KAIROS | Bernard Carr on Black Holes as Portals to Other Universes, and a New Physics of Time

In this episode of Cosmic Codex, I have the immense privilege of sitting down with Professor Bernard Carr, one of the world’s most esteemed cosmologists, a longtime collaborator of Stephen Hawking, and a dear friend. Together, we embark on a sweeping exploration of the nature of time, the mysteries of black holes, the role of consciousness in the cosmos, and the tantalizing possibility of higher dimensions.Our conversation doesn’t shy away from the big questions: Is consciousness fundamental to reality? Can physics ever truly account for subjective experience? What does it mean to talk about “Kairos”—meaningful, qualitative time—versus “Kronos,” the linear ticking of the cosmic clock? Bernard shares his own bold ideas about the need for new dimensions of time to accommodate mind and meaning, and we reflect on the intersection of science, philosophy, and the spiritual quest.Chapters:00:00 – Black Holes as Portals: Introduction00:30 – Welcoming Professor Bernard Carr02:34 – Bernard’s Journey: Hawking, Cambridge, and Beyond04:15 – What Is Time? Newton, Einstein, and the Arrows of Time07:45 – Entropy, Order, and the Meaning of Life10:00 – How Astronomy Shapes Our Sense of Time13:00 – Gravity, Relativity, and the Curvature of Space-Time17:00 – Black Holes: From Theory to Observation20:44 – The Event Horizon and the Flow of Time23:35 – Light, Photons, and Timelessness25:12 – Falling Into a Black Hole: Time Dilation and Paradoxes29:00 – Black Holes, Wormholes, and the Possibility of Other Universes32:30 – Closed Timelike Curves and Time Travel35:00 – Quantum Entanglement, Nonlocality, and Retrocausality38:45 – Consciousness, Mind, and the Limits of Physics41:00 – Kairos vs. Kronos: Two Kinds of Time44:00 – Higher Dimensions: String Theory, M-Theory, and Beyond48:00 – The Final Theory: Mind, Matter, and the Universal Tapestry51:00 – Reflections, Takeaways, and Closing ThoughtsFurther Resources:For a visual explanation of light cones (which Bernard references in our discussion), I highly recommend this resource:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_coneFor more on Bernard Carr’s work, visit his faculty page:https://www.qmul.ac.uk/maths/profiles/carrb.htmlIf you’d like to explore the concept of Kairos and Kronos, this article is a great starting point:https://www.templeton.org/news/kairos-and-kronosFor diagrams and further reading on black holes, event horizons, and time dilation, see:https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Black_holes_and_time_dilationJoin my school of consciousness & metaphysics -->The Temple

What if the deepest structures of mind and cosmos were one and the same? Could the mystery of consciousness be illuminated through the physics of black holes, the archetypes of Jung, or the eternal ideas of Plato?This conversation with Dr. Todd Desmond, philosopher of mind and consciousness, ventures into that threshold. Dr. Desmond’s work investigates singularity as both a physical and psychological reality, drawing connections between philosophy, depth psychology, and cosmology. Together we follow the strange symmetry that links psyche and singularity — from Einstein’s equations to Jung’s archetypes, from Hegel’s Absolute Idea to the holographic principle.Along the way, we consider whether the self itself might be understood as a singularity, what this implies for synchronicity and kairos, and how myth, art, and philosophy open new ways of conceiving the real.At the centre of this dialogue lies a question that reverberates through both science and spirit: is the mind a black hole?00:14 – What is a Singularity?03:48 – Black Holes & Physics07:21 – Jung, Pauli & Mirror Symmetry13:29 – Mathematical Forms & Ideas16:01 – Psyche = Singularity?20:09 – Hegel’s Absolute Idea24:45 – The Self as Singularity28:20 – Science Fiction & Plexity36:14 – Myth, Cosmology & Science40:06 – Vedanta, Atman & Brahman50:55 – Wheeler’s One Electron1:01:04 – Hegel, Jung & Mandala1:07:14 – Jung’s Near-Death Experience1:13:42 – Holographic Principle1:20:56 – Black Hole Wars1:27:16 – Synchronicity & Kairos1:34:42 – Art & Metamorphosis1:40:06 – Heaven on Earth

