Awareness and beyond

In the videos about the evolution of the cosmos, the earth or life there is a concept that seems to repeat itself in several ocasions: the fact that evolution is about the increase of complexity.

From the Big Bang onwards, every step in the cosmic evolution seems to have been an additional step higher on a cosmic stairway. From a (yet) difficult to understand early compact mess, to the first particles, the first light elements, heavier elements, dust to form stars and sequences of supernovas to form ever heavier elements, which then could form rocks -meteorites- and eventually planets -like the earth- and at the same time ever complexer molecules -like aminoacids.

At that point the universe disposes both of complex, but stable macro-structures and complex, but stable micro-structures. In the right conditions of that macro-structure, it then seems that those micro-structures can continue to acquire increasing complexity up to a point where it turnes into life.

The most simple life-form then may evolve in steps of ever higher complexity (and required conditions!) to equally more complex forms of life with ever more capacities: from just breaking down molecules or sunlight for their energy to eating and digesting, from passively floating around in water to moving, from simply splitting cells to procreating, from simply act by instinct to thinking...

Now if you look at the cosmic timeline and compare the time it took for the first organisms to appear on earth after it was formed, with the time for the first more complex cells and more complex life to appear, it actually seems to take a lot more time and/or right conditions for complex life to evolve, than for the simplest form of life itself! In other words, maybe the real difficulty for cosmic evolution is not the jump from complex molecules to the simplest forms of life, but to have those simple forms evolve to truly complex autonomous organisms that are selfsufficient and selfsustaining.

Cosmic hierarchy

Now, let's consider the existence of a certain cosmic (universal) hierarchy where, in analogy to Maslow's hierarchy of the human needs, each next level needs the former one to exist before it can "emerge" (defined/explained in one of the videos, although have to localize again for reference, as the sudden appearance of something new on a higher level of complexity, thanks to a certain combination of lower level complexities, that cannot be explained or calculated, like the "emergence" of life itself). 
It could look something like this (from "low" to "high" - subjective values...):

1. space-time
2. matter-energy
3. information
4. communication
5. consciousness (!)
6. emotions
7. knowledge/learning
8. creativity, inspiration, imagination

This first expression of the "cosmic hierarchy" may be not fully correct, in the right order or with the right terms, but it should at least ilustrate the intention of the idea, indeed the idea of a possible sense, not just of humanity (that is, of each individual human too, but simply all together) and thus of life, but of the mere existence of the cosmos itself.

Because, if there is a reason why we could dare call ourselves the "crown" of creation or feel superior in any way, it fundamentally is, because we dispose of consciousness. We are not the only ones, other developed mammals like several great apes, elephants, dolphins and orcas too have a (yet unexplored) level of consciousness and self-awareness. But we seem to have developed that concept to much a greater extend. In that sense we happen to be, indeed, the highest complexity of all of creation, as far as we know. And we actually might be the only ones. This means that if there is a next step in this cosmic evolution and hierarchy, it has to develop through us! Unless we mess up, disappear and the torch gets passed on to the dolphins.

This is the responsibility we carry in the name of all of creation. If you look at the cosmic timeline, you can see how much it took to get this far. If we in some way destroy ourselves, and with us maybe not directly the whole planet, but most surely many or all of the other higher mammals, cosmic evolution would have to repeat a long sequence of increasing complexity to reach this level again, if ever.

That is our great responsibility, but at the same time our great opportunity. If we manage to survive current society (indeed, ourselves), together with our indispensable natural environment and planet, we just might, as species, experience the next emergence into yet a higher level of complexity and true Human Progress.

We understand this to be in some form of collective consciousness, as in fact already seems to exist among flocks of birds or schools of fish.

An experiment is in the making that will try to discover if this collective mental capacity exists, more specifically if we humans dispose of it, as individuals or as groups (collective), on a far larger scale and during much more time than has ever been done before.

http://noosphere.princeton.edu/

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Referencia en español: 
http://bibliadelarazon.blogspot.com/2008/06/introduccion-el-porque-de-es...

Modern society is based on an artificial, closed system where huge, abstract organisations (called corporations or countries) use sophisticated tools and big machines (called Industry) to fully exploite natural resources (called assets) and human resources (called personell or work) to obtain as much as possible of a means that has turned into a goal (called money), because that grants certain advantages and options (called power) to the few who somehow have achieved the situation where they can enjoy those advantages and options, within that same closed system.

I am sure humanity could reach another level of awareness and understanding of this world/cosmos and a different way to interact with it on a more spiritual level (not religious though, not one supreme being as centralized hierarchic power) than we have done in the last two or threethousand years, due to the uprise of monotheism, colonialism and industrialization, that all three, arrogantly, consider "US" to be superior and having the right to use nature to our will. I think, in fact, monotheism is what consciously and willingly broke or hid the connection with our true roots, that slowly fainted from the Egyptians on, through the Greek and the Romans until disappear in oblivion during the violent, radical, monotheist, European dark ages.

We can and would have to learn again (like did many annihilated and lost civlizations) that instead of being arrogant and superior (conveniently sustained by greed, pride and other kinds of irrelevant human emotions, that nowadays are intensively stimulated by materialist consumer-society and lead to the main source of all the serious problems you mention: CORRUPTION), it is much more satisfying and rewarding to be humble and respectful, allowing us to live in peaceful, sustained harmony with each other and our natural environment for many more generations.

But indeed the great doubt is whether we will be able to reach that stage on time.

I have the feeling that we are in a "now or never" situation (we kind of have been over the last 40 years or so). So if not now, I actually think we simply won't reach the next century.

Fortunately it seems that now, just on the brink of succesfully and definitely messing it all up (not just for ourselves, but the whole meaning of 14 billion years of cosmic evolution) , due to more collective interaction (say, the spread of common sense) thanks to the internet, global consciousness on this is rising and could bring about a shift, just at the last moment, as if it were a typical American movie, searching to increase tension and emotion to the max.

Let's just hope that real life, for once, will behave like one of those Hollywood productions and that we will be able to hold on to that last thread, so that we then can make some heroic, glorious kind of come-back and all our past arrogant, selfish errors can be forgiven and forgotten. 

Like Darth Vader turning to the right side of the Force after all (this is, in fact, one of the profound strong concepts that turned Star Wars into the succes it was/is - like many other movies btw - in the end it is on of the deepest individual and collective human feelings and wishes)