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architectural spheres
45 paragraphs · about 15 minutes
Every paragraph the index cites under architectural spheres, once, in the order of the book. Beside each stand the entries that cite it.
15:5.1The bulk of the mass contained in the suns and planets of a superuniverse originates in the nebular wheels; very little of superuniverse mass is organized by the direct action of the power directors (as in the construction of architectural spheres), although a constantly varying quantity of matter originates in open space.
15:5.2–12 · eleven paragraphs not cited here ·
15:5.2As to origin, the majority of the suns, planets, and other spheres can be classified in one of the following ten groups:
15:5.31. Concentric Contraction Rings. Not all nebulae are spiral. Many an immense nebula, instead of splitting into a double star system or evolving as a spiral, undergoes condensation by multiple-ring formation. For long periods such a nebula appears as an enormous central sun surrounded by numerous gigantic clouds of encircling, ring-appearing formations of matter.
15:5.42. The Whirled Stars embrace those suns which are thrown off the great mother wheels of highly heated gases. They are not thrown off as rings but in right- and left-handed processions. Whirled stars are also of origin in other-than-spiral nebulae.
15:5.53. Gravity-explosion Planets. When a sun is born of a spiral or of a barred nebula, not infrequently it is thrown out a considerable distance. Such a sun is highly gaseous, and subsequently, after it has somewhat cooled and condensed, it may chance to swing near some enormous mass of matter, a gigantic sun or a dark island of space. Such an approach may not be near enough to result in collision but still near enough to allow the gravity pull of the greater body to start tidal convulsions in the lesser, thus initiating a series of tidal upheavals which occur simultaneously on opposite sides of the convulsed sun. At their height these explosive eruptions produce a series of varying-sized aggregations of matter which may be projected beyond the gravity-reclamation zone of the erupting sun, thus becoming stabilized in orbits of their own around one of the two bodies concerned in this episode. Later on the larger collections of matter unite and gradually draw the smaller bodies to themselves. In this way many of the solid planets of the lesser systems are brought into existence. Your own solar system had just such an origin.
15:5.64. Centrifugal Planetary Daughters. Enormous suns, when in certain stages of development, and if their revolutionary rate greatly accelerates, begin to throw off large quantities of matter which may subsequently be assembled to form small worlds that continue to encircle the parent sun.
15:5.75. Gravity-deficiency Spheres. There is a critical limit to the size of individual stars. When a sun reaches this limit, unless it slows down in revolutionary rate, it is doomed to split; sun fission occurs, and a new double star of this variety is born. Numerous small planets may be subsequently formed as a by-product of this gigantic disruption.
15:5.86. Contractural Stars. In the smaller systems the largest outer planet sometimes draws to itself its neighboring worlds, while those planets near the sun begin their terminal plunge. With your solar system, such an end would mean that the four inner planets would be claimed by the sun, while the major planet, Jupiter, would be greatly enlarged by capturing the remaining worlds. Such an end of a solar system would result in the production of two adjacent but unequal suns, one type of double star formation. Such catastrophes are infrequent except out on the fringe of the superuniverse starry aggregations.
15:5.97. Cumulative Spheres. From the vast quantity of matter circulating in space, small planets may slowly accumulate. They grow by meteoric accretion and by minor collisions. In certain sectors of space, conditions favor such forms of planetary birth. Many an inhabited world has had such an origin.
15:5.10Some of the dense dark islands are the direct result of the accretions of transmuting energy in space. Another group of these dark islands have come into being by the accumulation of enormous quantities of cold matter, mere fragments and meteors, circulating through space. Such aggregations of matter have never been hot and, except for density, are in composition very similar to Urantia.
15:5.118. Burned-out Suns. Some of the dark islands of space are burned-out isolated suns, all available space-energy having been emitted. The organized units of matter approximate full condensation, virtual complete consolidation; and it requires ages upon ages for such enormous masses of highly condensed matter to be recharged in the circuits of space and thus to be prepared for new cycles of universe function following a collision or some equally revivifying cosmic happening.
15:5.129. Collisional Spheres. In those regions of thicker clustering, collisions are not uncommon. Such an astronomic readjustment is accompanied by tremendous energy changes and matter transmutations. Collisions involving dead suns are peculiarly influential in creating widespread energy fluctuations. Collisional debris often constitutes the material nucleuses for the subsequent formation of planetary bodies adapted to mortal habitation.
15:5.1310. Architectural Worlds. These are the worlds which are built according to plans and specifications for some special purpose, such as Salvington, the headquarters of your local universe, and Uversa, the seat of government of our superuniverse.
