Discovering the Essence of Being: Birth, and Cosmic Stars Within Us

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Modernity has led humans into the embrace of an extremely complex situation, one that forces them to confront themselves and grapple with their existence: contemplating their birth from the womb of the universe, examining the civilization they are building, and worrying about the end of their journey in the future, precisely when the universe swallows them into the empty cosmic void. Contemporary philosophers have long wrestled with this intricate problem, and not many of the billions of humans are as daring as they are to unravel the roots of human existence.

Albert Camus, for instance, with his eccentric and confident views, asserts that human existence is entirely an absurd comedy. He encourages every individual to forge their own destiny, to write it as the most desired story, or to paint it as a beautiful work of art that does not require praise. Meanwhile, Franz Kafka literally and darkly depicts the absurdity of human existence in his work 'Metamorphosis.' In this narrative, the main character, an ordinary man, is suddenly cursed to become a giant insect, without any reason or explanation that he ever knew. He is then judged for a 'crime' he does not understand. Kafka's allegory—and Camus's as well—clearly express a deep frustration with humans inability to comprehend their own existence. Humans are trapped in an endless ontological confusion, tossed about in an indifferent universe.

Regardless of all that—the overflowing frustration over the absurdity of self-existence—humans must slowly return to the starting point and figure out where they came from as a foundation for navigating the meaning of their existence. Discussing human origins, is there anyone who realizes that humans actually come from the stars that shine in the darkness of the universe? Perhaps only a handful of people understand this truth, while most remain lulled in ignorance, indifferent to the fact that their ancestors are not just Adam and Eve. Or, they may not care because, for them, the existence of human origins is not particularly important or beneficial to their lives.

Researchers from Northwestern University have unveiled the mystery of the origins of human existence. In their study “The Cosmic Baryon Cycle and Galaxy Mass Assembly in the FIRE Simulation,” published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2017), they confirmed previous research indicating that half of the atoms comprising the human body originate from foreign galaxies, located a million light-years away from the Milky Way, which humans call home.

How astonishing it is to imagine that the very elements that constitute the human being have traveled a long journey through the darkness of space, ultimately giving birth to the humans we are today. Poetically, the human body stands as a silent witness to the cosmic evolution that has unfolded over billions of years. Every atom within us holds the story of colossal star explosions in distant galaxies. We—humans—are the culmination of a creative process that began at the dawn of the universe—the Big Bang, intricately connected to the stars scattered across the vast expanse of the cosmos.

The wonder of human existence has been eloquently expressed by those who have recognized this truth through beautiful words. Two notable figures are Carl Sagan and Harlow Shapley. Carl Sagan, a renowned American cosmologist, conveyed the poetic truths of the cosmos in an episode of the television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. In his lyrical prose, he stated: “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” Sagan also shared his awe in his writing The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective, where he remarked: “Our Sun is a second- or third-generation star. All of the rocky and metallic material we stand on, the iron in our blood, the calcium in our teeth, the carbon in our genes were produced billions of years ago in the interior of a red giant star.”

Meanwhile, Harlow Shapley, an astronomer from Harvard College Observatory, articulated similar sentiments during an interview with The New York Times, stating: “We are made of the same stuff as the stars, so when we study astronomy we are in a way only investigating our remote ancestry and our place in the universe of star stuff. Our very bodies consist of the same chemical elements found in the most distant nebulae, and our activities are guided by the same universal rules.”

From the understanding of the starting point of existence, humans should be able to create a profound reflection on the beauty of their bodies, the beauty of life, and the beauty of their own existence in the universe—much like what Carl Sagan and Harlow Shapley did. Humans deserve to realize that they are children of the stars, born from cosmic dust that has traversed space and time. Every breath taken by a human is a whisper of the galaxy, and every heartbeat is an echo of a supernova explosion. Within human blood flow elements forged in the gigantic furnaces of ancient stars, making humans a tangible embodiment of the universe’s history itself.

Realizing their magnificent origins, how could humans view their existence as something trivial or meaningless? Every step taken by humans on Earth is a painting of the ongoing journey of cosmic matter that has unfolded over billions of years. Humans are a link in the unbroken chain of cosmic evolution, carrying within themselves the same creative potential that has birthed galaxies. Understanding the essence of humans as ‘walking stars’ undoubtedly brings great responsibility to each individual. Thus, humans are not mere passive spectators in this cosmic drama; they are the main actors with the power to shape the narrative of life. Every action taken by humans, no matter how small, must be recognized as having cosmic resonance. How humans treat one another and how they care for this planet are all manifestations of human awareness striving to unite with the universe—our mother and our ancient self.

Another thing that humans must realize is the tempo of existence concerning their physical body and soul in relation to the universe. Although the human body is mortal, the human soul carries the eternity of the stars. Death is not an end, but rather a transformation, just as a dying star gives birth to new elements. This awareness should liberate humans from all fears of mortality, urging individuals to live with the courage and wisdom akin to that of the stars. The human body will continue to exist eternally, transforming into other matter—beginning a new existence as part of the universe.

In humans’ quest for the meaning of existence, perhaps the answer lies within the very essence of humans themselves. Humans are living canvases of cosmic poetry, and each moment of human life is a verse that enhances the beauty of the universe’s verses. The task for humans today is to recognize this wonder, to live with full awareness of the grandeur of their origins. When individuals feel small and powerless in the face of the vastness of the universe, they must remind themselves that within them resides the same power that has birthed the stars. Humans are a light in the darkness, a bearer of hope and cosmic creativity.

By: Feri Kurniawan