Earth has been earthing for billions of years longer than people have been peopling.
And yet, we talk about the earth like it’s our lame little sister. Defenseless. Incapable of caring for itself. Always needing us to sort things out for it.
Does the incredible arrogance of that ever occur to you?
Earth grew and shed the dinosaurs loooong before it grew people.
Yes, I’m talking about the Gaia hypothesis.
What? You think Tom Cruise is right… someone or something dropped us off here?
Maybe.
But just in case Tom is wrong… can something as super smart as we think we are be the product of something as dumb as we think the earth is?
One thing that stumps the hell out of people who spend a lot of time thinking about consciousness is this: how can a bunch of stuff that doesn’t have individual consciousnesses (atoms, cells, etc) combine to create something that does?
In other words, the general idea is that consciousness requires consciousness.
In the 1960’s a scientist named James Lovelock was working for NASA. He connected two data points that no one else had:
1. The sun was throwing off 30% more energy than when life began on earth.
And…
2. Earth had kept itself at a more or less constant temperature throughout.
This led to a bunch of research which ultimately led to the Gaia hypothesis: the earth is a living organism.
I don’t know if you’ve heard of Susan Simard, but she has proven that plants and trees are aware.
In one experiment she planted some plants in a large aquarium and placed the aquarium in between a sink where real water was constantly running and a looped recording of running water.
ALL the roots grew towards the real running water.
How could they know?
And that is not the only evidence of plant awareness. Trees recognize their offspring. And they share resources when necessary.
I’m not saying that being a tree is like being a person. I’m simply saying that there is no doubt that they have some form of awareness.
And that being the case… it’s not a stretch to think Mother Earth does too.
Here’s a fun thought… wouldn’t it be ironic if one day an asteroid is on a path to destroy earth, and we save the planet with our incredibly dangerous and toxic nuclear technologies?
Would you think that earth might have grown people to save itself?
No. Why not? Is it because you don’t believe that nature can ‘think’? Or because you don’t want to believe it.
Isn’t it a little too convenient that we are the only ones who get to decide what is… and is not aware?
And do you ever wonder if our obsession with our ability to think is just a clever way of claiming superiority over the critters we share the planet with, who would otherwise kick our ass?
‘Sure… that grizzly is huge and strong and tough and scary. Super fast too. But he couldn’t come up with angry birds!’
Because, amongst ourselves we don’t seem to find thinking vary badass. When two dudes step outside to ‘settle things’, they’re not on their way to have a think off.
Another thing about thinking… has it dawned on you yet that all human suffering comes from thought?
The ability to make yourself miserable is a lame superpower.
No. I’m not suggesting that earth thinks. I’m proposing an even wilder idea… could it be that thinking is what the earth grew us for?
I know… that’s probably too far out there. But don’t you think that’s mainly a matter of perspective? Like the blind men who encountered an elephant… we don’t know what we don’t know.
More than one astronaut has looked down on our beautiful blue marble and declared it to be living thing. Astronauts are not know for mysticism.
Like I said, I’m not claiming that being earth is like being a person. With it’s favorite NetFlix series and a preference for wine or beer. The experience of being earth would be beyond our ability to fathom.
By the way, do you think any of the cells in your body is aware of what it’s a part of?
And if earth is aware, then by the consciousness requires consciousness rule… the universe is too.