Nikola
Tesla used ancient Sanskrit terminology in his descriptions of natural
phenomena. As early as 1891 Tesla described the universe as a kinetic
system filled with energy which could be harnessed at any
location.
His concepts during the following years were greatly influenced by the
teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda was the first of a
succession of eastern yogi's who brought Vedic philosophy and religion
to the west. After meeting the Swami and after continued study of the
Eastern view of the mechanisms driving the material world, Tesla began
using the Sanskrit words Akasha, Prana, and the concept of a
luminiferous ether to describe the source, existence and construction of
matter. This paper will trace the development of Tesla's understanding
of Vedic Science, his correspondence with Lord Kelvin concerning these
matters, and the relation between Tesla and Walter Russell and other
turn of the century scientists concerning advanced understanding of
physics. Finally, after being obscured for many years, the author will
give a description of what he believes is the the pre-requisite for the
free energy systems envisioned by Tesla.
TESLA'S EARLIER DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE
By
the year 1891, Nikola Tesla had invented many useful devices. These
included a system of arc lighting (1886), the alternating current motor,
power generation and transmission systems (1888), systems of electrical
conversion and distribution by oscillatory discharges (1889), and a
generator of high frequency currents (1890), to name a few. The most
well known patent centers around an inspiration that occurred while
walking with a friend in a park in Budapest, Hungry. It was while
observing the sunset that Tesla had a vision of how rotating
electromagnetic fields could be used in a new form of electric motor.
his led to the well known system of alternating current power
distribution. In 1891 however, Tesla patented what one day may become
his most famous invention. It is the basis for the wireless transmission
of electrical power and is know as the Tesla Coil Transformer. It was
during this year that Tesla made the following comments during a speech
before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers;
"Ere
many generations pass, our machinery will be driven by a power
obtainable at any point in the universe. This idea is not novel... We
find it in the delightful myth of Antheus, who derives power from the
earth; we find it among the subtle speculations of one of your splendid
mathematicians... Throughout space there is energy. Is this energy
static or kinetic.? If static our hopes are in vain; if kinetic - and
this we know it is, for certain - then it is a mere question of time
when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork
of nature." 1
This description of the physical
mechanisms of the universe was given before Tesla became familiar with
the Vedic science of the eastern Nations of India, Tibet, and Nepal.
This science was first popularized in the United States and the west
during the three year visit of Swami Vivekananda.
VEDIC SCIENCE AND SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
The
Vedas are a collection of writings consisting of hymns, prayers, myths,
historical accounting, dissertations on science, and the nature of
reality, which date back at least 5,000 years. The nature of matter,
antimatter, and the make up of atomic structure are described in the
Vedas. The language of the Vedas is known as Sanskrit. The origin of
Sanskrit is not fully understood. Western scholars suggest that it was
brought into the Himalayas and thence south into India by the southward
migrations of the Aryan culture. Paramahansa Yogananda and other
historians however do not subscribe to that theory, pointing out that
there is no evidence within India to substantiate such claims. 2
There
are words in Sanskrit that describe concepts totally foreign to the
western mind. Single words may require a full paragraph for translation
into english. Having studied Sanskrit for a brief period during the late
70's, it finally occurred to this writer that Tesla's use of Vedic
terminology could provide a key to understanding his view of
electromagnetism and the nature of the universe. But where did Tesla
learn Vedic concepts and Sanskrit terminology? A review of the well
known biographies by Cheney, Hunt and Draper, and O'Neil 3,4,5, reveal
no mention of Tesla's knowledge of Sanskrit. O'Neal however includes the
following excerpt from an unpublished article called Man's Greatest
Achievement;
"There manifests itself in the fully
developed being , Man, a desire mysterious, inscrutable and
irresistible: to imitate nature, to create, to work himself the wonders
he perceives.... Long ago he recognized that all perceptible matter
comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling
all space, the Akasha or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the
life giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never
ending cycles all things and phenomena. The primary substance, thrown
into infinitesimal whirls of prodigious velocity, becomes gross matter;
the force subsiding, the motion ceases and matter disappears, reverting
to the primary substance."
