Soul of the Kingdom

<p>A new kingdom evolves every billion years or so. A kingdom is evolving now within human consciousness. </p><p>Organic molecules combine into the first kingdom – bacterial cells which amalgamate into the second kingdom – complex cells which colonize into the third kingdom – animals. The consciousness of each higher-level organism remains reducible to that of its parts but takes on a wholeness over and above its parts. Individual cells experience photons but the organism as a whole sees. </p><p>The evolutionary process continues in the current era: cities evolve circulatory systems electrical grids and municipal plumbing. Television moves human consciousness from direct visual perception to the mediated experience of a pixel screen while virtual reality programs create consciousness entirely distinct from physical reality. But mindless process is not adaptation. Civilization cannot face the hard realities of life on Earth without a spiritual realization of humanity in relation to the natural world. </p><p>The kingdom will not live without its soul.</p>