The proposed hierarchy consists of five observable levels of reality: the Cosmological Level, the Physical Level, the Biological Level, the Psychological Level, and the Intellectual Level (Figure 1). There may be higher and lower levels beyond human perception, but these five levels appear to be directly or indirectly accessible to human understanding.

The present work accepts the principle of emergence commonly employed in mainstream science [[3], [4]] and discussed more broadly in contemporary emergence studies [[6]], but extends it one level deeper. Mainstream science generally regards biological reality as emerging from physical reality and psychological reality as emerging from biological reality. The present work proposes that physical reality likewise emerges from a deeper cosmological reality. The difference, therefore, lies not in the logic of emergence but in the identification of the fundamental level.

Each level evolves upon the foundation of the preceding level. Its raw material and supporting substrate are derived from the immediately lower level, while its organization and operation belong to the level itself. A higher level, therefore, does not replace the lower level but remains nested within it. Consequently, a human being simultaneously possesses cosmological, physical, biological, psychological, and intellectual reality.

The emergence of the hierarchy may be understood as a progressive evolution of reality. Cosmological entities give rise to physical entities, physical entities give rise to biological entities, biological entities give rise to psychological entities, and psychological entities give rise to intellectual entities. Each level transforms the capable manifestations of the preceding level into its own form of reality.

This relationship may be perceived throughout the hierarchy. Biological entities utilize sensing-capable physical energies to form sensations. Psychological entities utilize emotion-capable biological sensations to form emotions. Intellectual entities utilize interpretation-capable psychological emotions to form interpretations.

A common pattern, therefore, emerges: every level depends upon the capable manifestations of the immediately lower level as its substrate and source of activation.

By parallel inference [[7], [8]], the same reasoning may be extended one level deeper, saying physical reality may likewise emerge from a deeper cosmological reality.

The present work, therefore, proposes that physical entities utilize energy-capable cosmological fields in the realization of physical energy. In this view, the cosmological level is not an additional physical layer but the foundational level from which physical reality emerges. This extension follows from the assumption that nature is not partial across its levels of organization [[7], [8]]. If intellectual, psychological, biological, and physical realities emerge through hierarchical transitions, then the physical level itself may reasonably be expected to emerge from a preceding cosmological level governed by a similar relationship.

Accordingly, the hierarchy may be summarized as:

Cosmological fields → Physical energies → Biological sensations → Psychological emotions → Intellectual interpretations [[9]] (Figure 1).

This sequence is not merely a classification of phenomena but a hierarchy of dependence and activation. Each level employs the capable manifestations of the preceding level as its raw material, transforming them into its own mode of reality.

A simple illustration may be found in communication. A receiver converts electromagnetic waves into physical sound. The sound is received biologically as emotion-capable phonemes, psychologically as interpretation-capable emotions, and intellectually as interpreted meaning [[10]]. The same activation therefore appears differently at different levels of reality while preserving continuity throughout the hierarchy.

The proposal does not reject the emergent hierarchy accepted in mainstream science. Rather, it extends that hierarchy one level deeper by shifting the fundamental level from the physical domain to the cosmological domain.

The argument is further supported by a hierarchical principle of interaction. Distinct intellectual entities interact through a psychological substrate. Distinct psychological entities interact through a biological substrate. Distinct biological entities interact through a physical substrate. By extension, distinct physical entities interact through a cosmological substrate.

Throughout the hierarchy, interaction occurs through the substrate of the immediately lower level (Figure 1). The interaction medium, therefore, lies at a deeper level than the interacting entities themselves. Consequently, the physical fields observed in space are interpreted not as fundamental physical entities but as manifestations of an underlying cosmological substrate.

In this framework, the fields that occupy spacetime constitute the cosmological medium through which physical interactions are possible. Physical reality is therefore viewed not as the foundation of reality but as an organized manifestation emerging within a deeper cosmological reality.

