According to science, dark energy makes up 79% of the estimated energy available within the universe. It is called “dark” because it is undiscoverable, but it is known to exist. Without this energy, the universe cannot sustain itself—in fact, there will be no space “out there.”

What Is Dark Energy? Cosmologists know there is a gravitational pull between galaxies, which means that the galaxies are pulled closer to each other. So, the space between the galaxies should contract as they come closer to each other by this gravitational pull. Observation has shown that this is not happening. Instead, what is seen is that space is expanding, and the galaxies are moving apart. The only way this can happen is if there is some force which is pushing all the galaxies apart. We can deduce that this force is much greater than gravitational pull and is the reason for the expansion of space. This expansionary force requires energy—lots of energy. This energy is the mysterious dark energy, which is responsible for the expansion of the universe.

Dark energy is unknown. Scientists have no clue about its composition. It is not like visible energy. It is not gamma rays, X-rays, or any other electromagnetic waves which make up the spectrum of visible energy. Researchers are looking for dark energy, but it continues to elude them.

Spacetime vs. Space

To understand dark energy, the first step is properly to understand some key terms used while describing space. Einstein coined the term “spacetime” to describe the fabric of the universe. This term causes confusion. There are now two terms—there is space and there is spacetime. What is the difference? Space is what we see when we look out, and everything in space is measured in distances. The tree is 200 feet away; the plane is flying at 30,000 feet. Space is visible and operates in the three dimensions.

Spacetime looks at the same objects in terms of time. This term is confusing because there is no space in spacetime; there is only time. In spacetime, the measurement is in units of time alone; no distances are measured. For example, light takes eight minutes to reach us from the sun; the distant star is 500 million light-years away. Everything in spacetime is measured only in time. There are NO distances, only time.

Einstein indicated that there is a fabric to this universe and this fabric is made up of spacetime. All the objects, both small and big, rest on this spacetime fabric. Think of any object, from a small ant to a large planet or star; everything in the universe rests on this fabric. Of what is the spacetime fabric made? You guessed it; this fabric is made up of time alone. Yes, there is a fabric underlying this universe which is made up of time. Not easy to grasp, but you can try to imagine a fabric made of time. Time is the only variable of the fabric. Since this term “spacetime fabric” does cause confusion, it is therefore more appropriate to call the spacetime fabric “the time fabric.” Time fabric is more accurate and conveys the meaning that time alone is the variable in spacetime. Henceforth we will call spacetime fabric as time fabric.

Spacetime Fabric = Time Fabric

Science wrongly conveys the impression that the time fabric operates in space. This is wrong because time operates on a different plane. As Einstein stated, spacetime operates in the fourth dimension. Where is the fourth dimension? One thing is clear: the fourth dimension cannot function in the three dimensions, otherwise we would have to say that space has four dimensions. Time and the time fabric, the fourth dimension—it cannot function in space. Then, where does time function; where does the time fabric operate? If it is not space—then where? If you think and analyze, the only other logical place where time and the time fabric function is the mind. The fourth dimension is within the mind. Strange but it is the truth. Please read my essay “Understanding Time” which is available on my website https://vedantaandscience.com/ , where we have analyzed and shown that time is a function of the mind. Time operates only within the mind.

Connection between Time and Space

Let me make a bold statement that time is the source of space. Yes, time is the cause, and space the effect. If there was no time, there would be no space. As we will see shortly, space is nothing but stretched-out time. How to understand this?

Science tells us that the universe is 13.7 billion years old. If light must travel from the outer edge of the universe, it will take light 13.7 billion years to reach us. The distance that light must travel is 13.7 light-years. One light-year is the amount of distance light travels in one year. One light-year = 9.43 x10¹² km. This means that light travels 13.7 billion light-years to reach us. This distance gives us the size of our universe, which is 9.43 x10¹² km x 13.7 billion years.

