hi
i was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on how the Internet can be a means of expanding consciousness. or what the potential inherent in the internet can be or is? also, what are the implications of evolution in cognition processes and cultural evolution? What is the Gaiea hypothesis?


thanks
any online sources are welcome, im trying to write a paper on the benefits of utilization of the internet as a social-cognitive network

mike

The Gaia hypothesis as Lovelock and Margulis had it originally was more in line with the ancient one. He was upset that it became waylaid into global warming.

The World Mind or Animus Mundi is very ancient thought and the 'templates' of Teilhard de Chardin or the recent book by Jean Houston would be good for you to include.

thanks robert

The internet was designed with the goal of a protocol that can survive a nuclear war. The way the protocol was designed caused it to form into a neural network.

The internet is going to be as effective as the information being sent across it. The internet setup the potential for expansion of consciousness since it provided a reliable and cheap way to communicate information. Whether this happens or not is dependant on the information being communicated, how it is being presented, and how the observer of the information is able to experience it. The natural order of things seems to favor going in the direction of expansion of consciousness.

Is it possible to clarify what is meant by expansion of consciousness?

I can see two possible interpretations - maybe there are more.

1. Making information more understandable and available to more people so that they may comprehend more, using existing mental abilities.

2. Adding to the present mental capabilities of thinking and being aware, perhaps to include mind reading, psychic ability, universal consciousness, etc.