- built for some special purpose
- independently lighted and heated by power centers, Master Physical Controllers
- peopled by accredited personalities
15:7.1While each superuniverse government presides near the center of the evolutionary universes of its space segment, it occupies a world made to order and is peopled by accredited personalities. These headquarters worlds are architectural spheres, space bodies specifically constructed for their special purpose. While sharing the light of near-by suns, these spheres are independently lighted and heated. Each has a sun which gives forth light without heat, like the satellites of Paradise, while each is supplied with heat by the circulation of certain energy currents near the surface of the sphere. These headquarters worlds belong to one of the greater systems situated near the astronomical center of their respective superuniverses.
15:7.2Time is standardized on the headquarters of the superuniverses. The standard day of the superuniverse of Orvonton is equal to almost thirty days of Urantia time, and the Orvonton year equals one hundred standard days. This Uversa year is standard in the seventh superuniverse, and it is twenty-two minutes short of three thousand days of Urantia time, about eight and one fifth of your years.
15:7.3The headquarters worlds of the seven superuniverses partake of the nature and grandeur of Paradise, their central pattern of perfection. In reality, all headquarters worlds are paradisiacal. They are indeed heavenly abodes, and they increase in material size, morontia beauty, and spirit glory from Jerusem to the central Isle. And all the satellites of these headquarters worlds are also architectural spheres.
15:7.4The various headquarters worlds are provided with every phase of material and spiritual creation. All kinds of material, morontial, and spiritual beings are at home on these rendezvous worlds of the universes. As mortal creatures ascend the universe, passing from the material to the spiritual realms, they never lose their appreciation for, and enjoyment of, their former levels of existence.
15:7.5Jerusem, the headquarters of your local system of Satania, has its seven worlds of transition culture, each of which is encircled by seven satellites, among which are the seven mansion worlds of morontia detention, man’s first postmortal residence. As the term heaven has been used on Urantia, it has sometimes meant these seven mansion worlds, the first mansion world being denominated the first heaven, and so on to the seventh.
15:7.6Edentia, the headquarters of your constellation of Norlatiadek, has its seventy satellites of socializing culture and training, on which ascenders sojourn upon the completion of the Jerusem regime of personality mobilization, unification, and realization.
15:7.7Salvington, the capital of Nebadon, your local universe, is surrounded by ten university clusters of forty-nine spheres each. Hereon is man spiritualized following his constellation socialization.
15:7.8Uminor the third, the headquarters of your minor sector, Ensa, is surrounded by the seven spheres of the higher physical studies of the ascendant life.
15:7.9Umajor the fifth, the headquarters of your major sector, Splandon, is surrounded by the seventy spheres of the advancing intellectual training of the superuniverse.
15:7.10Uversa, the headquarters of Orvonton, your superuniverse, is immediately surrounded by the seven higher universities of advanced spiritual training for ascending will creatures. Each of these seven clusters of wonder spheres consists of seventy specialized worlds containing thousands upon thousands of replete institutions and organizations devoted to universe training and spirit culture wherein the pilgrims of time are re-educated and re-examined preparatory to their long flight to Havona. The arriving pilgrims of time are always received on these associated worlds, but the departing graduates are always dispatched for Havona direct from the shores of Uversa.
15:7.11Uversa is the spiritual and administrative headquarters for approximately one trillion inhabited or inhabitable worlds. The glory, grandeur, and perfection of the Orvonton capital surpass any of the wonders of the time-space creations.
15:7.12If all the projected local universes and their component parts were established, there would be slightly less than five hundred billion architectural worlds in the seven superuniverses.
15:8.1The headquarters spheres of the superuniverses are so constructed that they are able to function as efficient power-energy regulators for their various sectors, serving as focal points for the directionization of energy to their component local universes. They exert a powerful influence over the balance and control of the physical energies circulating through organized space.
15:8.2Further regulative functions are performed by the superuniverse power centers and physical controllers, living and semiliving intelligent entities constituted for this express purpose. These power centers and controllers are difficult of understanding; the lower orders are not volitional, they do not possess will, they do not choose, their functions are very intelligent but apparently automatic and inherent in their highly specialized organization. The power centers and physical controllers of the superuniverses assume direction and partial control of the thirty energy systems which comprise the gravita domain. The physical-energy circuits administered by the power centers of Uversa require a little over 968 million years to complete the encirclement of the superuniverse.
15:8.3Evolving energy has substance; it has weight, although weight is always relative, depending on revolutionary velocity, mass, and antigravity. Mass in matter tends to retard velocity in energy; and the anywhere-present velocity of energy represents: the initial endowment of velocity, minus retardation by mass encountered in transit, plus the regulatory function of the living energy controllers of the superuniverse and the physical influence of near-by highly heated or heavily charged bodies.
