being in heaven is merely about where you are and not your relationship with God; in other-words it would be possible to have zero relationship with God and still be in a place called heaven, which clearly does not make sense.
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The author and NDErs used different words than you, but say basically the same thing.
 
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