In this interview Roy Posner, president of Growth Online, discusses how the Internet mirrors our own human evolution, and points to the future evolution of the human race.  Created December 2001

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Growth Online: Welcome again to the Growth Online interview series.

RP: Glad to be here, as always.

Growth Online: Roy, where are we now in the course of human evolution, and how does the Internet fit into this picture?

RP: As you may know at Growth Online we have a social growth section, as well as a personal growth and business growth section. In the social growth section we have a topic there in which we talk about the stages of human social development.

In our study of society's ascendance over say the last ten thousand years we have identified three stages that it has passed through. Please let me explain.

First there was a Physical stage, where man was focused on survival, yielding to the needs of the collective of which he is part at the expense of his own personal development. This begins from the dawn of man till around 500 years ago. 

Around 500 years ago we identify the beginnings of what we call the Vital stage of human development. At this stage, beginning in the years just before the Renaissance and continuing to some degree even today, man begins to explore the world, begins to interact with different peoples and travels to many lands to exchange products and money; to engage in commerce and business. It is where the seeking of one's desires and passions replace the obedience to the collective as was the case in the physical age. Art and science flourish; creativity begins to take wing. 

Finally, and again this is really just a phenomenon of the last 50 years or so, we see the emergence of the Mental stage of society. This stage is marked by the flowering of social and individual freedom throughout the globe, the emergence and empowerment of the individual, and since it is the mental stage, the greater utilizations of the power of mind and thought. 

I might add that we as a species are for the most part barely in this mental stage. The majority of us, quite frankly, are still driven by the vital forces of life, such as our passions, our attachments, rather than mental forces, such developing our skills and knowledge, understanding how life works, conceiving new ideas and possibilities. These are powers of mind.

Growth Online: So where does the Internet fit into this picture?

RP: Well as we now enter this early mental stage of our social evolution we see these characteristics of the mental age around us -- the blossoming of individual freedom and initiative, the universal aspiration for education, and the empowerment of the individual, amongst others.

Now coming together in the mental stage of social evolution these characteristics have given birth to a new form of organization, whose contribution to social advancement rivals any advancement over the past millennium. This is the Internet.

Growth Online: So the Internet fits in with the energies and aspirations of humanity of this mental stage?

RP: Yes, exactly.

While we're predominantly aware of the technological roots of the Internet, there's the deeper truth that the Internet is really a product of the current mental stage of human evolution that we have just begun to enter, and the qualities that are predominant in the mental stage -- freedom, empowerment, curiosity and inquisitiveness, organization, and so forth. 

The Internet is a natural expression and embodiment of the aspirations of a modern mental society. We seek unlimited and immediate access to information. We seek the means for individual creativity and self-expression. These are the very characteristics of this mental stage of social evolution that we have just begun to enter.

Growth Online: But then if the Internal is an example of the mental stage, how does the Internet relate specifically to the mind? After all a mental stage must have something to do with thought and the mind!

RP: Well that is maybe the key point because by understanding the relationship between the Internet and the human mind, we can grasp why the Internet took its particular form and structure in the first place; it's very shape.

So let's first talk about the form and structure of the Internet. 

One of the things we have noticed in our studies of human development is the role of organization; in particular the ever increasing ascendancy of organization in our times.

Now organization might not sound like a very exciting topic for discussion, but in the course of human evolution, organization is one of the ways by which we can measure the degree to which we as a species are developing and evolving. The more organized things become, the more we seem to evolve; and vice versa. Also as the forms of organization become more complex, there is accelerated social development. 

In the mental stage of social evolution that we are now entering this movement to more organization, and ever more complex forms of organization has only accelerated. And the Internet is perhaps the greatest example of this phenomenon. It is the ultimate example of how organization is increasing in society, as well as an example of how complex organization is increasing. 

Since the mental stage of our evolution has witnessed the acceleration of more complex forms of organization, and the Internet reflects this, then the Internet is a reflection of the ascendancy of this mental stage we are in, of the ascendancy of the powers of mind itself. So that is one answer to your question about how the Internet relates to the mind.