15:8.4The universal plan for the maintenance of equilibrium between matter and energy necessitates the everlasting making and unmaking of the lesser material units. The Universe Power Directors have the ability to condense and detain, or to expand and liberate, varying quantities of energy.
15:8.5Given a sufficient duration of retarding influence, gravity would eventually convert all energy into matter were it not for two factors: First, because of the antigravity influences of the energy controllers, and second, because organized matter tends to disintegrate under certain conditions found in very hot stars and under certain peculiar conditions in space near highly energized cold bodies of condensed matter.
15:8.6When mass becomes overaggregated and threatens to unbalance energy, to deplete the physical power circuits, the physical controllers intervene unless gravity’s own further tendency to overmaterialize energy is defeated by the occurrence of a collision among the dead giants of space, thus in an instant completely dissipating the cumulative collections of gravity. In these collisional episodes enormous masses of matter are suddenly converted into the rarest form of energy, and the struggle for universal equilibrium is begun anew. Eventually the larger physical systems become stabilized, become physically settled, and are swung into the balanced and established circuits of the superuniverses. Subsequent to this event no more collisions or other devastating catastrophes will occur in such established systems.
15:8.7During the times of plus energy there are power disturbances and heat fluctuations accompanied by electrical manifestations. During times of minus energy there are increased tendencies for matter to aggregate, condense, and to get out of control in the more delicately balanced circuits, with resultant tidal or collisional adjustments which quickly restore the balance between circulating energy and more literally stabilized matter. To forecast and otherwise to understand such likely behavior of the blazing suns and the dark islands of space is one of the tasks of the celestial star observers.
15:8.8We are able to recognize most of the laws governing universe equilibrium and to predict much pertaining to universe stability. Practically, our forecasts are reliable, but we are always confronted by certain forces which are not wholly amenable to the laws of energy control and matter behavior known to us. The predictability of all physical phenomena becomes increasingly difficult as we proceed outward in the universes from Paradise. As we pass beyond the borders of the personal administration of the Paradise Rulers, we are confronted with increasing inability to reckon in accordance with the standards established and the experience acquired in connection with observations having exclusively to do with the physical phenomena of the near-by astronomic systems. Even in the realms of the seven superuniverses we are living in the midst of force actions and energy reactions which pervade all our domains and extend in unified equilibrium on through all regions of outer space.
15:8.9The farther out we go, the more certainly we encounter those variational and unpredictable phenomena which are so unerringly characteristic of the unfathomable presence-performances of the Absolutes and the experiential Deities. And these phenomena must be indicative of some universal overcontrol of all things.
15:8.10The superuniverse of Orvonton is apparently now running down; the outer universes seem to be winding up for unparalleled future activities; the central Havona universe is eternally stabilized. Gravity and absence of heat (cold) organize and hold matter together; heat and antigravity disrupt matter and dissipate energy. The living power directors and force organizers are the secret of the special control and intelligent direction of the endless metamorphoses of universe making, unmaking, and remaking. Nebulae may disperse, suns burn out, systems vanish, and planets perish, but the universes do not run down.
29:3.9Outside of Havona the Supreme Power Centers function only on especially constructed (architectural) spheres or on otherwise suitably constituted space bodies. The architectural worlds are so constructed that the living power centers can act as selective switches to directionize, modify, and concentrate the energies of space as they pour over these spheres. They could not so function on an ordinary evolutionary sun or planet. Certain groups are also concerned in the heating and other material necessities of these special headquarters worlds. And though it is beyond the scope of Urantia knowledge, I may state that these orders of living power personalities have much to do with the distribution of the light that shines without heat. They do not produce this phenomenon, but they are concerned with its dissemination and directionization.
30:3.21. The Star Students, the celestial astronomers, choose to work on spheres like Uversa because such specially constructed worlds are unusually favorable for their observations and calculations. Uversa is favorably situated for the work of this colony, not only because of its central location, but also because there are no gigantic living or dead suns near at hand to disturb the energy currents. These students are not in any manner organically connected with the affairs of the superuniverse; they are merely guests.
32:1.5When energy-matter has attained a certain stage in mass materialization, a Paradise Creator Son appears upon the scene, accompanied by a Creative Daughter of the Infinite Spirit. Simultaneously with the arrival of the Creator Son, work is begun upon the architectural sphere which is to become the headquarters world of the projected local universe. For long ages such a local creation evolves, suns become stabilized, planets form and swing into their orbits, while the work of creating the architectural worlds which are to serve as constellation headquarters and system capitals continues.
