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The Sphere of Consciousness.
Buckminsterfullerene (Buckyballs) Symbol and Seed of Life - Symbol of Cosmic Consciousness
Jewel intention: Increase sense of connectedness and unity. Awake our Consciousness to the universe and our role in it.
I’ve been a fan of
Buckminster Fuller from the first time I set eyes on a model of his geodesic dome. The first thing that came to my mind was quite obscure (at least at the time I thought it was…). I thought that this is “consciousness”. I had no idea why this structure represented to me the concept of “consciousness” and as a matter of fact, I completely forgot that this thought had ever come to my mind.
A few weeks ago I was watching a BBC tv series called “Wonders of the Universe”, about physics, astronomy, the origin of the universe etc... and one of the things that caught my attention was the realization and understanding that we are actually the universe itself learning and experiencing itself. Every atom in our body was created in the furnaces of long gone supernovas in the far regions of space. This idea is one of my favorite concepts and I’ve used it over the years in some of my previous designs. This reminder sparked my imagination and I began searching for jewelry piece that would combine concepts of “human”, ”universe” and “consciousness”.
The first idea was to use a molecular structure, something that defines life here on Earth. I decided to use the molecular structure of carbon - a pure form of carbon called “Fullerene” (named after Buckminster Fuller). I wanted to use this structure as a symbol of us as carbon-based life forms with our own perceptions, consciousness and sense of purpose.
Though I admired Fuller’s work, I have never until now actually read his life story. After I created this model I was overwhelmed when I discovered that during the 1920’s he changed jobs and by 1927 he and his family were on the catastrophic verge of financial ruin. His life was so miserable that while strolling on the shore of Chicago’s Lake Michigan he decided to commit suicide. The event that took place after that changed his life forever.
Fuller, in his own words, claimed that he felt as though he was suspended several feet above the ground enclosed in a white sphere of light. A voice spoke directly to him and declared, “From now on you need never await temporal affirmation to your thought. You think the truth. You do not have the right to eliminate yourself. You do not belong to you. You belong to the Universe. Your significance will remain forever obscure to you, but you may assume that you are fulfilling your role if you apply yourself to converting your experiences to the highest advantage of others.”
By 1927 Fuller had decided to dedicate his life to searching for the principles governing the universe and helping to advance the evolution of humanity in accordance with these principles. He found ways of doing more with less so that all people everywhere can have more and more.
In a way, his geodesic domes are perfect examples of this alchemy of using the cosmic principles in order to build such delicate fragile looking structures that are actually extremely strong and robust.
While I was at the workshop adding the final touches to this current model, I pondered about “daily stuff” like, how we can survive as a race, is the universe actually finite? I noticed that there was a package on my desk - It was the last book by Nassim Taleb, the author of The Black Swan. Since I’m interested in his fields of interest, probability randomness and uncertainty, I ordered his latest book, “Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder”. In the book, on page 54, Taleb writes that one of the differences between inanimate/nonliving material and living organisms is that when the nonliving is subjected to stress it either goes under material fatigue or simply breaks, as opposed to the living who do not. However, one of the rare exceptions was discovered during an experiment by Brent Carey, a graduate student. In the experiment, he shows that a composite material of carbon nanotubes, similar to the Fullerene molecule, actually produces a “self-strengthening response similar to the localized self-strengthening that occurs in biological structures”.
Moreover, the Fullerene molecule - this pure form of carbon - had recently been discovered in a meteorite and many believe that it acts as tiny space capsules of organic building blocks creating conscious life in endless solar systems. With that in mind, I have decided to add the Seed of Life symbol to the facets of the pendant - as a symbol of consciousness.
I’m quite curious to hear what is your reaction to this symbol and its effect on the human psyche. It might answer my own theory regarding the cosmos, life, existence…
But that is another story.
Enjoy your journey
David