Growth Online: Let me understand. Mind, an organizing instrument, is in ascendancy in this mental age. And that is reflected outwardly by greater quantity and complexity of forms of organization, of which the Internet is an obvious example and extension? 

RP:  Yes. There is an reflection between the emergence of mind in this age, and the Internet which mirrors this as a resource in society. Furthermore, the complexity of the Internet reflects the greater complexity that is developing in the human mind.

Growth Online: But what do we mean by the complexity of the Internet?

RP: I think that in order to answer that we need to go back to the idea of the importance of organization; we need to ask ourselves what makes an organization complex?

Well to begin with we can think of an organization as a system. When you organize your check book, it's a system you are working with. When a company develops an accounting mechanism, it's a system. A system is for organizing ourselves, our businesses, anything.

Well our studies of companies and social entities over the last thirty years suggest that the most powerful and effective of such organizations are ones that contain many systems for its functioning; and further still many systems which are integrated with one another. When systems are integrated with one another, we create more complex organizations. When there is more complex organization there is growth and development.

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Growth Online: So how does that relate to the Internet?

Well if we examine the Internet we can see that it is not simply a single system, but an array of systems. Furthermore it is an array of systems that are linked to and interact with one another, forming a dense, perhaps even at some point self-organizing forms of organization. 

So one reason the Internet is such a force in the world today is because it such a complex organization, with sophisticated, interrelated systems. Tie that in with the fact that the public has for what ever reason accepted the Internet, then the Internet becomes a vast power for accomplishment in society; for enormous social growth and development.

But let's take it a step further. There is something that gives organization even greater power. That occurs when there is an interrelationship between systems that are different from one another. When the systems that are interrelated are more diverse from one another, it adds an even greater power and effectively to the organization. 

For example, one of the great features of the Internet is the ability of individuals in various disciplines to cross-reference information in another discipline. A scientist can cross reference social theory, or a psychologist can cross-reference biological information. When the information for a system  in a discipline such as biology is organized, as is the case on the Internet, and can then be cross-referenced to another systemized discipline, such as psychology, there is no end to the new knowledge and discoveries that can follow. If an online accounting system is related to a customer satisfaction system, the scope of possibility and benefit is dramatically enhanced. 

So this development, harnessing, and mining of knowledge through interrelated systems is one of the great benefits of the Internet; and will surely continue to emerge in the years ahead.

Furthermore, if we look at the emerging Internet a little closer we can see relationship not only between different disciplines, systems of knowledge, like biology and psychology, or psychology and social science, but also between different physical systems; such as the relationship between an email program to a web site, or an email system to our calendars; or even more physically, a PDA to a personal computer, or a phone to a PDA, and so on and so forth.

So this cross-referencing of knowledge systems and physical systems is perhaps the ultimate power of the Internet. Like the evolving human mind, which increasingly has the ability to cross-references the "components" of the body -- one's body, emotions, psyche, and the mind -- so to the Internet can cross-reference knowledge and physical systems, unleashing staggering possibilities for accomplishment and success.

Once again there is this mirroring effect, this correspondence between the way the mind is accelerating in its functioning in the current emerging mental age of human development, and the emerging complex organizations we see in society. The mind increasingly organizes and integrates the physical, emotional, other aspects of ourselves, which is in essence the process by which we grow and develop as individuals, is mirrored by the Internet, which is increasingly organizing in great complexity and interrelatedness the life of the society. 

(pause) Consider for a moment how the internal systems of the human being are becoming more organizationally dense. For example, today a typical person has way more knowledge of his body's functionings than in previous times. Because of that he can make better decisions about his health. 

