The intelligent design community acknowledges that various aspects of the observable universe and our Earth are best explained by the agency of an intelligent mind. Almost everything I can see from my desk supports this conclusion — the desk itself and everything on it (except some dust), the framed painting on the wall, the digital thermostat, shelves of books, all would not exist in this universe apart from intelligent agency. 

When it comes to the origin of the universe, the specific values of multiple physical constants whose slightest variation nullifies the possibility of life, and the origin and development of life itself, some ID proponents see the evidence as pointing to the creative activity of God. 

An intriguing question to delve into is how a designer might interact with this physical universe. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know the answer to this question, but by considering what we do know about the laws of physics, we can perhaps gain some level of insight.

Starting with the Small Scale

Let’s first consider an elementary explanation of normal physical interactions within this universe. Starting with the small scale, we have charged elementary particles that primarily interact via the electromagnetic force. A charged particle at rest fills circumambient space with an electric field, which causes any other charged particle to be attracted or repelled. A charged particle in motion (with respect to a given frame of reference) generates a magnetic field, which can produce a force on any other charged particle moving relative to the first one. In particle physics parlance, charged particles interact by exchanging a virtual carrier particle — a photon. The range of the electromagnetic interaction weakens quadratically with distance but is theoretically infinite.

The class of elementary particles known as baryons can also interact via the strong force, most significantly manifested in holding protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei. At the extremely short distance scales of the nucleus, the strength of the strong force can overcome the repulsive electric force between protons, allowing for the formation of all elements other than hydrogen. By the way, if one scans the ranges of all possible values of the strengths of the electromagnetic and strong forces, the values they actually have correspond to the narrow, restrictive window of values required for life to exist in our universe.¹

Let’s diverge for a moment from particle-particle interactions to focus on electromagnetic radiation, which is the primary means in our natural universe that transfers energy long distances through space, at the speed of light. Electromagnetic radiation is a remarkable interplay between oscillating electric and magnetic fields, a self-perpetuating propagation of energy as the continual changes in each of the fields produces the continually changing complementary field.  

Interaction Through Light?

Could a designer interact with this world via light? In a general fashion, the light from the sun that reaches the surface of the Earth is certainly essential for life as we know it. The fine-tuning of multiple factors in the sun, the atmosphere of the Earth, and in the interaction strength between light and bio-molecules attests to a level of design commensurate with the influence of divine design.

Another fundamental force of nature, the gravitational force between masses, as described by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, results from the curvature of space and variations in the flow rate of time that masses produce in their vicinities. The connection between particle oscillations and waves carries over into gravitational waves, which are produced, for example, by two masses orbiting one another (a type of oscillatory motion). Gravitational waves, like electromagnetic waves, propagate through space at the speed of light.

Overall, it appears that interactions between particles occur by means of electromagnetic fields that propagate through space, or by means of the warping of space itself, produced by particle masses (or their energy equivalents). Could there be other types of waves, yet undiscovered, that propagate through space? We detect electromagnetic waves by their effects on charged particles. We detect the existence of a gravitational field by its effect on mass. Although the nucleons in atomic nuclei interact predominantly via the strong force, excited nuclear states decay with the emission of an electromagnetic photon (a gamma ray), or a particle, rather than with a more exotic wave associated with strong force. 

With our limited inventory of fundamental forces or fields and the particles affected by them, it seems reasonable that undiscovered wave types could exist without our being aware of them. Could a “thought wave” exist? Within this context of physics, let’s consider the nature of the immaterial mind, recognized as more than the physical brain by lines of evidence from neuroscience, philosophy, and physics. If our minds are “other” than the matter composing our brains, then there must be a means by which the immaterial mind can affect our brains. 

For example, just a moment ago, my mind formulated the thought contained in the previous sentence, selected English words in the correct syntax to convey the meaning I had in mind, and then activated neurons in my brain to send appropriate nerve impulses to activate muscles in my fingers to press specific keys on my laptop so that the sentence appeared on the screen. If mind is an aspect of what is sometimes called “spirit,” then spirit can apparently affect matter in the context of thought, and does so regularly in the purposeful actions of every human being.

If spirit exists, why do we not perceive it directly? At this point, I’m shifting into discussing matters that might be considered, well, spiritual. To dismiss this as unscientific is to simply acknowledge the reality of the question being posed — namely, that our current state of scientific observation is unable to detect anything spiritual. But that doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent or beyond consideration. For example, dark matter is surmised by its effects on normal matter, and even though we have not yet been able to directly detect it, that hasn’t canceled dark matter as a valid scientific concept.

A Higher Physical Dimension

One possibility for spirit is that it exists in a higher physical dimension. Spirit could thereby perceive and choose to affect matter residing in three-dimensional space, including conscious beings like ourselves. As a higher-dimensional entity, it would be invisible, even imperceptible, if it remained ever-so-slightly “off-axis” from our dimensions. But if higher dimensions of space exist, what prevents us from physically accessing them, or even seeing into that realm? One answer from physics theory is that our entire physical essence is tied to three-dimensional space.

A theory of higher-dimensional physics that I explored during my academic career suggests that the fundamental particles out of which we are made (protons, neutrons, and electrons) can be considered as small-amplitude, high-frequency oscillations of the fabric of space. The oscillations occur along an axis perpendicular to our three-dimensional coordinate system. Without going deeper into the physics of this theory, the relevant point is that every bit of matter in this universe is tethered to our space, since it is merely an unceasing oscillation of space itself.

Returning to the concept of spirit, its ability to exist in higher-dimensional space indicates that spirit is free with regards to the spacetime fabric of our universe — it can come and engage with us or simply perceive us from a higher-dimensional vantage point, be it ever so near, without being the least perceptible to our physical senses or scientific apparatus.

On another occasion I hope to explore further the possible nature of interactions of mind or spirit with our physical universe.

Notes

1. Geraint F. Lewis and Luke A. Barnes, A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos, (Cambridge University Press, 2016), pp. 73-75.