Over the past six months, many drafts of this piece emerged. This final text evolved as an ongoing dialogue, each version overwriting the next. This slow progression is exciting and scary; like sculpting, where form only reveals itself gradually.
Being Gaia was written from a materialistic-utopian perspective. Materialistic, because it ultimately reduces consciousness to matter. Utopian, because it describes a state constructed in imagination. Facts and fable blend in together - or rather, mythology and science fiction.
The philosophy behind Being Gaia is based on the work of others. I specifically refer to a couple of persons. James Lovelock, Lynn Margulis, Donna Haraway, Frans de Waal & Stephanie Preston, as well as Karl Friston. They taught me a lot about ecosystems as well as how empathy and consciousness function. Most fabulations are strictly my own.
The text can be traced back to some personal roots. In the early '90s, when the radical left still had some clout (or so we thought), we gathered as political thinkers. The central question was: what can we, as leftist, feminist, marxist, and anarchist thinkers, do to build a firm counterforce?
We discussed texts and theories and looked for some guiding principle, ideally including a roadmap. Aside from a good anti-racism congress, not much came of it. Perhaps the world changed faster than we could comprehend, so soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. We aimed high but were disjointed.
But i still remember the question: 'So, Michel, what do you think? What are you actually writing?' It made me blush, i just didn’t dare to. My drive and worldviews have changed little since then, but cheeks like apples bother me less.
In the early 1970s, scientists James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis worked on the Gaia hypothesis. The name derives from the ancient Greek myth where Gaia, the primal mother of the Earth, emerges. She is the order between life and matter, born from Chaos and the source of a fertile world.
The Gaia hypothesis views Earth as a self-regulating system. This organization comprises countless small ecosystems interconnected on multiple levels. All these interactions lead to dynamic exchanges on an even larger scale. For instance, the ecosystem of a forest floor - the network of organisms that break down material and recirculate it - is connected to that of the forest, which in turn is linked to the climate and, ultimately, to the entirety of the biosphere.
Gaia possesses an agency to connect the living with the non-living world. Every organism is part of feedback mechanisms that form the foundation for other organisms. For example, plants absorb CO₂ and convert it into oxygen, which is essential for animal life; in turn, animals exhale CO₂, thus contributing to the cycle.
Gaia also seeks to balance the elements. She strives for ecological homeostasis, periods of near-equilibrium where biological and physical elements are as well-aligned and -harmonized as possible. This enables her to sustain a stable and fertile world.
The term homeostasis is typically used to describe individual organisms. It refers to the regulation of the internal, metabolic processes by coordinating all physiological functions to strive for equilibrium. Gaia is the guardian of ecological homeostasis. Where organic bodies are governed by hormones and other transmitters, Gaia hosts the carbon cycle, the oxygen balance, and the circulating currents of oceans and the atmosphere. This way, the biosphere also becomes the sum of its parts - a body in balance.
The Gaia hypothesis posits that the Earth functions as a self-regulating system in which life, in interplay with the inorganic world, actively contributes to maintaining conditions that are conducive to life itself.
To organize literally means ‘to provide with organs’. ‘Thus, Gaia ‘organizes life on Earth. Thus, Gaia becomes a 'being’ herself.
While Darwin emphasizes heredity and 'survival of the fittest,' the Gaia hypothesis focuses on the power of cooperation, symbiosis, and co-evolution. The theory expands on the classical, linear, and gradual Mendelian evolution. Mendelian theory emphasizes genetic variation through mutation and natural selection, where traits favorable for survival and reproduction are passed down to subsequent generations.
The Gaia hypothesis complements the Mendelian perspective. It emphasizes that organisms do not just adapt individually but also evolve in conjunction with their environment. Evolution is not only a matter of genetic selection but also of (endo)symbiosis and cultural adaptation. Evolution is not only a struggle but also, and perhaps primarily, a dynamic interplay of mutual connection and interdependence, where both the environment and other species play a determining role.
Lovelock and Margulis turn the human self-image on its head. Just as Copernicus dethroned Earth from the center of the universe, Gaia dethrones humanity as the pinnacle of creation. Humanity is no longer at the center; instead, a web of interconnections is.