Increasingly in our times we are becoming more aware of how the body, emotions, and thoughts are connected and effect one another. In other words the knowledge of the systems of my being are becoming more connected and related. So my internal consciousness is becoming more organized. This is what's happening more and more to people as we evolve as individuals and as a species in this mental stage. Outside ourselves, in society, the world witnesses an Internet with its ability to organize, systematize, integrate vastly different systems in the world so society will make the right decisions. So the two reflect one another. The more complex and effective inner organization of the modern person mirrors the outer more dense and interrelated organizations. 

And this reflection is so because mind and the power of thought is in the ascendancy in the emerging mental age of human history. 

Growth Online: So the mental age means more complex organization, of which the Internet is a manifestation.  What about those other indicators of the mental stage, and how do they show itself in the Internet?

RP: Well we mentioned that the Internet also reflects those other criteria that define the current mental age of human evolution -- the empowerment of the individual, human freedom, mental acquisitiveness, the acceptance of universal education, as well as the subtle emergence of ever more complex forms of organization. It's not too hard to see how the Internet reflects each of these. 

Take individual empowerment. The Internet puts at your disposal information and directions to information that can literally allow you to "be all you want to be," or to increase your knowledge in the areas that you are interested in. It also exposes you to endless possibilities for new ideas, new career opportunities, new directions in your life. So the Internet reflects our ever-rising aspirations for individual empowerment, am key indicator of the mental stage of human evolution we are entering at an ever-accelerating pace. 

The Internet also reflects the movement toward ever greater human inquisitiveness. The Internet is built for inquisitiveness! It is perhaps the aspect of the Internet that I most enjoy. For example, I have something I am interested in in my mind, in any field of life. I go to a search engine, which returns to me a list of entries. So I go to a particular entry, learn something about something I've already know something about, or better yet, discover something completely new. That becomes a Aha moment! My curiosity is fulfilled with new knowledge, which releases my mental energy, and an opening to further exploration. So human acquisitiveness is a big force in this emerging mental development of humanity, and the Internet reflects this factor as well.

Then of course the Internet reflects our ever-increasing aspirations for freedom. Freedom of expression; freedom to act in ways we want to; outside the bounds of the social and political situation (for the most part); outside our work, our community, our families, our friends, our enemies, or any other forces that might impede us. We can go where we want, and when we want. Freedom is the starting point of the mental stage of human evolution. 

Also, is there anything more democratic than the information that is on the Internet? Where any public knowledge is available in pretty much equal measure to anyone who has access to it. Yes, of course, many are more likely to gain access to it than others in the world, and this is a great issue to be solved, but once online, the knowledge is available equally to all who are there. 

The Internet is definitely showing new ways in which freedom can manifest. Actually I think they reflect new state-of-the-art manifestations of  freedom that are emerging in society. It is not unlike the emergence of the Hippies in the 60s where freedom presented itself in new ways. The Internet lends itself to the new sociologies of freedom. Also with new generations on the rise, the end of the Cold War, and the movement towards the emergence of global culture, we see democracy further extending from the streets onto the Internet, creating new ever more rich and complex forms of democracy.

So the Internet reflects outwardly all of the forces that are behind the ever-emerging mental stage of human evolution that we have entered.

Growth Online: So the Internet is a boon to the individual? 

RP: Yes, definitely. And to society as well. The collective is also being impacted. The Internet is also playing an important role in the further evolution of society.

Growth Online: How so?

RP: We can see that the Internet clearly has the ability to greatly contribute to the advancement of our society. Perhaps no other organizational development in the past millennium can rival it.  Perhaps only education can rival it, and even education may simply be absorbed or systematized by the Internet.

The emergence of the Internet is opening up unlimited opportunities -- by eliminating the barriers to communication imposed by space and time, by potentially leveling the playing field between rich and poor, and by making possible access to information at very low cost. This will surely help the society further develop!

Growth Online: So the Internet is the great tool and deciding factor that leads us toward greater human consciousness; that causes us to grow, develop, and evolve?

RP: I'm not too sure about that! Tool? Yes. Deciding factor? Well I think we need to look a little deeper to get to the real deciding factors.

