Are Humans in control of the Earth, or is Earth in control of the Humans?

The answer to that question essentially boils down to whether we humans are in control of our instincts or whether our instincts are in control of us. The old saw we only use 10% of our brain is IMHO part true and part false. Most of the processing done by our brain and nervous system is completely unconscious. In other words we don't have to remember to breath to survive, and if we don't remember to sleep the brain/nervous system will force sleep upon us.

Etcetera, ad infinitum.

I asked an AI how many unconscious autonomic processes the brain/nervous system is running continuously, the answer below seems to infer this approximate number is not known:

>The brain and body are constantly running numerous autonomic processes, including heart rate regulation, breathing, digestion, blood pressure control, sweating, salivation, and the movement of food through the intestines, all managed by the autonomic nervous system without conscious thought; essentially, these processes are happening continuously without you needing to actively think about them.<

So let's just say then the neurological space required for running and maintaining the body is considerably larger than the neurological space the rational and reasoning conscious mind uses.

Is that a disturbing thought? Maybe for some who tend to think of the reasoning mind as all there is. We humans are, after all, the only rational species on Earth, and we have created advanced technologies. So on the whole we are in control of the Earth...right? But how much of this human creativity is built upon the precursor platform of the unconscious instinctual mind?

And the answer is, obviously, all of it. All of the product of our human mind comes forth from the biology of the Earth. Biology is itself, as far as we know, an unconscious process. And compared to the length of time we modern big brained humans have been here, biology has proven itself to be extremely durable. Several extinction events (of biology) have come and gone, and biological Earth has survived, and is still here.

And humans are anthropocentric - definition:

>To regard humankind as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals.<

All of existence? A definition that would, ironically, make us God. Or only human existence? Which might make a modicum of sense...maybe.

Meanwhile, in the context of anthropocentrism, we seem to have collectively forgotten we are biology, and the product of biology, which is the only avenue by which we have arrived here, to begin with.

So, Earth birthed biology, and biology birthed humans. Biological Earth was here long before us, and will very likely be here long after we are gone.

That also means, BTW, that biology birthed technology, and the modern mythology that technology will make us a permanent fixture in the cosmos is the same basic mythology we humans have always created (ie, immortality).

Technology is a minor miracle, no doubt about it. The major miracle, biology, is the one we under appreciate.

So perhaps if we humans develop a little less hubris we might extend the duration of our time here a bit longer than we would otherwise.

Remembering the definition of hubris:

>A noun that means excessive pride or arrogance that can lead to failure or ruin.<

A picture is worth a thousand words

A friend sent this for our mutual digestion of the facts (click for bigger, then click on the black border to return to this page):

Or perhaps I should have said indigestion, because that is the basic problem. But there are several points to cover in gaining understanding of the facts that have caused the US health disaster illustrated above.

Note I am using the term disaster in full knowledge the so called health care system is a principal cause of this health disaster: pharmaceutical products are not food, they are toxic substances promoted to fix the problems of a very bad standard diet. The pharma industry refuses to acknowledge diet is the primary problem because the bad american diet is the primary source of their profits.

But it is the food, plain and simple.

Question: how can piling toxins on top of toxins fix anything? It can't, it only makes matters worse, which goes a long way toward understanding the picture above.

There is such a thing as life saving drugs, we may need them temporarily, if, for example, we are in a bad car accident. But let's not confuse the two... 98% of pharma's profitable output does not belong in that category. Cancer high blood pressure and heart disease are not in that category because they are primarily caused by toxic foods. Big P will disagree with that, but it's clear these chronic conditions were rare or non-existent until toxic foods arrived.

The current obsession with genetic manipulation to fix problems caused by toxic foods will be another (highly profitable) blind alley.

Let's define the word food to mean the basic substances that are the cause of health. We could also talk about the cause of health being clean air, good sleep, vigorous movement of the body, and loving relationships. Of course these are important, but taken as a whole, these are NOT the basic problems causing the health disaster picture above. There is great confusion on this point, and it exacerbates the problem, and propagates it forward.

And it is compounded by the drugs doctors give us to "fix" the problems caused by toxic food like substances.

Why isn't exercise the fix to this problem? The toxic american diet clogs our system so badly the body's detoxification efforts become overwhelmed. Toxins come in faster than the body can get them out. And the body is a detox machine!

When the body no longer has to fight the tide of sludge coming in, it becomes strong and healthy. Then energy to move the body comes naturally, and movement makes it stronger and healthier.

When your body has high levels of energy it WANTS to move. This is true regardless of age. We do slow with age, but not nearly to the extent we have been led to believe. When we see vibrant lean and strong 80 year old people you know they didn't get there putting by toxins in their bodies.

Yes, vibrant lean and strong 80 year old people do still exist.

Instead our diet is crap food and drink, and pharmaceutical products. Definition of diet: it goes in the mouth and is swallowed.

We are not being told how bad our diet is, and this problem (big problem) is primarily at the feet of the unholy alliance of the toxic corporate food filling 90% of grocery shelves, the pharmaceutical industry piling toxins on top, and medical doctors mis-educated by a delusional pharmaceutical industry that assumes as a basic premise toxins are going to produce health.

And yes, MDs who have fully realized the cause of health and yet remain silent, are a part of the problem.

What can an individual do? It's not easy going against a prevailing culture even when it is corrupt (or perhaps especially when it is corrupt). But if you want to live a long and healthy life, first things first you have to recognize that the level of corruption is high, and then recognize health is the more important asset you possess and are IN CONTROL OF. And then you have to develop enough drive to educate yourself, which is also not easy because there is a forest of misinformation out there.

The primary overview is this: whole foods combined simply, primarily plants, and those primarily uncooked.

Ask 100 people at random if they are healthy, the majority will say yes. Then factor in that 80-90% of the general population in the US is not healthy. Pretty much everyone past 50 is on pharmaceuticals, is a social drinker, eats hyper-palatable crap, and is too tired to move the body with sufficient vigor.

This is what you are up against, and it is easier to go with the flow. 

Tell yourself, "I want to be strong and happy" (yes they are directly related), make your own flow, and go with that.

And you will have fun doing it. What's better than fun?