In this special episode, I sit down with renowned Jungian analyst Professor Murray Stein for a deep and wide-ranging conversation about Jung’s core concepts: individuation, synchronicity, and kairos. We explore the mysteries of time, the nature of archetypes, the crisis of meaning in our era, and the role of consciousness in the cosmos. Along the way, we weave in personal stories, philosophical insights, and references to some of the most important works in depth psychology.Whether you’re new to Jung or a longtime explorer of the psyche, I hope this episode inspires you to reflect on your own kairos moments and the deeper patterns shaping your life.Referenced Books, Ideas, and People:C.G. Jung (“Memories, Dreams, Reflections”)I Ching (Book of Changes)Hippocrates (Kairos & Kronos)Michel Serres (temporality as a folded handkerchief)Wolfgang Pauli (“Adam and Archetype: The Letters of C.G. Jung and Wolfgang Pauli”)Nathan Schwartz-Salant (“The Paradox of Negentropy”)William Blake (“To see a world in a grain of sand…”)Teilhard de Chardin (Omega Point)AstrologyMandalaThe Age of Pisces and Age of AquariusGnosticismThe Black Madonna pilgrimage site in SwitzerlandChapters & Timestamps00:00 Welcome & Introduction00:14 Key Jungian Terms: Individuation, Synchronicity, Kairos03:51 Archetypes & Synchronicity in Life14:51 Causality, Acausality, and the Nature of Time26:51 Evolution, Final Causation, and the Omega Point31:46 Consciousness, God, and the Human Role34:34 Dreams, the Unconscious, and Timelessness38:25 Synchronicity, Entropy, and Centropy44:07 Kairos, Kronos, and the Meaning of Time49:57 Collective Consciousness & Cultural Transformation54:43 Closing Reflectionswww.arabellathais.com

In this inaugural episode of The Cosmic Codex, I sit with philosopher and cultural historian Richard Tarnas to explore the mysteries of time, the power of archetypes, and the hidden architecture of reality.We begin with the concept of Kairos, the charged and transformative moment in time, contrasted with Kronos, the measured sequence of historical duration. Drawing on Jung and Greek myth, Rick illuminates how these two modes of temporality shape both individual lives and collective history, and why our present era can be understood as a Kairos of metamorphosis and crisis.Our discussion then turns to the archetypal dimension and its role in evolution. Rick shares insights from archetypal astrology and depth psychology, reflecting on the integration of opposites, the alchemical process of soul-making, and the necessity of suffering for transformation. We speak of Keats’s phrase the “veil of soul-making” and Hillman’s image of the acorn and the oak, considering how temporal life forges identity and destiny through revision, humility, and creative experiment.We also address the collective crisis of our age as an initiatory passage of death and rebirth, a planetary ordeal calling for deeper community, spiritual trust, and a renewed relationship to nature and cosmos. Beauty emerges as a central theme, not as surface ornament but as an archetypal force that calls the soul toward transformation and inspires creativity, truth, and meaning.Books by Richard Tarnas:The Passion of the Western MindCosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World ViewPrometheus the Awakener: An Essay on the Archetypal Meaning of the Planet UranusBooks & Authors Mentioned:C.G. Jung — The Undiscovered Self, Answer to JobJames Hillman — The Soul’s CodeCharles Taylor — A Secular AgeWilliam Blake — Songs of Innocence and of ExperienceMarie-Louise von Franz — Number and TimeJohn Keats — LettersFriedrich Nietzsche — Thus Spoke ZarathustraTerrence McKenna — The Archaic RevivalPlato, Aristotle, and references to the Axial AgeTimestamps for Key Moments:[Welcome & Vision for Cosmic Codex](0:27)[Kairos, Kronos, and Jung](6:53)[Archetypes & Depth Psychology](22:08)[Soul-Making & Suffering](38:07)[Collective Crisis & Initiation](47:59)[Beauty, Aesthetics, and Transformation](55:18)