The real deciding factors that have moved human evolution along in these last 100 years are some the things I mentioned, like the emergence of freedom, the flowering of democracy, and the empowerment of the individual. These are the forces that have released stupendous energies in the society. The Internet in one sense merely reflects these values, or is a conduit for the values. These emerging social values come first however; they are the real determinants for society's development.

Enormous energy is being released by these new social values. Also this energy is not restricted to any single country or form of expression, but rather flows and overflows through every conceivable channel that will lend itself as an outlet. The Internet, it turns out, is the perfect outlet; it is the perfect tool and instrument for its expression; at least for our time. 

Growth Online: You have discussed these forces at work in the mental age -- freedom, individual empowerment, organization, and so forth. But is there any one big or ultimate thing that defines this mental stage; an ultimate factor that stands out above all others? And how does that relate to the Internet?

RP: Yes. In fact the ultimate factor that plays a part in human evolution in this mental stage is Mind itself! 

The emergence of the human mind and its emerging powers is the central factor in the emergence of the mental stage. 

First let me give you our definition of the planes that make up an individual, so that we can differentiate the mind or rather the mental plane from the others.

First there is the physical plane of the person. The physical plane of a human consists of the subconscious awareness and impulses of the body expressed in animal instincts, basic drives of human nature, and inherited character traits. The primary drives of the physical are for self-preservation and reproduction. Next is the vital plane. The vital plane consists of the semi-conscious sensations, urges, desires, feelings and emotions. The vital plane provides the energy for human action and expresses itself through attraction, liking, desire and enthusiasm. Finally we have our mental plane. The mental consists of the thoughts, opinions, beliefs, ideas and values that guide our conscious thinking, conceptualizing and decision-making processes. 

Mental

Vital

Physical

Since we are focusing on the mental plane and its relationship to the Internet we need to understand the individual parts of the plane of the mind. So we have identified three powers of the human mind that are driving human development. 

At this most basic level the mind is focused on understanding practical things in life, accumulating thoughts and facts, and acquiring skills; it plans, it processes physical information. Thus we call it the physical mind. A person involved in physical sciences, engineering, medicine, or a technician might be examples of work where this level of mind is predominant. 

At the next higher level the mind is occupied with understanding life. It interprets the information from the senses (i.e. the vital) and converts it into knowledge. It expresses as mental emotions, interests, values,  sentiments. Hence we call this the vital mind. Examples of how this level of mind empresses is writing high poetry, writing philosophy, or being involved with social science. Fewer still people have developed capacities to function from this level of mind.

Finally, higher still is the use of our minds to conceive the world and develop new concepts, ideas, and possibilities. We call this the conceptual mind. A philosopher, mathematician, or theoretical scientist are examples of expression of this level of mind. This is pure mind not related to emotions or the body. This is the highest functioning of the mind proper. Few people have developed capacities to function from this level of mind.

Mental -Conceptual Mind -Vital Mind -Physical Mind

Vital

Physical

(Still higher are the spiritual levels of mind which have even greater powers, such as the ability to experience knowledge in the form of light and intuition. These we'll leave aside for another time.) 

Growth Online: But how do these levels relate specifically to the Internet? 

RP: So we have a hierarchy of these three powers of mind. These also have corresponding functionality in society. Corresponding to the level of thinking that relates to acquiring of basic knowledge and skills of life are social institutions around us that provide the services that relate to the physical mind. For example, educational institutions, such as technical or trade schools provide such basic knowledge and skills in society. Another social structure, the Internet, provides us with facts and information, or ways to learn these. It provides endless information, which can be assimilated by us into useful knowledge and skills.

Let's think a little more about the benefit that the Internet gives us at this first level of mind, the physical mind. Compare how we normally might acquire knowledge and skills with the ways the Internet might provide them. Normally we might acquire such knowledge slowly over time, and only through additional experiences would we assimilate the knowledge as skills. That is you be fully formed the skill also requires our experiences of life; experiences that could take a lifetime to acquire. Consider how a doctor or an engineer through long years of learning and experience gains the knowledge which develops into a full skill. That is true for each of us in our work or profession. On the other hand the Internet allows us to gain the knowledge and experiences that lead to skills, what we call the integrated, full, or subtle knowledge, quickly and easily. 

