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The
Concept
The Sphere as Myth and Metaphor |
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a physical form, spheres and their 2D representations (circles) have been
around since the beginning of time. As a symbolic image the sphere appears
throughout human history and human thought with unrivalled frequency.
When we look around we see the sphere in physics, biology, psychology,
mythology, cosmology and just about every other ology under the sun and
including the sun. As a symbolic representation of three-dimensional space, the sphere encompasses all things knowable—the atom, the cell, the earth, the sky and the universe. The sphere is the great container of all that is available to our senses and our scientific sensors. In the world of time, the circle represents the beginning, the end and a return to the beginning. The sphere and the circle represent both the journey and the destination. What is it that makes the sphere so pervasive and so mighty? Why does it appear with such regularity and prominence in every culture, region, faith and epoch? Why does the sphere inhabit even our dreams? Because, when thinking about the sphere, or when using it to describe our experience, we are contemplating the totality of interconnection. In the sphere, we see everything in relationship to everything else. In the sphere we see the patterns of being.
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“There
is perhaps no better demon- stration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it under- scores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassion- ately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot—the only home we’ve ever known.” —CARL SAGAN |
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