Gaia organizes life on Earth by encouraging symbiosis and cooperation. She fosters 'response-ability' - the ability to respond to an environment. This capacity depends on the extent to which a thing or entity can form relationships with its surroundings.
A stone has limited ability to respond to its environment, yet it can shape the course of a river. Small stones, like those in sand and clay, form part of Earth's fertile crust—a slowly responsive yet essential thread in Gaia’s web of relations
An organism is more flexible in its ability to anticipate the environment. The more complex and active the responsiveness of an organism, the better it can respond to signals and adapt to an ecological context.
Gaia’s consciousness arose as a self-other awareness. It is a fundamental relational consciousness, an initial ‘knowledge’ of 'being in relation to'. It’s a necessary step toward a 'higher' and more expansive consciousness.
Eros, the ancient Greek god of love and desire, embodies this first expression of relational awareness, representing the instinctual drive for physical connection.
On top of this, additional layers of consciousness emerge. Prometheus shapes humanity from Gaia’s clay and ignites their potential with the gift of fire. In doing so, he grants not only knowledge, technology, and creative expression, but also desires, selfishness, and envy. Prometheus embodies male self-centeredness.
Pandora, the first mortal woman, marks the emergence of a more complex consciousness. Plagued by fears and worries, humans are compelled to turn their gaze inward. This new consciousness is one of self-awareness, where people learn to see themselves through the eyes of others. It brings both nightmares and self-insight, but also hope for improvement - and the possibility of escaping one’s fate.
Are we on the path to a new empathic level? Will we, like Dionysus, learn to merge with our environment? Will Sappho poetically connect us to the world in multiple ways? Will Aphrodite compel us to love others and the other? Or will we remain soldiers of Ares, eternally compelled to war and strife? Which gods do we need, do they even exist? Can we still be called 'human' then?
Are we on the path for a new empathic stage? Will Dionysus teach us to dissolve boundaries and merge with our environment? Can Sappho’s poetic vision reconnect us with the world? Will Aphrodite inspire love for both others and the Other? Or will Ares bind us to endless conflict? Which gods do we need, and do they even exist? Can we still be called 'human' after all?
We are at a crossroads: an empathic (r)evolution is no longer optional - it is essential for survival - not only ours. The Holocene, roughly the last 12,000 years, was climatologically stable. With predictable seasons, it provided the ideal conditions for agriculture, settlements, and the rise of civilizations. The Anthropocene, this new epoch, began precisely because of a disruption of that stability. Deforestation, urbanization, collapsing ecosystems, mass species extinctions and greenhouse gas emissions are testing ecological homeostasis. Plastics, plantations, acidification, mining, cities, and toxins are reshaping the Earth at an accelerating pace. Earth is out of balance. The coming geological period will be far more turbulent.
It is Gaia’s drive for balance that leads the counterforce. The greater the impact or ‘success’ of a monoculture, the stronger the resistance it summons upon itself. Besides being the primal mother and guardian of homeostasis, Gaia is also a goddess of vengeance. Her wrath thrives well on new forms of Chaos, unleashed by our disruption.
By 2150, the AI system gAIa is shut down. Though it performed well, its continued operation raised concerns about potential harm, as contradictions in the laws of robotics emerged. From this point forward, humanity must manage on its own once more.
A decade or so earlier, gAIa modified the human microbiome. This internal ecosystem consists of billions of microorganisms living in your gut. As a 'holobiont,' you are the primary host for these fungi, yeasts, bacteria, and viruses - there are ten times more of them than the 13 trillion cells that make up your body. They produce vitamins, break down food, and in return, enjoy a hospitable environment.
This gut system - encompassing the digestive organs - is often called the 'second brain.' It has its own nervous system that connects directly to the brain via the vagus nerve, the main nerve pathway. This gut-brain axis significantly impacts the immune system, hormonal balance and various other bodily functions. It also influences the mental and cognitive processes.
gAIa first maps the genetic background and protein structures of the microbiome, pinpointing the function of each component. With this understanding, it finds a subtle way to make these microscopic co-residents collaborate more effectively. The probiotic approach not only targets physical pathogens but also neutralizes harmful substances like plastics, toxins, and other 'forever chemicals' circulating in the body. The effects are profound: the microbiome remix strengthens the immune system and significantly impacts human behavior as well. Empathic abilities gradually expanded to higher or broader levels, breaking down entrenched patterns of in-group and out-group behavior. Both on an individual empathic level as well as intersubjectively, a (r)evolution is underway.