For example, the average person can go to the Internet and read about an illness that he may be suffering from. The Internet now makes available to this person a vast knowledge as well as a set of experiences related to that knowledge, which only experienced doctors would possess. In fact, the Internet can even give the patient the knowledge of a disease that the doctor might not have even perceived. For certain minor diseases, which the doctor rarely comes across, the patient may even acquire a greater knowledge than his doctor! 

Well the Internet makes this phenomenon of full, experiential, "subtle" knowledge available in virtually every field of life. In our case imagine the patient having as much knowledge as the doctor has. A doctor may feel such Internet utilizing patients are doctors! 

The Internet by giving vast stores of information to a patient offers the possibility of his having this more integrated, realized, subtle knowledge. This subtle knowledge in turn enables people to make better decisions, which leads to greater success, accomplishment, and joy in one's life. That in turn releases all sorts of energy for that person, further stimulating his interest, curiosity, and creativity in the same or other fields of endeavor.

Let's then continue our journey from lower to higher mind. At the next higher level, the vital mind, the mind seeks to understanding the ways that life work, including its deepest hidden patterns, processes, and functionings. A social scientist in a social or economic research institute might be an example of this. There is a focus on solving the problems of life in an organized fashion. 

In this light the Internet would can become a tool for really understanding life. Not just the mechanics of life, but the deeper causalities, meanings, problems, and solutions to the problems of life. We could for example use the Internet to learn about the current state of social entities, such as the economic or social condition of a community or nation, and come with dynamic interdisciplinary solutions to such problems. This would be a very powerful method of using the Internet. Though not as prevalent now as the fact gathering or lower mental capacities of the current Internet, this capacity to understand the workings of life holds great promise for the future, echoing our own capacity of vital mind to comprehend life.

Finally, at the highest level of mind proper, conceptual mind we have the ability to conceive new things in the world, develop ever new ideas, concepts, and possibilities based on this knowledge. Individuals in institutions or parts of social institutions that do theoretical or original thinking use this power of mind. 

Though hardly used at all for this purpose, the Internet would be extremely valuable in this regard. By comprehending facts and understanding life one would have the ability as one browsed the web to come up with sudden new inspirations or conceptions. For example utilizing the individual could review related information across disciplines, such as between biology and psychology, or math and social science, and suddenly experience a new, original, or even a breakthrough idea. there could be a way of assimilating such new ideas on the Internet. Also the Internet itself there could become gathering points of communities of original ideas and original thinkers. The possibilities defy one's imagination. Perhaps on day the Internet itself will become a self-conceiving, conceptualizing entity!

As the Internet gains more sophistication and complexity, as its systems continue to interrelate, it will help us experience ever-greater number of those Aha moments, where we can develop our original ideas, where we can conceive the world in new ways. These are the powers of this level of conceptual mind that are expressed through the social entity that is the Internet. 

And of course it will work the other way; as we conceive of new possibilities and ideas, we will develop a better Internet to serve our needs! 

Also as we evolve we might see that a lot of the lower level thinking that we do now will be "off-loaded" to the Internet so that it can do such "thinking" for us. That way we can rise to greater tasks involving the higher levels of mind, where we can develop new ideas, conceive of new possibilities.

You know one of the central ideas at Growth Online is that as we evolve as human we are more able to conceive our world; create something out of nothing if you will. As we move more predominantly to the higher realms of conceptual mind and on the vaster domains of spiritual mind we will learn to gain the powers of to create original new things in the world. We believe this is one of the great purposes of life for the individual in human evolution; the ability to conceive that which was not there before. This mirrors the very processes of the universe, including how the universe itself seem to appear, be conceived and created from out of a void. (For more on this, click here.)

