I was wondering if anybody else supports this theory? Not many people know about it, or have even heard of it. Its complicated to explain, but to sum it up it, it basically is states that earth itself acts as one big "super organism" . If you would like to know more; here are some good web-sites:
http://www.gaianet.fsbusiness.co.uk/gaiatheory.html
http://www.panspermia.org/gaia.htm
If you were wondering, I support this theory strongly. I hope I can have your comments/thoughts about it! Thanks!
Full Version: Gaia
It's one of the baseses es..es... of nature worship. The spirit of the Earth.. Gaia (Greek Goddess of the earth) or named Mother Earth is the Great Goddess.
The earth is very much alive.
The earth is very much alive.
I first learned about Gaia from playing FF7(Final Fantasy 7) i thought it was something made up and then i saw it again it the FF movie the spirirts within and have done some Reasearch that supports Gaia.
In my opinion it's very hard to say, the world is obviously an orginism but to put the whole lifestream thing into it sounds sorta fantasy to me
In my opinion it's very hard to say, the world is obviously an orginism but to put the whole lifestream thing into it sounds sorta fantasy to me
I always supported the theory of the earth being alive but to me, it's in a much broader sense, I think the universe is alive. By alive I mean by its own nature or a universal definition of what is alive, we say the earth or universe is not alive based on our definition of what life is. Like the body I think the universe is the body for God(s) soul. And it needs to be respected, for what everything it gives us, especially earth, I fear one day earth will deem us unworthy and destroy us all. Would you all please do a little to protect our earth 
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I adore the Gaia theory, i feel it's beautiful.
The idea that everything from humans to cats to frogs to trees to grass etc has a spirit which is apart of the main spirit of the earth, and when the organsim dies the spirit returns to the spirit of earth, Gaia, is magnificent. I don't believe it's true, but if i was to believe something outside evolution it would be this.
It's like, the earth is a glass, and the earths spirit, Gaia, is water filling the glass. And every single living thing on earth is a tiny tiny inanimate glass just like the earth, but when it is created, the earth glass poors some water, Gaia, into the smaller glasses which are the living things.
When this tiny glass breaks, or dies, the water would return to the Earth glass and refil the Gaia, until something new is created. It's fairly easy to understand i think.
It would mean all our souls are essentially the same, just small parts of the Gaia, and after death we would exist as the collective Gaia, as one big soul waiting in harmony until filling a new living thing.
The idea that everything from humans to cats to frogs to trees to grass etc has a spirit which is apart of the main spirit of the earth, and when the organsim dies the spirit returns to the spirit of earth, Gaia, is magnificent. I don't believe it's true, but if i was to believe something outside evolution it would be this.
It's like, the earth is a glass, and the earths spirit, Gaia, is water filling the glass. And every single living thing on earth is a tiny tiny inanimate glass just like the earth, but when it is created, the earth glass poors some water, Gaia, into the smaller glasses which are the living things.
When this tiny glass breaks, or dies, the water would return to the Earth glass and refil the Gaia, until something new is created. It's fairly easy to understand i think.
It would mean all our souls are essentially the same, just small parts of the Gaia, and after death we would exist as the collective Gaia, as one big soul waiting in harmony until filling a new living thing.
It sounds to goddly for me
QUOTE(BurnSide @ Mar 22 2005, 03:02 AM)
I adore the Gaia theory, i feel it's beautiful.
The idea that everything from humans to cats to frogs to trees to grass etc has a spirit which is apart of the main spirit of the earth, and when the organsim dies the spirit returns to the spirit of earth, Gaia, is magnificent. I don't believe it's true, but if i was to believe something outside evolution it would be this.
It's like, the earth is a glass, and the earths spirit, Gaia, is water filling the glass. And every single living thing on earth is a tiny tiny inanimate glass just like the earth, but when it is created, the earth glass poors some water, Gaia, into the smaller glasses which are the living things.
When this tiny glass breaks, or dies, the water would return to the Earth glass and refil the Gaia, until something new is created. It's fairly easy to understand i think.
