elements. Astrophysicists are of the opinion that prior to this development, a huge collision between our planet and another one took place and the moon was formed as a result. That is probably what happened, however, who is to say that another planet or many for that matter, made exclusively of ice and water did not somehow collide with our planet to give birth to this splendid organism we call earth. This concept is not far-fetched. We know for a fact the huge deposit of nickel - found in what is known as the nickel belt in Sudbury, Canada - came from an asteroid that collided with earth some millions of years back. It is also possible that the reason oil is found in such huge quantities in a small area in the Middle East happens to be the result of another collision with an asteroid made exclusively of crude oil or an element such as coal that was transmuted into oil upon impact. How else can one explain the concentration of oil in a basin that shares borders with Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia? There is hardly any oil deposit in Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria or Turkey, six countries that are a few hundred kilometers away from this basin. Most of the oil in Canada is found in Alberta. Considering the fact that Canada land mass is over ten million square kilometers, one must wonder if there is any explanation for having all this oil concentrated in a small area except to say that came to exist as a result from a celestial body colliding with earth at that particular location.
These events described previously are meant to bolster the possibility which holds that the origin of life may well be from outer space, in which case the origin of every life form would be foreign to this planet. Furthermore, some species may have survived this collision and they would have existed much longer than we have ever thought. The same hypotheses apply to our case. We may have been on this planet for a relatively short time; nevertheless, our history may be traced back to another planet where we had lived for billions of years. During that time, which appears to have spanned an eternity, it would be safe to assume that genetic engineering was at work. Darwin did not know about this newly developed magical science. Judging by how this new technology is able to alter the structure of cells and genes, one cannot ignore the fact that natural evolution has not been free of human interference in our distant past. If somehow other species were part of the group who might have landed on earth, Darwin theory would become irrelevant. Viruses are another clear indication of the different origins of life on this planet. If all living forms were to evolve exclusively from bacteria grown on earth, no viruses would be around. It is impossible to come up with a definite answer, or at least as far as I am concerned, I have not heard of any sure reason for the need of viruses for the evolution of life. This is why it would be safe for me to speculate that viruses were created by different living forms to fight off space invaders. One might say that viruses are the way species engage in self-induced biological wars. This theory should come as a no surprise to us, snakes, spiders, scorpions produce lethal venoms to defend themselves and destroy preys. Skunks urine could be deadly for many threatening predators. Some mice are known to carry their own viruses around. Had earth been the origin of all species, one would doubt the need for developing this type of biological warfare.
In conclusion, anytime we consider any theory to have come up with the absolute answer, we are making a grave mistake. From the way we have evolved to the reason we evolved, one can clearly see that the process is much more complex and intriguing than most biologists, Darwin in particular, present it to be. I am sure that as science progresses, other thinkers are going to come up with better and more refined views on our journey as a species. The next chapter is going to deal with the subconscious mind and how emotions are again responsible for setting ours apart from all other species.
BEYOND INDIVIDUALISM:
SUBCONSCIOUS, THE MYSTIC ENGINE
(Of all living forms, perhaps only humans ended up with two subconscious, one to deal with self-preservation and one to ensure the survival of the species. In fact everything we do in life is either connected to survival of self-preservation.)
Most people may argue that money is what motivates all of us, including artists. While this view may hold some truth in our modern environment, it was irrelevant back when humans lived in caves. In those early days of our existence on this planet no one expected to be rewarded for any artistic endeavour. As a matter of fact it was not until the beginning of the modern ages that artists started to make a living by offering their services to the wealthy of society. Even to this day, the majority of artists find it difficult to earn enough income to enjoy a comfortable life. The question is if it is so tough to make a living from vocations such as writing or painting or creating anything artistic, or even inventing anything scientific or technological, why so many of us still engage in any creative activities as such? The answer is simple: we have no choice. As creative individuals, to some of us creating is as compelling as eating and drinking. Think of a vision or a creative idea as a dream. We have no control over our dreams nor do you choose our visions. This theory applies for artists, scientists, athletes, explorers, inventors and many others including political leaders. In fact, creativity not money is the only driving force shared among all the above, creativity is where they all meet. And none of them initially knew anything about money. The first individual who came up with an alphabet was not driven by profit. The first painter who drew pictures on the dark walls of caves did not expect to become rich and famous. The first poet who composed a poem had no audience. The first musician had a primitive instrument and perhaps was a lonely person. Not only that but at the initial stage, scientists, mathematicians, physicians, writers, explorers, inventors … in addition to many other pioneer creative minds earned no income from their work. They did what they did because their work happened to advance the human cause. Deep in their subconscious mind a compelling force prompted each and every one of them not only to create and invent, but also to impart their knowledge to others. Even in our time there are many people who create and invent without expecting any financial rewards. It is a well-known fact that Van Gogh never sold a painting during his life. More recently the inventor of television hardly made any money. Judging by history, many future inventors and artists may end up in this unfortunate situation. Yet, despite the hardship and disappointment they may suffer, they will soldier on in their cause to bring progress and excitement to their fellow humans. It seems as if our brain has two different functions. One which can be classified as a conscious mind that helps us with individual self-preservation, the other one could be described as a subconscious mind that compels us to help the survival of the species as a whole. This subconscious mind is programmed to engage, connect and interact with others. Moreover, it is also predisposed to impart knowledge. And it does that for two reasons. Knowledge is important for our survival and imparting it to others help our cause. The other reason is self-serving. By imparting our ideas, they stand a chance to stay alive and in turn make us immortal. Later on I will explain how through thoughts and dreams, our species managed to become immortal. Indeed, every one of us who ever learned something owes it to someone else. There are many spirits of past that live within our thoughts and dreams. We may not be totally aware of the contribution these individuals make to improve our lives, but we certainly benefit every time a researcher discovers a cure for a killer disease, and we sure enjoy a song that takes our mind away from the total chaos we face on daily basis. Yes many inventors and artists are very wealthy, but does this really matter to us. In my opinion all these individuals should be entitled to some sort of a reward which serves as an incentive for the rest of us to keep creating and inventing. There is no doubt that most people find a deep satisfaction from inventing and creating but there is nothing wrong when we encourage the brilliants among us to carry on with their work by showing some appreciation of their contribution to our well beings.
The task of the subconscious mind is to remind all of us that as individuals, we are all weak fragile and deficient. No matter how strong, powerful, famous or rich; as individuals we amount to nothing. However, one plus one does not equal two in this case. The most striking paradox of life is that the accomplishment of one individual may not amount to much, but our collective achievements, our total creative effort as a species is nothing short of being miraculous for it makes a perfect example of how the whole can be much greater than the sum of its parts.
It is very difficult to explain how this compelling force came to be, however, going back to the time when life was still emerging may provide some answers. Observing how bacteria and fungi behave, one can clearly notice how they happened to team up and stay together in order to survive. Bacteria,