According to Leland Anderson
the article was written May 13th, 1907. Anderson also suggested that it
was through association with Swami Vivekananda that Tesla may have come
into contact with Sanskrit terminology and that John Dobson of the San
Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers Association had researched that
association.
Swami Vivekananda was born in Calcutta,
India in 1863. He was inspired by his teacher, Ramakrishna to serve men
as visible manifestations of God. In 1893 Swami Vivekananda began a tour
of the west by attending the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago.
During the three years that he toured the United States and Europe,
Vivekananda met with many of the well known scientists of the time
including Lord Kelvin and Nikola Tesla. 7 According to Swami
Nikhilananda;
Nikola Tesla, the great scientist who
specialized in the field of electricity, was much impressed to hear from
the Swami his explanation of the Samkhya cosmogony and the theory of
cycles given by the Hindus. He was particularly struck by the
resemblance between the Samkhya theory of matter and energy and that of
modern physics. The Swami also met in New York Sir William Thompson,
afterwards Lord Kelvin, and Professor Helmholtz, two leading
representatives of western science. Sarah Bernhardt, the famous French
actress had an interview with the Swami and greatly admired his
teachings. 8
It was at a party given by Sarah Bernhardt
that Nikola Tesla probably first met Swami Vivekananda. 9 Sarah
Bernhardt was playing the part of 'Iziel' in a play of the same name. It
was a French version about the life of Bhudda. The actress upon seeing
Swami Vivekananda in the audience, arranged a meeting which was also
attended by Nikola Tesla. In a letter to a friend, dated February 13th,
1896, Swami Vivekananda noted the following;
...Mr.
Tesla was charmed to hear about the Vedantic Prana and Akasha and the
Kalpas, which according to him are the only theories modern science can
entertain.....Mr Tesla thinks he can demonstrate that mathematically
that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. I am to go see
him next week to get this mathematical demonstration. 10
Swami
Vivekananda was hopeful that Tesla would be able to show that what we
call matter is simply potential energy because that would reconcile the
teachings of the Vedas with modern science. The Swami realized that "In
that case, the Vedantic cosmology [would] be placed on the surest of
foundations". The harmony between Vedantic theories and and western
science was explained by the following diagram;
BRAHMAN
= THE ABSOLUTE | | | | MAHAT OR ISHVARA = PRIMAL CREATIVE ENERGY | |
+---------+ +---------+ PRANA and AKASHA = ENERGY and MATTER
Tesla
understood the Sanskrit terminology and philosophy and found that it
was a good means to describe the physical mechanisms of the universe as
seen through his eyes. It would behoove those who would attempt to
understand the science behind the inventions of Nikola Tesla to study
Sanskrit and Vedic philosophy.
Tesla
apparently failed to show the identity of energy and matter. If he had,
certainly Swami Vivekananda would have recorded that occasion. The
mathematical proof of the principle did come until about ten years later
when Albert Einstein published his paper on relativity. What had been
known in the East for the last 5,000 years was then known to the West.
Brahman
is defined as the one self existent impersonal spirit; the Divine
Essence, from which all things emanate, by which they are sustained, and
to which they return. Notice that this is very similar to the concept
of the Great Spirit as understood by Native American cultures. Ishvara
is the Supreme Ruler; the highest possible conception of the Absolute,
which is beyond all thought. Mahat means literally the Great One, and is
also interpreted as meaning universal mind or cosmic intelligence.
Prana means energy (usually translated as life force) and Akasha means
matter (usually translated as ether). Dobson points out that the more
common translations for Akasha and Prana are not quite correct, but that
Tesla did understand their true meanings.
The meeting
with Swami Vivekananda greatly stimulated Nikola Tesla's interest in
Eastern Science. The Swami later remarked during a lecture in India, "I
myself have been told by some of the best scientific minds of the day,
how wonderfully rational the conclusions of the Vedanta are. I know of
one of them personally, who scarcely has time to eat his meal, or go out
of his laboratory, but who would stand by the hour to attend my
lectures on the Vedanta; for, as he expresses it, they are so
scientific, they so exactly harmonize with the aspirations of the age
and with the conclusions to which modern science is coming at
the present time".
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