The 4th bite of the apple
From homo sapiens to homo luminous
It seems like only yesterday we were talking about ‘the knowledge economy’ and ‘the information age’, but these have now been superseded by the energy age. This new era has been coming for quite a while, we just didn’t read the signs. As soon as the atom was split, we opened up the possibility for another layer of consciousness to emerge.
It heralded a whole new world of communications, products, and services. Energy mail (E-mail), energy medicine (holistic health), energy currency (digital money transactions) energy trade (stock options in ‘futures’)
This new age has some interesting features. Being energy, it’s comfortable dealing with intangibles – you can’t hold the mail in your hands, you can’t see the blocked energy in your liver and you certainly can’t touch the assets in your hedge fund. It has another interesting twist to it…
Paradox…the energy age copes well with paradox. What’s visibly big has little power, what’s small is very powerful. In the old days, size mattered – flagship buildings, assets, employees. Now the big money is on ‘an idea’, which takes up less space than an atom. In the old days, we had the phrase ‘cash is king’ but ironically – now that it’s hard to find anywhere that will take your cash – creativity is king.
As we move into the world of energy, the physical world becomes less significant. We are not so much interested in ‘what is’ we are looking towards ‘what wants to be’. After all, if we can figure out what is emerging and become involved in this we might just stay ahead of the curve. To navigate in this world, it helps if we can interpret things symbolically rather than literally.
The Apple and the Evolution of Consciousness
Eve and the apple. Step 1. In which we eat from the tree of knowledge. As a species we became ‘self-conscious’ hence the new requirement for fig leaves. We left our animal instincts behind in favour of opposable thumbs, fire, and a nagging sense of guilt (after all we did defy God).
Isaac Newton and the apple. Step 2. The apple falls, Newton discovers gravity and the secrets of the entire universe start unfolding. Science replaces God, as it seems to have an answer for everything (except the guilt).
Steve Jobs and the apple. Step 3 Design technology reaches its zenith and changes the way we do just about everything. iPhones, iPads and iPods become the new Holy Trinity. The world changes beyond recognition. Steve Jobs is God (what are you going to make for us next Steve?)
It seems Eddie Cochran was wrong – there are more than three steps to heaven. Now that we have voraciously consumed the apple, what are we left with? Step Four…
Humanity and the seeds inside the core.
Our old-school mentality would throw this part away. Our elevated consciousness understands this is the starting point of a new era… a time to plant new seeds. We have invested our power in institutions that are built on self-interest, accumulation, and defence. This is our opportunity to engage in the new organising principles of collaboration and creativity.
To date, collaboration has been an unpopular word, because creativity is still associated with the lone genius. We like creativity that arrives fully formed inside our own head (thank you God) and manifests easily in the outside world (God who? This is all my own work).
We’re exhausted by the demands of our narcissism. Our future selves are calling us to take the next step in evolution from homo sapiens to homo luminous. The Tree of Knowledge made us clever, but super divisive with all that focus on determining who is good and who is evil.
But given creativity, light, and a fair wind, we could grow a tree that yields more interesting fruit.
Flow without the F*ckery available on Amazon