A New Geometry is UnfoldingIn this short invocation, Arabella Thais reopens The Cosmic Codex, introducing a new structure and renewed philosophical intent. No longer a loosely episodic offering, the Codex now unfolds in carefully curated arcs—each one a thematic deep dive, designed as an initiation into a different facet of time, consciousness, and the symbolic order of the cosmos.This relaunch marks a return, but also a refinement. It reflects the evolution of the project itself: from a space of intermittent inquiry to a living archive of metaphysical thought, contemplative cosmology, and aesthetic theory. With this new structure comes a new rhythm—beginning with the KAIROS arc, which initiates the Codex’s next phase.All previous episodes recorded under the name Sacred Wisdom remain available and are now housed in The Archive—preserved as early transmissions, fragments of the journey that preceded this unfolding.More than a podcast, The Cosmic Codex is a place of remembering—an auditory text for those attuned to the deeper harmonics of becoming.www.arabellathais.com

Astrology is not a belief system. It is a language—an ancient, symbolic, and scientifically grounded way of understanding the psyche in relation to the cosmos. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Renn Butler, archetypal astrologer and longtime student of Stanislav Grof and Richard Tarnas, about the deeper layers of meaning encoded in planetary movements and how they shape both individual lives and collective epochs.This conversation emerges from my own deepening engagement with archetypal astrology during my PhD studies with Rick Tarnas, and reflects my desire to bring the substance and intelligence of this cosmological framework into wider conversation. Together, Renn and I explore the foundational archetypes associated with the planets, the structure of the psyche, and the perinatal matrices first developed by Grof and later expanded in collaboration with Tarnas at Esalen.We also discuss astrology’s relationship with psychedelic experience, dreamwork, and relational dynamics. Renn brings the richness of over four decades of practice and scholarship to our exchange, and speaks with clarity about how astrology can serve as both a diagnostic tool and a guide for transformation.Dr. Butler is the author of several seminal works, including Pathways to Wholeness, The Archetypal Universe, and The Astrology of Love and Relationships. He holds a PhD in Archetypal Astrology and Transpersonal Psychology and continues to teach and consult worldwide. His work—and this episode—offers a bridge between ancient symbolic systems and contemporary psychological insight.For anyone curious about how astrology can deepen your understanding of self, spirit, and the mythic weave of the world, this conversation opens a portal.This episode was originally released under the podcast title Sacred Wisdom, the precursor to The Cosmic Codex. It now resides within The Sacred Wisdom Archives.

After a long pause to pursue my doctoral work, this episode marks my return to the mic—and I couldn’t imagine a more resonant way to begin again. This conversation touches the very heart of my inquiry: the need to dissolve patriarchal paradigms and co-create a world in which the Great Cosmic Mother is once again honoured as the source of life, mystery, and meaning.I’m joined by Dr. Alka Arora, associate professor of Women's Spirituality at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Dr. Arora is a scholar, educator, and visionary whose work integrates feminist thought, spirituality, and activism into a framework she describes as integral feminist education. For over a decade, she has helped shape a transdisciplinary field that brings together gender, religion, philosophy, and social change.Together, we explore what it means to birth a new relational paradigm—one rooted not in domination, but in reverence. We speak about the reclamation of the sacred feminine, the wounds of patriarchal religion, and the need for spiritual activism that is embodied, inclusive, and rooted in love rather than reaction. Dr. Arora offers rare insight into how feminist consciousness and mystical praxis can work together to heal, reimagine, and reweave the fabric of our world.This is a conversation that moves beyond binaries and toward something ancestral, visionary, and urgently needed: a remembrance of the sacred, cyclical intelligence of life.This episode was originally released under the podcast title Sacred Wisdom, the precursor to The Cosmic Codex. It now resides within The Sacred Wisdom Archives.