It would mean all our souls are essentially the same, just small parts of the Gaia, and after death we would exist as the collective Gaia, as one big soul waiting in harmony until filling a new living thing.
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The idea that everything from humans to cats to frogs to trees to grass etc has a spirit which is apart of the main spirit of the earth, and when the organsim dies the spirit returns to the spirit of earth, Gaia, is magnificent. I don't believe it's true, but if i was to believe something outside evolution it would be this.
It's like, the earth is a glass, and the earths spirit, Gaia, is water filling the glass. And every single living thing on earth is a tiny tiny inanimate glass just like the earth, but when it is created, the earth glass poors some water, Gaia, into the smaller glasses which are the living things.
When this tiny glass breaks, or dies, the water would return to the Earth glass and refil the Gaia, until something new is created. It's fairly easy to understand i think.
It would mean all our souls are essentially the same, just small parts of the Gaia, and after death we would exist as the collective Gaia, as one big soul waiting in harmony until filling a new living thing.
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Burnsy... you just made my day... thank you for being so beautiful.
If the Earth is alive then its infested by a terrible parasite
Us
If you ask me Gaia sounds like just a new name for pantheism.
if James Lovelock knew of pantheism when he came up with his theory he probably wouldn't have bothered asking old bill golding to name it
If old bill golding had heard of pantheism when he was asked the question we would never have heard the term Gaia either
What I think is funny about the whole thing is that most people think Gaia is an ancient form of hinduism.
This girl is often misidentified as being gaia in corporeal form
but then an ancient form of hinduism is also pantheism
Us
If you ask me Gaia sounds like just a new name for pantheism.
if James Lovelock knew of pantheism when he came up with his theory he probably wouldn't have bothered asking old bill golding to name it
If old bill golding had heard of pantheism when he was asked the question we would never have heard the term Gaia either
What I think is funny about the whole thing is that most people think Gaia is an ancient form of hinduism.
This girl is often misidentified as being gaia in corporeal form
but then an ancient form of hinduism is also pantheism
Nope. Though the Earth is said to be a She, therefore does have a spirit, but I think the interpretation has been distorted.
QUOTE(Neo2005 @ Mar 21 2005, 10:03 PM)
It sounds to goddly for me
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Not really, there is no god or divine being involved in the Gaia, just simply life.
QUOTE(SilverCougar @ Mar 21 2005, 10:12 PM)
Burnsy... you just made my day... thank you for being so beautiful.
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You are welcome, very much so.
It's hard not to sound beautiful when you're talking about something as wonderous as the Gaia theory. It's just so spiritual and harmonous, like, no matter what we do in life once we pass on and our spirits return to Gaia, we are completely cleansed. Which is why a baby is so pure, because nothing can stain the Gaia and our souls are taken when our life starts from this mass of purity.
Those that are intune with nature are intune with the Gaia, they feel connected to everything, even the sea and mountains, because in Gaia we are.
What is a devotee of Gaia called anyway ?
a gaian ?
a realist ?
Those that are intune with nature are intune with the Gaia, they feel connected to everything, even the sea and mountains, because in Gaia we are.
I second that
a gaian ?
a realist ?
Those that are intune with nature are intune with the Gaia, they feel connected to everything, even the sea and mountains, because in Gaia we are.
I second that
I don't see anything spiritual about Gaia. It's cold, emotionless and practical.
And let's face it, from Gaia's perspective, mankind is a plague that needs to be eliminated in order to restore the natural balance...... Unless, of course, we've already destroyed Gaia and the system is no longer capable of regulating itself. But it's survived worse. So I guess not.
And for the record: yes, I believe in the Gaia Theory
And let's face it, from Gaia's perspective, mankind is a plague that needs to be eliminated in order to restore the natural balance...... Unless, of course, we've already destroyed Gaia and the system is no longer capable of regulating itself. But it's survived worse. So I guess not.