Let us play around with the age of the universe and the size of the universe. If you assume the universe is 13.7 billion years old at this very “moment,” then the size of space is 13.7 billion light-years. After one second, the age of the universe will be 13.7 billion years + one second. Light must now travel an additional 186,000 miles to reach us, which means the size of the universe has grown by 186,000 miles. The size of the universe would be 13.7 billion light-years + 186,000 miles. After 10 seconds, the age of the universe would be 13.7 billion years + 10 seconds, and the size of space would be 13.7 billion light-years + 1,860,000 miles. After one year, the age of the universe would be 13.7 billion years + one year, and the size of the universe would be 13.7 billion light-years + one light-year.

It is clear from the above analysis that, as the universe is aging, the size of the universe is increasing. It is so easy to see that time is creating the expansion of the universe. Every year, the universe expands by one light-year. As time passes, the space of the universe will keep expanding. As long as time is flowing, space will keep expanding. This is an amazing conclusion—that time is the source of space. Time is creating space. When will space stop expanding? You guessed it—when time comes to a halt. When will time come to a halt? No one knows—but I am guessing that will be the end of the universe. When time stops, the universe will stop expanding.  

Framework of the Time Fabric

Since the time fabric is made up of time, there must be a start point and an end point for the fabric. Time must have a beginning and an end. There must be a starting point, which is t=0 for the time fabric. Right now, the end point of the time fabric is the age of the universe, which is 13.7 billion years away on the time fabric. As time flows, this time fabric will keep expanding. This time fabric will keep expanding as long as time keeps increasing. At the time of the birth of the universe, the time fabric was very small; now, it is 13.7 billion years, and it is expanding every moment.

Construction of the Time Fabric

Based on the Planck constant, it is proven that time is made of discrete elements. It is not continuous. The shortest separation between two discrete elements is 10^-44 seconds. These discrete time elements make up the time fabric. The start of the time fabric is t=0. The first node will be at 10^-44 seconds away from the starting point. The second node will be at 2 x 10^-44 seconds away; the third node will be 3 x 10^-44 away. The entire time fabric is built up with these small increments of time nodes. As noted earlier, this time fabric is available only within the mind.

Dark Energy and Space

Yes, infinite energy is present within our innermost core. All the energy you see in the universe comes from this source. It does sound amazing that infinite energy is present within our inner core. On my website https://vedantaandscience.com/ , I have an essay, “Awareness—The Infinite Energy Source,” which gives a detailed explanation. When you have time, please read this essay. If you correctly interpret Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, you can easily conclude that infinite energy is available within our innermost core. This energy source cannot be anywhere else.

This infinite energy source plays different roles. A part of this energy is used to create all the visible matter. The entire electromagnetic spectrum is created by this energy, which in turn creates all the visible objects in the universe.

Let us see what happens when another part of this energy interacts with the time fabric. This energy has the power to stretch out the time fabric. That is one of the powers of this energy. One second of the fabric is stretched out to become 186,000 miles of space. Just like a rubber band can be stretched outward, in the same way, the time fabric is stretched outward by this energy. With this stretching of the time fabric, space is created. Every second of the time fabric becomes 186,000 miles of space. This is the space we see. At this moment, the size of the time fabric is 13.7 billion years. This entire fabric is stretched out by this energy to give all the space in this universe. What is this energy? This is the dark energy which is eluding the scientific community. So, the dark energy is nothing but the energy used to stretch out the time fabric to give us the space we see “out there.” A great deal of energy is required to stretch out the entire time fabric. Scientists have estimated that dark energy is about 79% of the total energy requirement of this universe.

1. We have seen earlier that as time flows, the time fabric keeps expanding. This means that dark energy stretches the time fabric to create an ever-expanding space “out there.” As long as time flows, space will continue to expand. More and more dark energy is required to continue the expansion of space.

2. So, this energy which can stretch the time fabric is dark energy. It is not your ordinary energy, which is part of the visible universe. Dark energy is not part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Electromagnetic energy is good for visible matter; it cannot stretch the time fabric to create space. What is this energy type which can stretch the time fabric? What is the composition and makeup of this energy? I do not think it is possible to answer this question, because the stretching out of the time fabric takes place in the mind. You can only speculate, but it is not possible to discover the dark energy in space.