Preface: How Similarity Theory Was Born
From a young age, I found myself drawn not only to questions of existence, but to the patterns that seemed to underlie it. My earliest exposure came through the Lord’s Prayer, specifically the line “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Even as a child, something about that phrase struck me as profound — it hinted at a structural resonance between worlds. That early seed later flourished into what I now call Similarity Theory.
As I matured, I encountered the Hermetic maxim “As above, so below”, and recognised it not merely as a mystical saying, but as a universal principle echoed across spiritual, philosophical, and scientific traditions. This idea — that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm — became a foundation for my thinking.
At one point, I considered how a scientist might study the entire universe: surely, one would need samples from every corner of it. But then I realised that Earth already holds an incredible diversity of life and matter — far more complex and abundant than what we observe in most of the visible cosmos. In that sense, Earth itself is a condensation of universal variety. I began studying the patterns within this abundance and looking for resonances across scales — between what is “below” and what may exist “above.” This is where the roots of Similarity Theory took hold.
The Three Pillars of Reality
At its core, Similarity Theory rests on three fundamental pillars: Dimensions, Time, and Consciousness.
Dimensions represent the structural space of being. Every dimension is its own cosmos — not merely a variation, but a different order of reality. Within each, there are many internal layers. The higher the dimension, the more layers it contains — yet ironically, progression through those layers becomes easier, because beings in higher dimensions already understand the patterns. The greatest leap is always the first: the shift from nothing to something, from zero to one.
Time is not linear in all frames of reference. To humans, it flows forward, like a current. But to higher-dimensional beings, time may appear as a landscape — navigable, flexible, and multi-directional. Still, even for them, time is necessary. It is the measure of progression — of unfolding.
Consciousness, or the soul, is the animating light. It is not limited to humans or animals — it exists within everything. Like light shining through a photograph, consciousness enters each frame and brings motion, presence, and form. It is both individual and cosmic, and while many traditions imagine a single divine mind, I propose something broader: not one God, but many conscious fields across many dimensions and many cosmoses.
I do not believe the universe came about by random chance. For there to be structure, development, and persistence — from atoms to human beings — there must be a continuous force. That force is consciousness. And consciousness, to continue and evolve, must build upon itself. It cannot be static. It moves through time. It learns. It remembers.
Parallel vs Higher Dimensions
A key distinction in my theory is between parallel and higher dimensions. Parallel dimensions may contain worlds much like ours, possibly with lifeforms similar to us — perhaps more advanced, if they can traverse to our plane. But higher dimensions are altogether different. The entities there may have no form at all, or forms utterly beyond human comprehension. They are not simply “more advanced civilisations” — they are categorically other. We might perceive them as godlike not because they are divine, but because our minds cannot decode their essence.
Final Reflection
Similarity Theory was not handed to me in a single moment of insight — it emerged slowly, through lived experience, childhood wonder, religious symbolism, philosophical comparison, and deep reflection. What unifies it is the belief that everything — from the smallest cell to the structure of time itself — follows patterns. These patterns repeat, evolve, and reflect one another across all levels of existence.
Similarity is not sameness. It is resonance — the hum between things that appear different, but move according to the same deeper rhythm.
This is the rhythm I seek to understand. And this is the theory I now offer.
— Simon Raphael