And for the record: yes, I believe in the Gaia Theory
far from cold and emotionless. You don't understand the point it is trying to make. We as humans have had a big effect; negative or not; on Gaia ( what I will call Earth ) With Gaia, both postive and negative feedback is needed to keep the balance, but to much negative can be a problem. If humans were eliminated, then the balance of Gaia would be drymatically throw off balance. The only problem us humans are commiting is giving to much negative feedback... i.e. pollution and what not. Gaia is very far from cold and practical. You just don't understand it fully.
Oh i think Essan understands Gaia a lot more than you're giving him credit for.
Most of the claims made for Gaia were already made for pantheism a long long time ago.
Just because the guy who came up with the idea wasn't religious. He was a scientist
He IS a cold and practical man.
Most of the claims made for Gaia were already made for pantheism a long long time ago.
Just because the guy who came up with the idea wasn't religious. He was a scientist
He IS a cold and practical man.
The "Theory" of Gaia to me is more believable than religions(All).
Then I would suggest that you are only aware of organised religions
Wow, Burnside you surprise me. I know I shouldn't be as I've read your writing before. That was well said and beautiful 
Thank you Dot.
I don't know why, but the Gaia theory inspires that in me.
I don't know why, but the Gaia theory inspires that in me.
Yes, the Earth is alive. She is our Mother. The Universe is our Father. All is interconnected with the energy of life. Our Mother is very old and will go on without us if necessary. Another being will rise to take our place, but we have spirits that go on in the web of life. We are one part of the whole. That is what the trees told me anyway. 
You see Zandor... those who are of nature religions follow that more beliviable theory 
QUOTE(zandore @ Mar 22 2005, 10:53 AM)
The "Theory" of Gaia to me is more believable than religions(All).
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i agree with you. I do think the earth is alive, but not in the mystical sense, but in from a systems point of view. It is the interactions and interdependancies of all life on it that makes everything work.
I really dislike any religion or philosophy that artificially places man above all other life.
QUOTE(SilverCougar @ Mar 22 2005, 07:40 PM)
You see Zandor... those who are of nature religions follow that more beliviable theory
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This I already knew SC but thank you for pointing it out.
The best Religion might be the most basic one. 
QUOTE(Essan @ Mar 22 2005, 06:53 AM)
And let's face it, from Gaia's perspective, mankind is a plague that needs to be eliminated in order to restore the natural balance...... Unless, of course, we've already destroyed Gaia and the system is no longer capable of regulating itself. But it's survived worse. So I guess not.
And for the record: yes, I believe in the Gaia Theory
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And for the record: yes, I believe in the Gaia Theory
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As George Carlin said, "200 years of industry vs. 4.5 billion years of the Earth. And we have the conceit to think that some plastic bags, and some styrofome, are going to have an effect? The Earth will be around, LONG after we are gone. And the Earth will cleanse itself. It will heal itself. Cause that's what it is. It's a self-correcting system."
I always loved that performance! hehe
But truthfully he does speak a LOT of truth! I would say his assumptions are accurate.
Just for the record, Jim Lovelock does not believe that the Earth is literally a living organism, nor in any way sentient. His theory is an explanation of the means by which the Earth has consistently maintained the optimum conditions for life.
An analogy might be a central heating system (especially since it's Earth's climate that is the prime requisite for life): it switches on when external forcing makes the room colder, and off when it reaches the ambient temperature. Gaia does this, as well as other things like adjusting the amount of oxygen (too much and fires burn uncontrolled, too little and we can't breathe) etc.
Of course, like a central heating system, gaia can break down. Or be broken.....
An analogy might be a central heating system (especially since it's Earth's climate that is the prime requisite for life): it switches on when external forcing makes the room colder, and off when it reaches the ambient temperature. Gaia does this, as well as other things like adjusting the amount of oxygen (too much and fires burn uncontrolled, too little and we can't breathe) etc.
Of course, like a central heating system, gaia can break down. Or be broken.....
"This I already knew SC but thank you for pointing it out. The best Religion might be the most basic one. " zandore
Cool
another vote for pantheism
Cool
another vote for pantheism
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