The fifth Classical Element is known by various names: Aether (Greek α?θ?ρ), Idea (Greek ?δ?α), or ?ερ?ν, (Greek hieron "a divine thing").

According to ancient and medieval science, Aether (Greek α?θ?ρ, aith?r, also spelled ether, is the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere. Aristotle included ?δ?α, idea, as a fifth element distinct from the other four, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.

Plato and Aristotle referred to Aether as "Idea", and in this sense, it may be regarded as that which exists outside the material world (i.e. thought processes, mathematical algorithms, etc.). Aether was also called quintessence (from quinta essentia, "fifth element"). Quintessence was also thought to be heavenly, i.e. not of the material world (matter). Quintessence was also said to have the power of life. Its Platonic solid was the dodecahedron.

Contents

* 1 Mythological origins
* 2 Fifth element
* 3 Legacy
* 4 Cyberspace/software, etc., as Idea (Quintessence)
* 4.1 Theremin
* 4.2 Six element-theories
* 5 Yogic Approach
* 6 Quantumphysics

Mythological origins

The word aether (α?θ?ρ) in Homeric Greek means "pure, fresh air" or "clear sky", imagined in Greek mythology to be the pure essence where the gods lived and which they breathed, analogous to the aer breathed by mortals (also personified as a deity, Aether, the son of Erebus and Nyx). It corresponds to the concept of akasha in Hindu philosophy and is linked to Brihaspati or Jupiter and the center direction of the compass. It is related to α?θω "to incinerate", also intransitive "to burn, to shine" (related is the name Aithiopes (Ethiopians)), meaning "people with a burnt (black) visage". See also Empyrean.

Fifth element

Plato's Timaeus posits the existence of a fifth element (corresponding to the fifth remaining Platonic solid, the dodecahedron) called quintessence, of which the cosmos itself is made.

Aristotle included aether in the system of the classical elements of Ionic philosophy as the "fifth element" (the quintessence), on the principle that the four terrestrial elements were subject to change and moved naturally in straight lines while no change had been observed in the celestial regions and the heavenly bodies moved in circles. In Aristotle's system aether had no qualities (was neither hot, cold, wet, or dry), was incapable of change (with the exception of change of place), and by its nature moved in circles. Medieval scholastic philosophers granted aether changes of density, in which the bodies of the planets were considered to be denser than the medium which filled the rest of the universe. Robert Fludd stated that the aether was of the character that it was "subtler than light". Fludd cites the 3rd century view of Plotinus, concerning the aether as penetrative and non-material.

Legacy

Main article: Aether theories

The concept of the aether impacted science long after scientists had rejected the ancient theory of the five elements. Prior to fully modern theories of electromagnetism, many scientists applied the term "aether" to the pervasive medium through which they thought light must propagate. The modern understanding of electromagnetism, including Einstein's particle theory of light and various scientific experiments of general relativity, has removed the need for a substance like aether to fill the otherwise empty parts of the universe. Newton's and Maxwell's aether model (the latter being a "classic static aether") were both developed from this classical element. However, the null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment in 1887 led to the decline of the aether model. Albert Einstein, in an interpretation he offered for his theory of special relativity, dismissed it, as per Occam's razor; and, though he later reinstated a logical need for an aether in a commentary on his theory of general relativity ("according to the general theory of relativity space without ether is unthinkable"), modern astrophysical theories adopt a similar concept, the dark matter/dark energy.

Cyberspace/software, etc., as Idea (Quintessence)

In Greek, ?δ?α, idea, or ?ερ?ν, hieron "a divine thing") lends itself well to the modern interpretation that algorithms, software, or other similar "cyberspace" processes be categorized as belonging to the fifth element. In other words, just as the mind belongs to Idea, even though the brain is a mixture of solid ("Earth") and liquid ("Water"), software also belongs to Idea even though the hardware it runs on, i.e. silicon chips, etc., is made from solid ("Earth") matter.

In the world of cyberspace, the term ethernet is often widely used to describe a network that runs over physical connections. Thus even though the connections and connectors, such as an ethernet jack are made of solid matter ("Earth"), the concept of ethernet and cyberspace transcends the physical world of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma), making necessary a fifth element beyond the material world.

In physical organology, the fifth element "Idea" is associated with algorithmic processes, including electronically generated processes (digital or analog), software, and that which occurs in cyberspace, i.e. outside of or beyond the "material" (matter-based) world. Thus, for example, musical instruments that produce sound in cyberspace (whether by digital or analog electric circuits, and/or computation, whether mechanical computers, optical computing, or electrical) are said to be quintephones

Theremin

The Theremin, a musical instrument that exists in the fifth state-of-matter (i.e. non-matter) is often referred to as an aetherphone.

