E=mc² Revisited: Mass-Energy Equivalence as Dimensional Confinement

This paper offers a radical reinterpretation of Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence, proposing that mass arises not as an intrinsic property, but as the energy cost of confining naturally massless 5D particles within 4D spacetime. The equation E=mc² is reframed as a dimensional confinement formula, with c² representing the resistance of the 5D-to-4D projection. This framework solves the hierarchy problem, unifies forces as dimensional vibrations, explains antimatter annihilation, reinterprets nuclear fusion, and offers new insights into black holes, dark energy, and cosmic acceleration. A modified Einstein field equation and predictions for experimental validation are included. Dedication: I seem to have been born too late to meet this great intellect who journeyed ahead on the next grand adventure. God willing, that may one day be corrected. Rest easy, kindred soul. I will do my part to help restore physics to the elegance you knew it possessed — and still does. You did so much with so little. May God grant me the clarity to glimpse even a fraction of what you saw. For now, rest, my friend.