The Planetary Mind

Donna Seaman

Astrophysicist Wyller presents a bold and intriguing hypothesis that seeks to connect spirit and matter and expand the conceptual structure of our all-too-limited theory of evolution. He calls his concept the "Planetary Mind Field," which he postulates as a possible approach to answering a key question: How could the vast amount of information contained within the genetic code of complex organisms have evolved purely by chance and natural selection? There just hasn't been enough time for the random generation of such miracles as the human eye and brain, two organs Wyller analyzes at length. He gets creative and positively mystical as he moves from "hard" science to philosophy, quoting from sources as diverse as Aristotle, Einstein, Strindberg, C. S. Lewis, Darwin, and Jung to support his belief in the existence of some sort of cosmic intelligence behind the workings of our "conscious" universe. The implications of this vision are enormous and quite compelling, and Wyller isn't alone in his quest for a new paradigm for comprehending the mysteries of life. Clearly, we have a lot to learn, maybe even to remember.