What is Negative Energy?

Negative energy is believed to exist at the brink of black holes.
Stephen Hawking claims negative energy would be necessary for time travel.
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  • Written By: James Withers
  • Edited By: Lucy Oppenheimer
  • Images By: Dr, n/a
  • Last Modified Date: 10 August 2015
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While many know "negative energy" to refer to the negative chi, negative aura, or otherwise detrimental energy that a person gives off, the term also has a scientific definition. Based on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, negative energy has to do with the inherent fluctuations in energy that exists in any energy or magnetic field. This form of "exotic matter" is a highly unpredictable force that has been proven to exist within the midst of fields of zero energy. Although difficult to identify, this type of energy is speculated to exist at the brink of black holes, and has been cited as a necessary prerequisite for time travel by Stephen Hawking.

The concept of negative energy was proposed by British physicist Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac in 1928, as a component of the Dirac equation. This equation was designed to be consistent to the standards of special relativity. In this equation, Dirac described how quantum states of positive energy would be offset by negative energy. Generally, these two types of energy will balance one another. Thus, a negative form of energy is not usually an observable phenomenon. However, in the instance of a pure vacuum, negative energy states will be expressed for all atoms within the vacuum while no positive energy states will be expressed. This concept is referred to as the Dirac sea.


Theoretically, a hole can develop in the Dirac sea if a stray gamma ray collides with electrons in a negative state of energy, thus converting it into a positively-charged electron. Such a hole in the Dirac sea would behave in the opposite way of the original, negatively-charged electron. The new positively-charged electron would be an example of antimatter. Thus, antimatter should not be confused with a negative state of energy.

In 1948, the Dutch physicist Hendrick Casimir predicted that a small attractive force could exist between two uncharged, parallel plates in a vacuum. Should the plates be resting extremely close to one another, negative energy is produced since the number of electromagnetic waves between the two plates becomes less than that of surrounding space. In essence, a negative state of energy becomes present when the wavelengths of particles in a certain region of space are less than what may normally be measured.

Casimir's predictions have been observed in two separate experiments. The first experiment occurred in 1958, and was overseen by M. J. Sparnaay. It produced results that were consistent with Casimir's theories. The second experiment, by Steve K. Lamoreaux, was conducted in 1997. Rather than using two plates in the experiment, Lamoreaux paired a single plate with another plate that was part of a nearly-precise sphere. This experiment also confirmed Casimir's predictions. While negative states of energy may not be observable, they have been proven both theoretically as well as by means of experiment.


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Post 10

Can a beta ray colliding with negative energy cause a hole?

Post 9

We are all inside a bubble with all that was been made or existed, and everything has a purpose.

Negative = something that does not exist, and is not needed.

Positive = everything that does exist and is available.

Energy = to do good for.

Success = happening motion

Negative energy = does not exist, was never created, and is without reason or purpose.

So if we want to create a wormhole, it is just about thinking about

that desire to succeed.

Example: We're driving because we have a car, bike or motorcycle. We swim because we are in a pool, on the sea or on a river.

Post 8

I don't understand if the quantum state of something would be altered with negative energy. Any ideas? The experiment with the closing box cleared up some things for me.

Post 7

Negative energy is not the opposite of energy as you know it, but it makes the galaxies you see in the night sky work the way they do. I know I am not alone in my thoughts on this matter. Happy trails.

Post 6

Negative energy actually is the dominant force in the universe. It drives everything else, everything. The over-riding theory covers this. What you call negative energy, you also call dark energy and it is aptly named. Happy trails.

Post 5

i think that you can only speed up and slow down time with negative energy unless you use with a worm hole which I'm pretty sure that the amount of time you travel through corresponds with how far you would travel through space. also i think its worth mentioning that travel to the future is already possible, you simply have to go at a decent speed away from any significant gravitational pull

(By the way, this is lilphysisist again. i can't remember my password.)

Post 4

thank you for this site. I wanted to make sure there wasn't any type of negative spiritual energy being manipulated, just quantum physics. ML

Post 3

can't it also be used to stabilize a wormhole and if used correctly, manipulate space-time?

Post 1


thank you!

i really do appreciate that you took the time to write out what i had suggested! i was.. (and still am) real curious about it and the whole concept of time travel!

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