Six element-theories

In some cosmologies, six elements are identified. Beyond solid (Earth), liquid (Water), gas (Air), and plasma (Fire), there is identified two other elements, one to do with life, or living matter. Thus the fifth element may be sub-divided into living and non-living, i.e. informatics and bioinformatics (the mind, neural networks, etc.).

Quotes

AKASHA

Ether is the highest element, and is nearest to us, for it surrounds us and is within us. The sound of ether is self-contained, and it holds all forms and colors. It is the base of all sounds, and is the undertone which is ever continuous. Its instrument is the human body, because it can be audible through it. Although it is all pervading, yet it is unheard. It manifests to man as he purifies his body from material properties. The body can become its proper instrument when the space within is opened, when all the tubes and veins in it are free. Then the sound which exists eternally in space becomes manifest inwardly also. Ecstasy, illumination, restfulness, fearlessness, rapture, joy and revelation are the effects of this sound.
(Hazrat Inayat Khan)

As great as the infinite space beyond is the space within the lotus of the heart. Both heaven and earth are contained within that inner space, both fire and air, sun and moon, lightening and stars. Whether we know it in this world or know it not, everything is contained in that inner space .[Chandogya Upanishad]

Quantum Physics

Aether
The Aether unit is ultimately responsible for all physical form

Aether is a dynamic fabric of space-resonance composed of independent, quantum units. The Aether unit itself exists within a greater and more primary continuum. Because each quantum unit of Aether is independent, the Aether unit can be manipulated just like gaseous matter. In fact, Aether behaves as a perfect solid, fluid, and gas all at the same time. Every subatomic action manipulates physical space-resonance to some degree. This manipulation occurs through Aether unit folding.

Just as length has two directions, time has two directions. Time is really a frequency that oscillates one quantum moment toward the future and one quantum moment toward the past. As already noted, physical matter only moves forward in time. The effect is that physical matter acts like a time diode and presents a version of time similar to rectified AC current. What we see is half-spin onta from the perspective of half-spin onta, and thus the illusion of forward, linear time. In reality, time is pulsed and causes existence to take on the nature of frames, like frames of a movie.

In the image above, the four colored tubes are in the shape of a loxodrome and represent the four possible spin positions available to onta. Aether units are electrostatically polar aligned (negative is attracted to positive) as well as electromagnetically polar aligned. The weak interaction is the result of these two electrical polarities working together.

It appears that the most stable forms of onta (electron and proton) depend on a specific spin direction of space-resonance. That is, the electrostatic charge polarity is dependent upon the spin direction. Thus spin, time, and electrostatic charge are closely related. Relying on millennia old teachings from the East that this spin is clockwise relative to a person standing and looking toward the ground, the electron and proton assume a clockwise spin of the Aether. A preferred spin direction is called “spin parity" in the Standard Model.

Neutrons would have nearly the same properties of the proton, being wide and narrow in their free state, and tight and thick (nearly spherical) in their bound state. Thus the instability of the neutron would seem to be caused when the neutron is in its free state, but not in its bound state.

Physical space is toroidal, but the effect of physical space, being orthogonally connected to time and frequency, is that it appears to exist as a cube when plotted in spherical coordinates. The Aether is not a fluid, although it behaves like a perfect fluid. Massive objects require more Aether units than low-density space. If the mass is in motion, a certain amount of Aether will follow it. This is possible due to the independent nature of Aether units. The independent and fluid nature of Aether units must be true in order for motion to be possible and for space-time to bend around massive bodies and allow for the observed lensing of light.

The electron and proton spin positions, which determine the structure of the physical world, have a Phi and phi component. The Aether Physics Model is consistent with the work of Pythagoras and merits a re-evaluation of the Pythagorean philosophy in light of this. The world comprising human experience has many variations in form. But within these forms we see patterns. The world of seemingly infinite form is really a symphony of shape, repeating at various octaves, sometimes in harmony, and sometimes not. These forms have their origin in the independent nature of Aether units. Aether structures, the ratio of musical tones, and atomic structure show a few of the ways in which the Aether unit influences the structure of the physical world. There are no doubt many other manifestations of Aether units such as the patterns of seed development in flowers, the growth of plant structures, population growth patterns, skeletal and extra-skeletal structures, and in general all dynamic and living structures.