2.2.1. Is the Proposed Cosmological Level Directly Perceptible?

A possible objection is that the proposed cosmological level is not directly perceptible and therefore cannot be accepted as real. The present work does not claim direct perception of the cosmological substrate. Rather, its existence is inferred from the hierarchical structure of reality. Similar reasoning is commonly employed throughout science. Biological sensations are not directly perceptible through physical measurements, and psychological emotions are not directly perceptible through biological tissues. Their existence is inferred from their manifestations. Likewise, the cosmological substrate is inferred from the physical phenomena that emerge from it.

Figure 1.Hierarchical realization across levels of existence. Each level realizes the capable manifestations of the immediately lower level. Energy-capable cosmological waves are realized as physical energy; sensing-capable physical energy is realized as biological sensing; emotion-capable biological sensing is realized as psychological emotion; and interpretation-capable psychological emotion is realized as intellectual interpretation.

2.2.2. Is Inference a Valid Form of Proof?

The proposed hierarchy relies primarily upon inference. In both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions, inference is recognized as a valid means of acquiring knowledge. Nyāya philosophy recognizes inference (anumāna) as a valid pramāṇa[[11]], while modern philosophy of science regularly employs analogical and parallel reasoning [[7], [8]]. Many accepted scientific explanations, including the Big Bang model, are inferred from present observations rather than being directly observed. The present work similarly employs inference to extend the observed hierarchy one level deeper.

2.2.3. Why Extend the Hierarchy beyond the Physical Level?

Mainstream science generally accepts that biological reality emerges from physical reality and that psychological reality emerges from biological reality [[3]]. The present work accepts this principle of emergence. It extends the same reasoning one level deeper. If intellectual interpretations emerge from psychological emotions, psychological emotions emerge from biological sensations, and biological sensations emerge from physical energies, then physical energies may likewise emerge from cosmological fields. The difference therefore lies not in the logic of emergence but in the identification of the fundamental level.

2.2.4. Why Should Reality Require a Lower-Level Substrate?

The hierarchy proposed in this work is based upon a common principle: each level depends upon the capable manifestations of the immediately lower level as its substrate and raw material. Intellectual reality depends upon interpretation-capable psychological emotions. Psychological reality depends upon emotion-capable biological sensations. Biological reality depends upon sensing-capable physical energies. By extension, physical reality is proposed to depend upon energy-capable cosmological fields. The hierarchy therefore represents a structure of dependence rather than merely a classification of phenomena.

2.2.5. Why Must Physical Entities Interact through a Cosmological Substrate?

The present work proposes a hierarchical principle of interaction. Distinct intellectual entities interact through a psychological substrate. Distinct psychological entities interact through a biological substrate. Distinct biological entities interact through a physical substrate. By extension, distinct physical entities interact through a cosmological substrate. Throughout the hierarchy, interaction occurs through the substrate of the immediately lower level. The interaction medium therefore belongs to a deeper level than the interacting entities themselves.

2.2.6. Is the Cosmological Substrate Another Ether?

The present work does not propose a physical ether. Historically, ether theories treated the propagation medium as a physical substance [[12]]. The cosmological substrate proposed here is not a physical constituent of the universe. Rather, it is the foundational level from which physical entities and physical fields emerge. Consequently, the cosmological substrate should not be identified with the classical ether concept.

2.2.7. Does the Michelson-Morley Experiment Refute the Proposal?

The Michelson-Morley experiment is commonly interpreted as ruling out a stationary physical propagation medium [[13]]. The present work accepts this conclusion. However, the cosmological substrate proposed here is not a physical constituent of the universe but the deeper level from which physical entities and physical fields emerge. Consequently, the experiment does not directly address the present proposal.

2.2.8. What Is the Evidence for a Cosmological Substrate?

The evidence proposed in this work is indirect rather than direct. Physical entities continuously interact via electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic forces, and attraction and repulsion. These interactions are interpreted as manifestations of underlying cosmological fields. The cosmological substrate is therefore inferred from the existence and operation of these physical interactions, in the same manner that biological, psychological, and intellectual realities are inferred from their observable manifestations.

2.2.9. Why Are There Exactly Five Levels?

The present work does not claim that reality consists of exactly five levels. The five levels discussed here are those that appear directly or indirectly accessible to human understanding. Higher or lower levels may exist. The cosmological level is therefore not claimed to be ultimate, but only more fundamental than the physical level.

