I would like to start this with a Stephen Hawking quote:
"Go away"
That is completely irrelevent to the post, I just wanted a Stephen Hawking quote and he definitely said that at some point.
So, if you think about it, the universe is, in a way, conscious. As an analogy, think of your brain. It is the conscious part of you, but think- is it all of you? Ok, that's debatable in a different branch of philosophy but we're going to assume your whole body composes you. So, you are as a whole conscious because part of you- your brain- is conscious. Think about the universe now.
From this perspective, you could say the universe is conscious because part of it, you and the rest of us (and likely aliens) are. We are part of the universe and thinking, so there are thoughts in the universe meaning it is a thinking entity. As the great and powerful Carl Sagan put it:
"We are the Universe contemplating itself."
Now, for some pantheisticish stuff. The universe is the closest equivalent of the Abrahamic God in science. There are many aligning properties:
Omniscience- Omniscience means to know everything (obviously). The only way to store all known information in the universe is the universe itself (think information storage and you'll get it.) Therefor, the univese is the only possible vessle for omniscience, and it is omniscient whether or not it's using that information (information use is not a necessary part of having all information)
Omnipotents: As omnipotents is the ability to do anything physically possile, the universe would need to be there for it. The universe's fundamental laws- whatever that is- could theoretically facilitate anything possible. Meaning, though it doesn't have will do decide to do things, the universe can do anything in the universe
Omnibenevolence- Ok, this one isn't there. I mean, if you go with evolution creating better and better stuff... but this isn't part of it.
Omnipresence- Must I even explain? I mean, really?
I hope I'm not sounding too new-agey or crazy so far. So, that means that the universe is what I have now coined an Empty God- a god with no willpower, a passive facilitator of the reality as opposed to a living, unified, thinking magic being.
So, what do you guys think of my philosophical ramblings? I do hope i haven't made any scientific blunders or sounded like a complete crackpot...