The fundamental importance of cosmology lies in the fact that the images that a person or society projects upon the universe condition its whole experience of life. The universe by definition is all inclusive and it can also be termed reflexive. This implies a tendency to respond positively to any conceivable idea applied to it. Therefore any system of belief tends to attract evidence and phenomena that seem to confirm it. A cosmology for that reason is a powerful artifact. It serves to actualise the reality that it purports to describe.

John Michell - The Dimensions of Paradise