(pause) Just to keep things in perspective, keep in mind that for most of us we are barely in the mental stage at all! We are predominantly vital beings, pushed by our passions and needs, not our ideas, conceptions, and values. And those who are predominantly mental, they use those capacities mostly at the first level of mind, the level at which we learn, understand, and acquire new knowledge. Understanding the ways and process of how life works, and learning how to use that knowledge in our lives is the next level up. Then self conceptualizing new ideas, concepts, possibilities is a further still. 

(pause) So there is this gradual upward movement in the use of these higher powers of mind in society, and the Internet itself. 

Growth Online: So does the Internet becomes an instrument of my growth, development, and evolution through these levels of mind?

Yes, the Internet becomes an organizing tool for your gaining of knowledge, knowledge, for your development of skills, for your understanding of life, and your ability to develop fresh, new ideas, and to conceive the world in new ways. Using the Internet energizes us, fulfils us, accomplishes in us, and can take us to new levels of individual growth, development, and evolution. 

But this is not just something for the individual. As individuals rapidly acquire knowledge, skills, awareness of life, and the ability to see new possibilities in life, the society we live in must also benefit. Surely solutions to any of society's problems are accelerated as the Internet helps us ascend the scale of mind, with all of the knowledge and insight gained. For example, social issues that might have taken hundreds of years of study to understand and use as the basis of solutions can now be understood very rapidly. Also, because the Internet allows for the cross-knowledge from so many disciplines, it enable better solutions for society. 

So we can say that through the Internet society too can acquire the integrated, full, subtle knowledge.

(pause) Ultimately however we must understand that it is not the Internet itself that enables this evolution. It is the hidden subconscious yearning of individuals and society to change, to evolve to a higher nature, to move from the lower mental to the higher mental levels we have discussed. 

And then there are the realms of mind we haven't even discussed; the higher mind, with its powers of intuition, revelation, and light. These are far beyond the mental capacities we have discussed so far. These are the powers that enable the greatest knowledge, enable us to respond with the greatest wisdom, and enable every act we undertake to end in perfection of knowledge, leading to infinitely greater accomplishment. Perhaps a few thousand individuals operate from this poise in the world. Then further still are the infinite powers and forces that exist in the stratospheres of the highest spiritual domains. Only a very few individuals around the world are the pioneers at these levels. 

How society and, in turn, the Internet will relate to or reflect these higher realms of mind and spirit is not clear. Our own recent experiences suggest that the Internet has some fascinating subtle attributes that reflect and interact with individuals who operate from these higher domains of mind and spirit. Though we cannot reveal these yet, because they are not fully understood and our research is limited, there is no doubt that the tool of the Internet, as well as other tools of organization in society, will continue to emerge, which will reflect the deepest aspirations, values, and consciousness of us as individuals and as a species. 

Growth Online: Thank you for your insights Roy.

RP: You are very welcome!

 