2.2.10. Why Stop the Hierarchy at the Cosmological Level?

The hierarchy is not assumed to terminate at the cosmological level. The present work merely identifies the cosmological level as the deepest level presently accessible through inference from physical observations. Further levels may exist beyond current human comprehension, just as biological, psychological, and intellectual realities remain inaccessible to purely physical observation.

2.2.11. Does the Proposal Reject Modern Physics?

No. The present work does not reject the mathematical success of modern physics. It accepts the empirical observations and predictive achievements of physical theories [[5]]. The proposal concerns the ontological interpretation of those observations. The central claim is that physical reality may emerge from a deeper cosmological substrate, just as biological and psychological realities emerge from physical processes.

2.2.12. Even If the Hierarchy Is Logically Possible, What Scientific Benefit Does It Provide

A useful theory should not merely provide an alternative description; it should improve understanding of unresolved phenomena. The present framework proposes a common cosmological foundation for physical fields, attraction, repulsion, electromagnetic phenomena, spacetime structure, and hierarchical emergence. Consequently, it offers a unified conceptual framework through which several unresolved questions concerning cosmology and space may be re-examined.

The present framework proposes that a physical entity operates through a complete cycle of receiving, perceiving, and emitting cosmological activations, as shown in Figure 3. The cycle is governed through three internal functions: Capability, Time, and Consciousness. Capability is provided by the codes and determines whether the incoming cosmological activation can become physically perceptible. Time provides the rotational sequence of the cycle, moving from 0 degrees to 360 degrees and stimulating the inflow and outflow of the attributes. Consciousness acts as the coordinating governor that maintains the order of reception, perception, and emission. In the present framework, consciousness does not refer to psychological awareness. It denotes the coordinating principle that maintains the ordered sequence of reception, perception, and emission within an entity (Figure 3).

The cycle begins with the reception of an incoming E-field and ends with the emission of a corresponding B-field. Throughout this process, the incoming activation remains within a cosmological operational framework. The transition from cosmological activity to physical perception is discussed separately in Section 4.2.

The incoming E-field enters the entity through the receiving ports. In the E-field, fullness and hollowness form the dominant components, appearing as crest and trough respectively. Visibility and forcibility remain embedded within the field as supporting constituents. Thus, the incoming E-field carries both quantum and essence, although the essence remains subordinate to the quantum during reception, as shown in Figure 4.

As the incoming field proceeds through the memory chambers, additional stored information may be associated with the incoming activation. The memory chambers do not create new attributes; rather, they provide contextual information accumulated from previous cycles. This explains why perception may be influenced by prior experiences, temporary impressions, or stored patterns, a possibility long discussed in debates over the relationship between direct observation and prior conceptual influences in perception [[17]-[19]].

The activation then reaches the code barriers. The codes provide the capability required for interaction with the physical domain. Through this process, physically imperceptible cosmological activations become physically perceptible, although physical perception has not yet occurred. At this stage, the activation remains cosmological in nature while acquiring compatibility with physical realization.

The activation subsequently enters the interaction chamber. Here, the fullness and hollowness components unload their embedded essence constituents. The unloaded essence components originating from both sides of the incoming E-field reassemble within the interaction platform. As a result, visibility and forcibility become available as independent constituents while maintaining their relationship with fullness and hollowness.

The interaction chamber therefore contains all four attributes simultaneously: fullness, hollowness, visibility, and forcibility. The chamber serves as a temporary platform where quantum and essence coexist in a unified state. The accumulation of incoming information, memory contributions, and code-enabled capability creates a temporary integrated structure available for further processing.

Figure 3.Ontological model of the transformation of an incoming E-field into an outgoing B-field. An incoming E-field enters through the receiving ports, passes through the memory and code chambers, and is consolidated within the interaction chamber. Capability, provided by the code barriers, enables physical compatibility; time governs the sequential progression of the receiving-perceiving-emitting cycle; and consciousness serves as the coordinating principle that maintains the ordered organization of the process. Following interaction and reorganization, the perceived image is transformed into an outgoing B-field, completing the cycle.

