You think of time like a river, always moving forward. Einstein said something stranger might be true: every choice, every joy and sadness from birth to death already exists. I trace what that means through physics, near-death experiences, and astronauts describing the view from orbit, all pointing toward a single idea: our universe may be one thought inside a much larger mind, kept alive moment to moment by a love that chooses, again and again, not to let go.

I met my wife, Courtney, 24 years ago at a birthday party. When I invited her to my dorm room to watch a movie for our first date, a painting on my wall would change the course of our lives.