"The Archetype of the Number and its Reflections in Contemporary Cosmology" by Alain Negre

A deep but amazing book tying the beauty of numerology and its ties with the natural and physical sciences.

It's fair to say that Math and Science go hand in hand. Take the scientific discipline, Physics. It's impossible to learn Physics without the aid of Mathematics, and doing so may make the observations sound like poems or stories. Nothing wrong with that, however, we want the exact, or numerical approximation, of the researches done to give us a better understanding of what makes this world work and what makes this Universe expand.

Often times, we need to take a step back and realize what this place we live in hopes to convey. Some authors argue that we've already reached the end of Physics, and the rest is now philosophical. In that case, where do we go from here?

Perhaps we should remind ourselves again of the very beginnings. What is a number? What does it define, namely in the realm of science? When are numbers capable of lying? What is the basis of its use(s) in cosmology?

Questions like these become central in this fantastic book by author Alain Negre. You can read all the books your college professor(s), and perhaps your fellow classmates, recommended you read outside of school. However, all that is roughly compiled, thanks to this book.

Author Negre begins the book with a modest introduction and history of the various sciences, namely Astronomy, Philosophy/Logic, Physics and Math. It's like you're reading about everything you learned all in one book, tying all that knowledge to draw up that large picture you hope would be done painting. Chapter Five is where things get fun, learning about Integers and what they really are.

"Point and line are two geometric figures without depth and so not concrete, thus explaining why One and Two have been considered as principles rather than numbers."
— Alain Negre, Chapter Five: The Concept of Number-Archetype and the First Four Integers

In other words One is "Monad," Two is "Dyad," Three is "Triad," and Four is "Tetrad." (You might remember Tetrads from the underrated NES game StarTropics II: Zoda's Revenge, where you collect Tetrads to save Hirocon—Mica's father.) According to Marie von Franz, numbers have "vibrational energy" to which Negre phrases as psychophysical energy. This chapter gives you a little taste of Astrology and its ties to these numbers.

In case you're wondering, yes there is Astrology integrated in this book. Depending on your personal beliefs, it may not be a 'profound' read in terms of learning new research and view another author's perspective in terms of science, but it's worth a try, right? It's a rare treat since many science books out there try to sway away from any "supernatural" beliefs, author Negre is looking to find that tiny gap that may try to piece such divisive subjects together.

Adding more into the mix is the numerological essence in combination with the natural and supernatural sciences. In life, you likely came across a number, or a group of numbers, telling you something that may be trying to speak out to you. Yes, there is a significance behind it and the key is to pay attention with an open mind and see where it may tie to or what it may lead. (Personally, I've seen the number 43 and 143 during my college years. Also, as controversial as it may sound, when I think numerology, I think gematria.)

As rigorous and deep as this book is, you really have to sit and take in the information being shared. It's truly not for those fully secure within their personal beliefs, be it religious or not. All the sciences like physics, cosmology, psychology, in ties with astrology, numerology, is what author Negre is laying forth. Although this could likely stun the science foundation, it's important to try and find that very thin, gray line that may mesh all of Humankind's research and why things work as they are. Physics, for example, when gone deep into the rabbit hole, suddenly goes from science to philosophy (i.e. Schrödinger's Cat). At what point do we realize that we've reached the end of our research? Even though supernaturalistic properties may not be necessary in conjunction with the natural sciences, could there actually be a thin, gray line that we're not wanting to see, that ties each other up?

While I feel computers and technology are still making rapid advances, don't be shocked when articles begin to pop up about the 'spiritual' significance of, say, quantum physics, and why numbers aren't scalars used for counting, but represent a deep tie into one's personal being, or the entire universe.

This is one of the deepest books you can get your hands in, and for those with a basic understanding of the various sciences, may find this to fully transform, or even change, their surrounding perspective(s). Books like this could lead us even closer to a definitive, yet somewhat far, answer to humankind's age old questions.

Kris Caballero

Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming (software development) and video production, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, playing old video/DOS games, digital video archiving, and listening to sports, public radio and classical music.

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