Hi Chloe,

It’s hard to say for sure whether there is some higher intelligence behind the scenes, one way or another. I am a non-believer, though I also think this would change if I experienced sufficient evidence. From the evidence we have so far, I share Carl Sagan’s description of life… ‘these are some of the things that hydrogen atoms do given fifteen billion years of cosmic evolution’

Even though it seems the jury is out on whether there is ‘something’ or not, it does not bother me because what we DO know about the universe and our place in it is profoundly amazing.

I suggest watching the recent Cosmos series hosted by Neil Degrasse Tyson. It explains how the galaxies, solar systems, and planets form. There’s also an episode on evolution, which explains how all life on Earth shares a common ancestor. That means that you, me, plants, fish, even bacteria all branched off from the same tree of life over the course of a few billion years. The evidence for this is in the fossil record and also in the DNA of every single creature. One thing we don’t know is how life started. Though, from the first single cell organism onward to all life you see today, can all be explained by evolution.

Is there a connected consciousness among humans or even all life? I have yet to find any evidence to support that this is true. Sure it’s a warm and fuzzy notion, but just because something feels right does not make it true. This urge to believe in something without evidence is so easy for us to get caught up in. We have evolved to recognize patterns in all places, mistaking a shadow for a person, etc. Do a google search for Bertram R. Forer and read about his experiment. It may give you insight into astrology, fortune tellers, and others who claim to know your future. You mentioned that a fortune teller accurately predicted someone’s future. Look closer at what was predicted. Was it something ordinary? What were the other predictions? Were they successful on just some of them? Again, we have a tendency as pattern seeking creatures to see what we want to see.

I don’t see any evidence for Karma either. I do think there might be a Karma like psychological effect when you do something, say, hurtful. Or at least for mentally stable people. When I know that I’ve hurt something, even unintentional, I feel guilt. That in itself is a repurcussion. There is no evidence to support the idea that something negative will happen to you if you are hurtful to others.

Science offers to you the knowledge of the universe which is supported by evidence. That body of knowledge is amazing in itself, without the need for fortune tellers, higher beings, ghosts.

Follow the evidence 🙂