MAIN POINTS There have been three stages of social development, the Physical (marked by survival, deference to the collective, etc.), the Vital (marked by human interconnections, travel, business, etc.), and the Mental (freedom, fulfillment, higher organization, etc.). There is also the possibility of a future Spiritual stage.  The movement from the Physical to the Vital to the Mental stages is social development. The Mental stage of social development is indicated by an increase in freedom, democracy, mental inquisitiveness, human fulfillment, and higher levels of organization. The Internet is a product of these forces and values. The Internet is reflective of the further emergence of the power of Mind. The Internet is an outer reflection, form of the Mental stage of human development. The Mental stage is indicative by accelerating complexity of organization. The Internet is a yet more complex form of organization Increasing organization indicates increasing social growth or social development. Organization can expand horizontally as more organization, which is social growth; or as more complex organization, i.e. social development More complex organization is reflected in a continuum upward by a more single complex system; by greater interrelationships between systems; by greater interrelationships between more complex systems; by greater interrelationships between dissimilar complex systems; The complex, dense organization in our world reflects the complex more dense organization that is developing in the human mind; e.g. the person is learning to integrate carious aspects of his being (thoughts, attitudes, health, inner working; all of which can be made to relate to one another (integral knowledge of self). The human is evolving from the physical to the vital to the mental planes of being. The spiritual plane is beyond that. The Physical plane of a human consists of the subconscious awareness and impulses of the body expressed in animal instincts, basic drives of human nature, and inherited character traits. The primary drives of the physical are for self-preservation and reproduction. The Vital/Emotional plane consists of the semi-conscious sensations, urges, desires, feelings and emotions. The vital plane provides the energy for human action and expresses itself through attraction, liking, desire and enthusiasm. The Mental consists of the thoughts, opinions, beliefs, ideas and values that guide our conscious thinking, conceptualizing and decision-making processes. At the mental plane there are three sub levels; they are the physical mind (physical mental); the vital mind (vital mental); and the conceptual mind (mental mental). Physical Mind At this most basic level the mind is focused on understanding practical things in life, accumulating thoughts and facts, and acquiring skills; it plans, it processes physical information. A person involved in physical sciences, engineering, medicine, or a technician might be examples of work where this level of mind is predominant.  Vital Mind At the next higher level the mind is occupied with understanding life. It interprets the information from the senses (i.e. the vital) and converts it into knowledge. It expresses as mental emotions, interests, values,  sentiments. Examples of how this level of mind empresses is writing high poetry, writing philosophy, or being involved with social science. Fewer still people have developed capacities to function from this level of mind. Conceptual Mind Higher still is the use of our minds to conceive the world and develop new concepts, ideas, and possibilities. A philosopher, mathematician, or theoretical scientist are examples of expression of this level of mind.  This is pure mind not related to emotions or the body. This is the highest functioning of the mind proper.  Few people have developed capacities to function from this level of mind. Beyond these levels of the mental plane, are the spiritual planes of mind and spirit itself The mental age is reflective of the further emergence of the power of Mind. Full, "subtle" knowledge gives an individual the knowledge of an expert. Maybe even more than the professional expert.  The Internet offers full, subtle knowledge and information The Internet provides subtle knowledge at the three levels of the mental plane: more skills and knowledge; knowledge and insights into the workings and processes of life; the ability to develop original ideas, conceive new possibilities. The Internet can help the individual to grow, develop, and evolve, which in turn helps society grow, develop, and evolve.  The ultimate forces that help the individual and society grow, develop, and evolve is not the Internet but the underlying forces at work in the Mental stage -- freedom, democracy, individual inquisitiveness, individual fulfillment, and organization. The result of these values and powers is the release of a tide wave of energy in society. That energy has been somewhat harnessed by the Internet. (The more society makes he effort to harness the energy the more social development takes place. the Internet can play a substantial role as an instrument for this process.) All of these forces together dramatically increase the possibilities of success, accomplishment, and joy for the individual and society As the higher mental and spiritual potentials are released in the future, the underlying values and powers of the times will be far greater still, releasing therefore infinitely greater energy, possibilities for success, accomplishment, and joy.  RELATED POINTS As humanity evolves it creates ever more progress in developing its efficiencies; i.e. it's progress shows itself in ever higher forms and ideas that enable the greatest results with the least effort. In that regard we can say that all technological innovations are the result of man’s progress in efficiency. The latest is the computer and Internet. Institutions are not centrally managed. Organisations are centrally managed. Over decades, centuries organizations mature, evolves into institutions. Internet is likely an institution since it is not centrally managed. It skipped the organisation phase (of centralized authority) Thus Internet could dissolve organisations (where central authority reigns) like education and management fully or in part.

 

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Additional Information:

• For additional thoughts on the meaning of the Internet from the Growth Online Knowledge Base, click here.

• To read an article on the three levels of mind in the individual person, as well as the other planes that make up the individual, click here.

• For more information on the three stages of social evolution down through history, click here.

• To read about the relationship between the process of Creation of the universe and the powers of creation for the individual, business, and society, click here.

 

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