The Gaia Hypothesis

[Steppingfeet]

To the best of my limited understanding, the Gaia Hypothsesis represented the first time in our scientific culture that someone within that community put forward the idea that planet Earth was a single but complex being, that there was an overarching intelligence at the planetary level. (Earth as its own being of consciousness has been around as long as third density has existed, I'm sure.)

This idea of course moves in the direction of the Confederation philosophy which does indeed assert that our planet is an entity, and in fact, it's transition into fourth density is not going smoothly.

Wikipedia describes the "Gaia Hypothesis" as:

"The Gaia theory posits that the Earth is a self-regulating complex system involving the biosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrospheres and the pedosphere, tightly coupled as an evolving system. The theory sustains that this system as a whole, called Gaia, seeks a physical and chemical environment optimal for contemporary life.[7]

Gaia evolves through a cybernetic feedback system operated unconsciously by the biota, leading to broad stabilization of the conditions of habitability in a full homeostasis. Many processes in the Earth's surface essential for the conditions of life depend on the interaction of living forms, especially microorganisms, with inorganic elements. These processes establish a global control system that regulates Earth's surface temperature, atmosphere composition and ocean salinity, powered by the global thermodynamic disequilibrium state of the Earth system.[8]

The existence of a planetary homeostasis influenced by living forms had been observed previously in the field of biogeochemistry, and it is being investigated also in other fields like Earth system science. The originality of the Gaia theory relies on the assessment that such homeostatic balance is actively pursued with the goal of keeping the optimal conditions for life, even when terrestrial or external events menace them."

Is anyone aware of any one book that does a good job conveying how Gaia is its own unified consciousness manifesting itself through the various components that make up the living biosphere?

I would love to read something like that. Not so much for the hard data, though that would be fascinating as well, but more so for the inspiration of relating to our planet not as environment indifferent to our presence, but as a being with whom we loving share evolution.

With love/light,
Gary

[zenmaster]

Most of the books I've read on the subject have to do with the collective/planetary mind which is a rather important aspect of this living Earth.
That'd include Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Jung, Chris Bache, and Sheldrake.

In more occult circles, here's a more inspirational take on the subject called "Visit to The Logos of Earth" written by a supossed contactee: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0937249114

[Steppingfeet]

Most of the books I've read on the subject have to do with the collective/planetary mind which is a rather important aspect of this living Earth.
That'd include Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Jung, Chris Bache, and Sheldrake.

In more occult circles, here's a more inspirational take on the subject called "Visit to The Logos of Earth" written by a supossed contactee: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0937249114

Thank you so much. Every author you listed looks extremely promising. Books by de Chardin, Sheldrake, and Bache have been added to the To Read list. I've got a portable Jung edited by Campbell that I dip into now and then but have yet to make a sustained effort into his work.

The book description for "Visit to the Logos of the Earth" includes this:

"These Beings, ancient and wise beyond description, are the most highly-evolved Masters living on Earth - to this present day and have been throughout history."

I've seen this idea recur in multiple sources, including theosophy. People love the idea of an order of wise and benevolent beings here on Earth who watch over, guide, and protect humanity's evolution. (I know - everyone on this forum is studying a philosophy with an idea that is similar in many respects.)

Whether of terrestrial or non-terrestrial origin, ascribing this group any powers of responsibility beyond serving *within the limitations of planetary free will* is a difficult case to make. Earth history has been too much a shitshow to conclude otherwise, I think.

Thanks again for the great leads.

[AnthroHeart]

I believe we are watched over by our Higher Self among guides, and countless other entities, as well as the Guardians who give out love/light in exquisite measure. Still, I always desire more it seems.

[julieannepalmer]

Another great text is "The Fundamentals of Esoteric Philosophy" by G. de Purucker. It is one of the most comprehensive texts on the subject I have read.

[BrownEye]

This idea of course moves in the direction of the Confederation philosophy which does indeed assert that our planet is an entity, and in fact, it's transition into fourth density is not going smoothly.

As seen by astronauts and photographed from space by satellites, millions of manmade patterns on the land surface of Earth resemble nothing so much as the skin conditions of cancer patients. The transformation of the natural contours of the land into the geometric patterns of farm fields, the straightening of meandering rivers into canal-like channels, and the logging of forests into checkerboard clearcuts all have their counterparts in the loss of normal skin markings in cancer victims. Green forests logged into brown scrub and overgrazed grasslands bleached into white wasteland are among the changes in Earth's color. Highways, streets, parking lots and other paved surfaces have toughened Earth's surface, while cities have roughened it. Slag heaps and garbage dumps can be compared to raised skin lesions. Open-pit mines, quarries and bomb craters, including the 30 million left by US forces in Indochina, resemble skin ulcerations. Saline seeps in inappropriately irrigated farm fields look like scaly, festering sores. Signs of bleeding include the discharge of human sewage, factory effluents and acid mine drainage into adjacent waterways, and the erosion of topsoil from deforested hillsides to turn rivers, lakes and coastal waters yellow, brown and red. The red ring around much of Madagascar that is visible from space strikes some observers as a symptom that the island is bleeding to death. http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/e-sermons/humcan.html

:P

[Steppingfeet]

As seen by astronauts and photographed from space by satellites, millions of manmade patterns on the land surface of Earth resemble nothing so much as the skin conditions of cancer patients. The transformation of the natural contours of the land into the geometric patterns of farm fields, the straightening of meandering rivers into canal-like channels, and the logging of forests into checkerboard clearcuts all have their counterparts in the loss of normal skin markings in cancer victims. Green forests logged into brown scrub and overgrazed grasslands bleached into white wasteland are among the changes in Earth's color. Highways, streets, parking lots and other paved surfaces have toughened Earth's surface, while cities have roughened it. Slag heaps and garbage dumps can be compared to raised skin lesions. Open-pit mines, quarries and bomb craters, including the 30 million left by US forces in Indochina, resemble skin ulcerations. Saline seeps in inappropriately irrigated farm fields look like scaly, festering sores. Signs of bleeding include the discharge of human sewage, factory effluents and acid mine drainage into adjacent waterways, and the erosion of topsoil from deforested hillsides to turn rivers, lakes and coastal waters yellow, brown and red. The red ring around much of Madagascar that is visible from space strikes some observers as a symptom that the island is bleeding to death. http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/e-sermons/humcan.html

:P

[/quote]

Wow, if there were an unabridged version of the movie, Agent Smith might have quoted this when he tells Morpheus that humans are like a cancer on this planet.