Hearty congratulations on your editorial chutzpah in running this superb essay. Rarely have I felt so respected and loved by an author. Geoff Olson shows us his amazing intellect and deeply compassionate being in an article that probes the depths and heights of the human experience. And thank you for including the full text on your website so I could send the link to my friends.
Common Ground continues to set a high standard for spiritual journalism. And the price is right.
Andy Vine,
Vancouver

I can hardly contain my pleasure at discovering your article, Is the Universe Friendly? nor can I right now form a coherent expression of this pleasure to offer you in thanks.
Last night my sister took me to Greens & Gourmet where she picked up Common Ground. How serendipitous was that? Well, on my visit to West Vancouver from Ontario, only a few days ago I purchased a vintage copy of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which was my favourite all-time movie, seen on TV 20 years ago, although I had never read the book. Then your article.
Just one thing not mentioned in your piece but certainly related, and maybe even implied, the self-organizing principle of the theories of chaos and complexity. But enough about my preferences and predilections. Your article was a first rate work of art which gave me great pleasure and which I will share with all my intellectual friends, and I congratulate you on it and thank you sincerely for it.
Yours truly,
Ron Lewis,
Ontario

Funny thing.... I have been wondering a lot myself about the very concepts you put forth in this article - fascinating ideas that I have been coming to in my own thoughts as well over the past few years. I am bookmarking this article and sending it out to friends. I believe there may be some kind of “truth” in what you say, based on my own experiences of late.... at least it is well worth considering.
I personally had already decided to try to put what positive spin I can on things... it’s not what we are taught as a culture and so difficult to get into that groove sometimes... but what have I got to lose? It’s been a very interesting time for me so far.
Thanks for a great, well written article - a lot of food for thought.... and thanks to Common Ground for making it available.
Maggie Shields
Clinton, Massachusetts

Hello, I just read your article. It is very well written and I appreciate reading it. Thank you for your insights, especially the snakes and gophers and the first rule of digging holes. I liked the first Christian God that we conquered and “the second god, capital, has its own bipolar disorder.” Needless to say, I broke off from “traditional thinking” years ago and tend to follow my own course of learning and entertainment. I don’t understand why people pay “tithing” to a person or church just to have someone rule over them. Ha! Freedom comes in many forms.
Have a great day, and thank you.
Elaine Kettring
Gallatin, Missouri

Your excellent article is one of the best that I have read in a long time. Do a Google on Amit Goswami. He’s a doctor of physics who wrote: The Self Aware Universe and Physics of the Soul.
The most coherent and complete theory that resolves all the seeming paradoxes of quantum and classical physics and in doing so aligns it with spirituality at a fundamental level where all major religions can meet.
I believe he should be one of the most revered men of the entire modern era... But most people don’t have enough working grey cells to understand what he’s talking about... So the world stumbles along and his books go out of print...
Andreas Pfister
Herrliberg, Switzerland

I just read your article, Is the Universe Friendly? in its entirety and let me tell you, it really struck a chord with me. Interestingly enough, I’ve recently been studying ancient Toltec wisdom and much of what you say in your article seems to corroborate the Toltec teachings.
It’s utterly amazing. Now is this an ultimate coincidence that I have received your article? Or is it part of my creative intent in my own research? Interesting, isn’t it? Well, I’d just like to recommend to you a couple books by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements, and The Mastery of Love; they might amaze you as well, and give you some more insight related to your article.
Thanks,
Darth Miina,
Kirkland, Washington
PS Yes, the universe is friendly.

I congratulate you for the brilliant and thought-provoking article. This article is more of a scientific article than a philosophical one. But you have very efficiently mixed up the two aspects to make your point.
Personally I think that the universe is hostile. Rarity of complex life forms in the universe is the proof. The answer can be found in the book Rare Earth by Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee. The authors argue that, though microbes may be common in the universe, existence of complex life forms, much less intelligent ones, is rare. This is because of unfavourable conditions, ranging from galactic density of stars, stability and composition of stars and imbalanced planetary systems, to the absence of the right type of tectonic movement in a planet. Obviously this scenario points to a hostile universe.
Bijan K. Basak,
Vancouver

I really enjoyed your article Is the Universe Friendly?
A thoughtful and thought provoking piece; it made me think back to “coincidences” where I spent a lot of energy thinking about a question or problem that I was dealing with and received an answer or solution in a short period of time afterwards in a seemingly unrelated event.
I also enjoyed the part about the universe being really generous in creating synonymous happenings that correlate to our conscious world belief.
And maybe it’s not the universe but ourselves that manifest these happenings in order to protect ourselves from the onslaught of the multi-faceted reality that we do indeed actually live in.
Like our ego has a built in mechanism set to auto-protect ourselves when something does happen that doesn’t correlate to our worldview.
Or what if the universe is a gigantic bird and we are its prey, like little mice being raised as food for a larger predator.
However, whatever the universe is, I am going to continue living my life to the highest standard that I am able to achieve, right now, right on.
Kudos to Common Ground for publishing such an excellent article,
Brenzen Chato,
Vancouver