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To build on the insights of Teilhard and of his contemporary (who he never knew of) Sri Aurobindo: the evolution of Gaia - and indeed of embodied consciousness - can be defined in terms of five stages - geosphere, biosphere, noosphere, and theosphere. These do not have to be sequential, nor do all of them have to be realised. The following gives an outline of Earth's evolution according to the paradigm of these five stages or planetary metamorphoses.
The following speculative table attempts to summarise these evolutionary stages of the development of life and consciousness on Gaia (vertical axis) against geological and future time (horizontal axis). For the former I use the standard geological time-scale, apart from moving the Holocene epoch from the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic to the Quinternary period of the "Homozoic:" (don't you just love inventing new words? ;-) ). For future eras I've had to invent a new set of periods which describe the supposed changes that could take place (emphasis of course placed on the word "could").
The table also integrates the evolutionary classifications of different
writers, who are here listed according to colour (key at bottom).
Of course, evoluton is not a simple
ascent, and to use a single series of hypostases is over-simplistic anyway.
Nor does it necessarily mean that each should follow in strict sequence.
So what follows should be understood as nothing more than an extremely
tentative generalisation of the evolution of consciousness in the Physical
plane.
| evolutionary
grade: |
Astronomic
planetary nebula |
Primitive Geosphere
inorganic molecules; chemistry |
Advanced Geosphere
prebiotic; organic molecules; |
Immature Biosphere
organic evolution; Gaia |
Primitive Biosphere
sex variety beginning of complex evolution |
Complex
Biosphere
complex ecosystems, multicelluar & colonial organisms |
Mature Biosphere | Mature Biosphere | Mature Biosphere | Mature Biosphere | Primitive Noosphere
self- consciousness; civilisation |
Immature Noosphere
developed self- consciousness; spirituality |
Advanced Noosphere
tending to Omega (technological omega) |
Omega
(spiritual-divine omega) |
| Eon | Solar Nebular | Precambrian Eon | Phanerozoic Eon | Nooarchian Eon | Theognostic Eon | |||||||||
| era | Hadean Era | Archean Era | Proterozoic Era | Paleozoic | Mesozoic | Cenozoic | Homozoic | Technozoic | Theozoic | |||||
| period | (early) | (late) | Early Cambrian | Mid Cambrian to Permian | Trias Jura Cret | Tertiary -
Paleogene |
Tertiary -
Neogene |
Quaternary
(Pleistocene) |
Quinternary
(Holocene) |
Nanotechian | Supramentalian | |||
| Theosphere
Omega actualisation of Godheadic consciousness in matter |
supramental enlightenment | |||||||||||||
| Noosphere
symbolic expression (conscious mind) thinking mind |
"neo- mammalian"
(primate) brain |
complex societies; myths,
abstract archetypes reflexive mind |
self-reflexive mind
paradigms world of ideas, language. books, media, the Net |
bionically enhanced or transcended
consciousness |
supramental enlightenment | |||||||||
| early mental functioning
vital mind |
divisions of labor | social bonds, | "paleo-
mammalian" brain |
" paleo-
mammalian" brain |
vital mind | vital mind | bionically enhanced or transcended
consciousness |
supramental enlightenment | ||||||
| primitive mental functioning
ritualistic behaviour physical mind |
behavior patterns; | developed brains mean greater consciousness | "reptilian"
brain |
"reptilian"
brain |
"reptilian"
brain |
physical mind | physical mind | programmed neural responses | supramental enlightenment | |||||
| Biosphere
complex organisms physical consciousness |
genotypes; specialized capabilities | Cambrian explosion
multicelluar organisms (phenotypes) subconscient |
development of higher nervous systems
(vertebrates, cephalopods) |
social insects, higher vertebrates,
archetypes subconscient |
somatic archetypes
(symbolic self-expression) subconscient |
organic body consciousness - the somatic psyche
body consciousness |
physical body consciousness | agriculture | biotech | supramental enlightenment | ||||
| Biosphere
genetic infomation subconscient |
genes
exchange of genetic material |
eukaryotes
ECOSYSTEMS subconscient/ Inconscient |
instinct
subconscient |
instinct/ atavistic subconscious | instinct/ atavistic subconscious | instinct/ atavistic subconscious | genetic subconscious - the Collective Unconscious of Jung | Collective Unconscious | artificial selection
eugenics, genetic engineering; |
biotech | enlightenment of the cells - bodily immortality | |||
| Biosphere
simple_organic_life subconscient/ inconscient |
informed biomolocules
inconscient |
prokaryotes
archeobacteria subconscient/ inconscient |
Endosymbiosis; chemically and
thermally self-stabilising_biosphere
subconscient/ inconscient |
organic macromolcules
metabolism |
nanotechnological
bionics (celluar level) |
enlightenment of the cells - bodily immortality | ||||||||
| Geosphere
non-linear thermodynamics inconscient |
non-linear thermodynamics | Anorganic chemical and physical macrodynamics | dissipative structures | self-reproducing hypercycles | simple technology
(Paleolithic) |
development of succesively more advanced technology
(neolithic through to computer age) |
very advanced to god-like technology
AIs as independent evolutionary streams. |
matter existing consciously and luminously in harmony with the Divine | ||||||
| Geosphere
inconscient |
nebular & planetary formation | RIGIDIFYING OF CRUST | planetary and stellar engineering | all matter becomes radiant? | ||||||||||
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