32:2.3The first completed act of physical creation in Nebadon consisted in the organization of the headquarters world, the architectural sphere of Salvington, with its satellites. From the time of the initial moves of the power centers and physical controllers to the arrival of the living staff on the completed spheres of Salvington, there intervened a little over one billion years of your present planetary time. The construction of Salvington was immediately followed by the creation of the one hundred headquarters worlds of the projected constellations and the ten thousand headquarters spheres of the projected local systems of planetary control and administration, together with their architectural satellites. Such architectural worlds are designed to accommodate both physical and spiritual personalities as well as the intervening morontia or transition stages of being.
37:10.1Besides the seraphic and mortal orders, who will be considered in later papers, there are numerous additional beings concerned in the maintenance and perfecting of such a gigantic organization as the universe of Nebadon, which even now has more than three million inhabited worlds, with ten million in prospect. The various Nebadon types of life are much too numerous to be catalogued in this paper, but there are two unusual orders that function extensively on the 647,591 architectural spheres of the local universe, that may be mentioned.
37:10.2 · one paragraph not cited here ·
37:10.2The Spironga are the spirit offspring of the Bright and Morning Star and the Father Melchizedek. They are exempt from personality termination but are not evolutionary or ascending beings. Neither are they functionally concerned with the evolutionary ascension regime. They are the spirit helpers of the local universe, executing the routine spirit tasks of Nebadon.
37:10.3The Spornagia. The architectural headquarters worlds of the local universe are real worlds—physical creations. There is much work connected with their physical upkeep, and herein we have the assistance of a group of physical creatures called spornagia. They are devoted to the care and culture of the material phases of these headquarters worlds, from Jerusem to Salvington. Spornagia are neither spirits nor persons; they are an animal order of existence, but if you could see them, you would agree that they seem to be perfect animals.
- exert powerful energy control
- independently lighted and heated by power centers, Master Physical Controllers
- matter of a.s. organized by direct action of power centers and physical controllers
41:1.3The one hundred local universe centers are stationed on Salvington, where they function at the exact energy center of that sphere. Architectural spheres, such as Salvington, Edentia, and Jerusem, are lighted, heated, and energized by methods which make them quite independent of the suns of space. These spheres were constructed—made to order—by the power centers and physical controllers and were designed to exert a powerful influence over energy distribution. Basing their activities on such focal points of energy control, the power centers, by their living presences, directionize and channelize the physical energies of space. And these energy circuits are basic to all physical-material and morontia-spiritual phenomena.
43:1.10The Edentia sea of glass is one enormous circular crystal about one hundred miles in circumference and about thirty miles in depth. This magnificent crystal serves as the receiving field for all transport seraphim and other beings arriving from points outside the sphere; such a sea of glass greatly facilitates the landing of transport seraphim.
43:1.11A crystal field on this order is found on almost all architectural worlds; and it serves many purposes aside from its decorative value, being utilized for portraying superuniverse reflectivity to assembled groups and as a factor in the energy-transformation technique for modifying the currents of space and for adapting other incoming physical-energy streams.
43:6.4The architectural worlds enjoy ten forms of life of the material order. On Urantia there is plant and animal life, but on such a world as Edentia there are ten divisions of the material orders of life. Were you to view these ten divisions of Edentia life, you would quickly classify the first three as vegetable and the last three as animal, but you would be utterly unable to comprehend the nature of the intervening four groups of prolific and fascinating forms of life.
43:6.5–6 · two paragraphs not cited here ·
43:6.5Even the distinctively animal life is very different from that of the evolutionary worlds, so different that it is quite impossible to portray to mortal minds the unique character and affectionate nature of these nonspeaking creatures. There are thousands upon thousands of living creatures which your imagination could not possibly picture. The whole animal creation is of an entirely different order from the gross animal species of the evolutionary planets. But all this animal life is most intelligent and exquisitely serviceable, and all the various species are surprisingly gentle and touchingly companionable. There are no carnivorous creatures on such architectural worlds; there is nothing in all Edentia to make any living being afraid.
43:6.6The vegetable life is also very different from that of Urantia, consisting of both material and morontia varieties. The material growths have a characteristic green coloration, but the morontia equivalents of vegetative life have a violet or orchid tinge of varying hue and reflection. Such morontia vegetation is purely an energy growth; when eaten there is no residual portion.