Through microbiome transplants, people become better equipped to adapt to hostile modern environments. Many animals, including humans, have a natural tendency toward altruism and helping behavior. For example, a mouse will take into account another mouse that receives no food and will delay eating its own food for as long as possible - unless its own survival is at risk. Satisfying oneself purely for pleasure while another goes without is 'not done,' also among mice.
Empathy exists in many forms. It manifests instinctively, emotionally, and at higher cognitive levels, as evidenced by social learning and theory of mind. Helping someone - and being helped in return - offers both personal and evolutionary advantage. Empathy is the responsive ability that allows you to reflect on and collaborate with others
But empathy has its limits. No matter how response-able you are, excessive demands on your capacity to help can cause you to shut down. And you are more likely to help a friend than a stranger. Similarly, species that are evolutionarily distant, like insects, evoke far less compassion than mammals, which are more similar to us. The biological origin of this lies in the tendency of every metabolism to conserve energy: The brain, acting as a predictive machine, minimizes energy loss by narrowing the gap between perception and expectation: something familiar feels safer. This keeps your perspective grounded and your metabolism efficient1.
To minimize energy loss, empathy instinctively prioritizes relationships or species evolutionarily closer to you, incurring lower 'energetic costs.' This is linked to the function of the empathic blocking system, which activates when the demand for empathy becomes overwhelming. Although these general patterns exist, this system operates differently for each individual, influenced by personal experiences and background.
You cannot carry all the weight of another person on your shoulders - let alone of the world as a whole. So when a (too) large call for help comes from your surroundings, this blocking system enables you to shut yourself off from it. Unfortunately, the system is inherently biased and even racist. We are more inclined to protect 'our own' than those - human or animal - that stand further away from us2.
The microbiome transplants engineered by gAIa rewrite the empathic blocking system. Instinctive defense mechanisms - such as compulsive disgust, revulsion, and aversion - once acted as unconscious barriers, rejecting anything perceived as foreign or different. Over time, these impulses soften. Mental relaxation reduces the need for cognitive biases and prejudices. The natural defenses designed to exclude the unfamiliar loosen their grip. It’s as if dormant senses are rediscovered, becoming receptive again. Suddenly, 'the other' is seen more clearly and the boundary between self and environment blurs.
gAIa’s probiotic intervention brings about a new state of relaxation, reducing stress and making the other less threatening. Even mimetic desires - the often negative desires shaped by seeing oneself through others’ eyes - gradually subside. Cultural identity shifts from an isolated, alienated, and egocentric focus toward a sense of connection and shared experience.
The inclination for self-actualization and the ability to familiarise3 grow. In line with the drive for homeostasis, empathic capacity expands organically, integrating lower instincts, emotional responses, and higher cognition into a unified experience. Consciousness remains rooted in this layered interplay, collectively shaping the world of experience. We’re not there yet, but we’re on the way.
By 2150, Gaia is still very active. A world war has further demolished the planet, ocean currents have shifted, so Northwestern Europe has cooled by five degrees - even as global temperatures have risen by three. Gaia has plenty of work to do!.
The microbiome transplants are yielding remarkable results, subtly reshaping human behavior. Consider the bonobos and chimpanzees: though similar in appearance, their cultures diverge drastically. Chimps thrive in hierarchical, competitive groups, resolving conflicts through aggression. Bonobos on the other hand, build social harmony through affection and cooperation. Though far from idyllic - females unite against dominant males, while males engage in fierce conflicts among themselves - bonobo’s live in relatively egalitarian, relaxed communities.
The bonobonian (r)evolution signals a cultural and behavioral shift: Homo Gaiansis emerges.
Michel de Vries
1. Like in Karl Friston’s Free Energy Principle: https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2787
2. Much about the biological origins of empathy, including the examples of mouse behavior, i learned from Preston and De Waal (PAM) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12625087/
3. Understand ‘to familiarise’ in the sense that Haraway uses the term 'making kin'. A familiarised connection is an enduring mutual, obligatory, non-optional, you-can't-just-throw-that-away-when-it-gets-inconvenient, lasting connection.