Figure 4.The ontological relation between the E-field and the B-field during perception. The incoming E-field is quantum-dominant (fullness and hollowness) while carrying the essence of the B-field (visibility and forcibility). During perception, all four attributes become simultaneously available and consolidate into a unified energetic image. The realized image is subsequently reorganized into an essence-dominant B-field that carries the quantum of the E-field. The two field configurations remain orthogonal by 90˚.

Following this consolidation, the attributes reorganize into a new configuration. Visibility and forcibility become the dominant constituents, while fullness and hollowness become embedded within them. This reorganization yields the ingredients of the outgoing B-field (magnetic field) detailed by Agrawal [[20]]. The roles of carrier and rider are therefore exchanged. During reception, fullness and hollowness act as the dominant carriers of the incoming E-field; during emission, visibility and forcibility become the dominant carriers of the outgoing B-field.

Before emission, the physically perceptible capability supplied by the code barriers is surrendered. The outgoing activation restores its cosmological form while preserving the information acquired during processing. The memory chambers retain the relevant modifications produced during the cycle, while a corresponding outgoing activation may be emitted when required.

The outgoing B-field leaves the entity through the emitting ports. In this configuration, visibility and forcibility form the dominant constituents, while fullness and hollowness remain embedded as supporting components. The dominant constituents occupy positions orthogonal to those of the incoming E-field, completing the receiving-perceiving-emitting cycle.

The complete cycle therefore consists of reception, memory association, capability acquisition, interaction, consolidation, reorganization, restoration, and emission. The present section describes the cosmological processing cycle performed by a physical entity. The mechanism through which this cosmological processing becomes physical perception is discussed in the following section.

The previous section described the complete cosmological processing cycle performed by a physical entity. A critical question still remains: how does a physically imperceptible cosmological activation become a physically perceived physical image?

The present framework proposes that this transition does not occur during propagation. During propagation, the incoming E-field remains a cosmological activation composed of fullness, hollowness, visibility, and forcibility. Although these attributes are capable of producing physical effects, they are not yet physically perceived.

As the incoming activation passes through the code barriers, it acquires physical compatibility. The codes introduce the capability required for interaction with the physical domain. Consequently, the incoming activation becomes physically perceptible while remaining cosmological in nature. At this stage, the activation is capable of physical realization but has not yet become a physical perception.

The transition occurs within the interaction chamber. Here, the incoming quantum components (fullness and hollowness) unload their embedded essence components, which reorganize into visibility and forcibility. As a result, all four attributes become simultaneously available at the interaction platform.

The simultaneous availability of fullness, hollowness, visibility, and forcibility creates a unified energetic image. Prior to this stage, the attributes exist as distributed cosmological constituents. At the interaction platform, they become consolidated into a single realizable unit. The present work represents the difference between the cosmological and physical states through the factor iota, which denotes physical compatibility. Thus, a cosmological activation becomes physically perceptible through the action of the codes and becomes physically perceived through the consolidation of all four attributes within a single interaction event.

The resulting image is the first physically perceived reality available to the entity. All subsequent physical observations, measurements, and theoretical descriptions are based upon this realized image rather than upon the preceding cosmological activation. The physical sciences therefore describe the realized outcome of perception [[1]], whereas the present framework attempts to describe the cosmological process that precedes it.

In this interpretation, physical perception is not the arrival of an already-formed physical object. Rather, it is the realization of a physically perceptible cosmological activation into a physically perceived energetic image. This image forms the foundation from which subsequent physical processes emerge.

The transition proposed here follows the same hierarchical pattern observed throughout the levels of reality. Energy-capable cosmological fields become physical energy only upon physical realization, just as sensing-capable physical energies become biological sensations only upon biological realization, emotion-capable biological sensations become psychological emotions only upon psychological realization, and interpretation-capable psychological emotions become intellectual interpretations only upon intellectual realization. In each case, the lower-level capability is not identical to the higher-level realization; rather, it serves as the substrate from which the higher-level phenomenon emerges. The present work applies this same principle to the transition between cosmological fields and physical energy.