43:6.7Being endowed with ten divisions of physical life, not to mention the morontia variations, these architectural worlds provide tremendous possibilities for the biologic beautification of the landscape and of the material and the morontia structures. The celestial artisans direct the native spornagia in this extensive work of botanic decoration and biologic embellishment. Whereas your artists must resort to inert paint and lifeless marble to portray their concepts, the celestial artisans and the univitatia more frequently utilize living materials to represent their ideas and to capture their ideals.
43:8.1The physical endowment of Edentia and its surrounding spheres is well-nigh perfect; they could hardly equal the spiritual grandeur of the spheres of Salvington, but they far surpass the glories of the training worlds of Jerusem. All these Edentia spheres are energized directly by the universal space currents, and their enormous power systems, both material and morontial, are expertly supervised and distributed by the constellation centers, assisted by a competent corps of Master Physical Controllers and Morontia Power Supervisors.
45:0.3This entire system of fifty-seven architectural worlds is independently lighted, heated, watered, and energized by the co-ordination of the Satania Power Center and the Master Physical Controllers in accordance with the established technique of the physical organization and arrangement of these specially created spheres. They are also physically cared for and otherwise maintained by the native spornagia.
46:1.3The energy of Jerusem is superbly controlled and circulates about the sphere in the zone channels, which are directly fed from the energy charges of space and expertly administered by the Master Physical Controllers. The natural resistance to the passage of these energies through the physical channels of conduction yields the heat required for the production of the equable temperature of Jerusem. The full-light temperature is maintained at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, while during the period of light recession it falls to a little lower than 50 degrees.
46:1.4The lighting system of Jerusem should not be so difficult for you to comprehend. There are no days and nights, no seasons of heat and cold. The power transformers maintain one hundred thousand centers from which rarefied energies are projected upward through the planetary atmosphere, undergoing certain changes, until they reach the electric air-ceiling of the sphere; and then these energies are reflected back and down as a gentle, sifting, and even light of about the intensity of Urantia sunlight when the sun is shining overhead at ten o’clock in the morning.
46:1.5Under such conditions of lighting, the light rays do not seem to come from one place; they just sift out of the sky, emanating equally from all space directions. This light is very similar to natural sunlight except that it contains very much less heat. Thus it will be recognized that such headquarters worlds are not luminous in space; if Jerusem were very near Urantia, it would not be visible.
46:1.6The gases which reflect this light-energy from the Jerusem upper ionosphere back to the ground are very similar to those in the Urantia upper air belts which are concerned with the auroral phenomena of your so-called northern lights, although these are produced by different causes. On Urantia it is this same gas shield which prevents the escape of the terrestrial broadcast waves, reflecting them earthward when they strike this gas belt in their direct outward flight. In this way broadcasts are held near the surface as they journey through the air around your world.
46:1.7This lighting of the sphere is uniformly maintained for seventy-five per cent of the Jerusem day, and then there is a gradual recession until, at the time of minimum illumination, the light is about that of your full moon on a clear night. This is the quiet hour for all Jerusem. Only the broadcast-receiving stations are in operation during this period of rest and rehabilitation.
- 10 forms of material life on
- cf: Havona: nature and constitution
- no organic evolution or survival of the fittest
46:2.5Jerusem and its associated worlds are endowed with the ten standard divisions of physical life characteristic of the architectural spheres of Nebadon. And since there is no organic evolution on Jerusem, there are no conflicting forms of life, no struggle for existence, no survival of the fittest. Rather is there a creative adaptation which foreshadows the beauty, the harmony, and the perfection of the eternal worlds of the central and divine universe. And in all this creative perfection there is the most amazing intermingling of physical and of morontia life, artistically contrasted by the celestial artisans and their fellows.
48:1.3All of these worlds are architectural spheres, and they have just double the number of elements of the evolved planets. Such made-to-order worlds not only abound in the heavy metals and crystals, having one hundred physical elements, but likewise have exactly one hundred forms of a unique energy organization called morontia material. The Master Physical Controllers and the Morontia Power Supervisors are able so to modify the revolutions of the primary units of matter and at the same time so to transform these associations of energy as to create this new substance.
48:3.157. Area and Building Custodians. Even the material and morontia structures increase in perfection and grandeur as you advance in the mansonia career. As individuals and as groups you are permitted to make certain changes in the abodes assigned as headquarters for your sojourn on the different mansion worlds. Many of the activities of these spheres take place in the open enclosures of the variously designated circles, squares, and triangles. The majority of the mansion world structures are roofless, being enclosures of magnificent construction and exquisite embellishment. The climatic and other physical conditions prevailing on the architectural worlds make roofs wholly unnecessary.
Onward
Cited alongside: Jerusem, Master Physical Controllers, Nebadon, Edentia, lighting, morontia worlds, Salvington, spornagia