In this episode, we enter the orbit of Lilith—mythic, mysterious, and often misunderstood. I’m joined by Dr. Eliza Robertson, academic, astrologer, and award-winning author, for a deeply poetic exploration of Lilith’s many faces: as rebellious archetype, as astrological presence (Black Moon Lilith), and as a symbol of the uncultivated, ungovernable feminine. Often cast as the first wife of Adam in esoteric lore, Lilith is said to have refused submission and walked into exile rather than accept subordination. She has since been entangled with shadows of danger, seduction, and wildness—yet beneath these projections lies something much older: a presence associated with the void, with rhythm, with the unknown.Dr. Eliza brings exquisite insight to this conversation, weaving together astrological language, ancient myth, and literary resonance. We also touch on her PhD research—an inquiry into rhythm as a metaphysical force, and one of my most cherished subjects. Rhythm here is not only poetic meter, but a way of knowing, a movement of reality, a cosmic pulse. As always, I frame this dialogue within the broader arc of consciousness and cosmological evolution—the unfolding of symbols and stories as codes for higher integrationThis episode was originally released under the podcast title Sacred Wisdom, the precursor to The Cosmic Codex. It now resides within The Sacred Wisdom Archives.http://www.archai.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Eliza-Robertson-Lilith.pdf

What if the universe is not a machine, but a mind? Not a cold expanse of matter, but a thought—alive, intelligent, and evolving. In this visionary conversation, I’m joined by Dr. Jude Currivan—cosmologist, futurist, planetary healer, and co-founder of the WholeWorld-View initiative—to explore a radically new understanding of reality: one in which consciousness is not an emergent byproduct, but the very fabric of existence.Dr. Currivan introduces us to the concept of “infodynamics”—a next-generation physics that transcends the limitations of classical thermodynamics by integrating information as the primary substance of the universe. This is not a speculative or mystical claim, but one rooted in rigorous science, offering a coherent bridge between quantum physics, cosmology, and ancient metaphysical insight.Together, we delve into the implications of a cosmic mind—a universe that is unified, holographic, and multidimensional. We explore the limitations of the materialist paradigm, the evolutionary intelligence of life, the significance of ancient cosmologies, and what it means to participate in the unfolding thought of the cosmos itself.This is the kind of paradigm shift that echoes the magnitude of Darwin’s theory in its time—but moves beyond biology to the architecture of reality itself. It is a conversation about freedom, coherence, and the deep remembering of who and what we truly are.To learn more about Dr. Currivan’s work and the WholeWorld-View framework, visit wholeworld-view.org.This episode was originally released under the podcast title Sacred Wisdom, the precursor to The Cosmic Codex. It now resides within The Sacred Wisdom Archives.

What does it mean to inhabit a liminal space—not just personally, but collectively? In this wide-ranging and poetic conversation, I’m joined by Jeremy Johnson, integral philosopher, publisher, and leading interpreter of the work of Jean Gebser, to explore the spiritual and cognitive metamorphosis we are undergoing as a species.Together, we reflect on what it means to live at the edge of an old structure of consciousness—where the rational, industrial, and mechanistic paradigms are fraying—and to sense the emergence of a new reality coalescing through the cracks. This is a conversation about integral philosophy, the poetics of transformation, and the sacred work of becoming human in a time between worlds.Jeremy brings his deep scholarship into conversation with the mythic and the planetary. We speak of Gebser’s model of consciousness evolution, the importance of aligning the intellectual with the imaginal, and the role of art, spirituality, and integral ecology in guiding the transition. There is a shared recognition that we are in a civilizational rite of passage—and that a new language, a new temporality, and a new sense of self are being born.For those attuned to subtle thresholds—for those sensing the world is no longer what it was, but not yet what it will become—this conversation offers both orientation and deep permission to dwell in the in-between.This episode was originally released under the podcast title Sacred Wisdom, the precursor to The Cosmic Codex. It now resides within The Sacred Wisdom Archives.