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Charles Darwin taught us much about evolution. His voyages, research, and observations provided the basis for his conviction of the common origins of Man with other species and brought ‘natural selection’ into our thinking about evolution.

Much of the force of evolution derives from environmental pressure, as can be discerned, for example, for some species of birds that develop strong short beaks ideal for cracking tough seeds found in their habitat. Others evolved long-pointed beaks to pursue fish as their food source. These birds adapted to their environment physically to enable them to survive. This process of adaptation to natural conditions ‘selects’ a species capable of adaptation for survival and is thus the meaning behind the term ‘survival of the fittest.’ Examples of the process of natural selection are innumerable and are the result of a continuous requirement for all species for food, shelter, and safety to survive.

Current human evolution is chronicled by the African excavations in the Olduvai Gorge from Homo habilis through Homo erectus to our present state as Homo sapien. The size of our brain, among other features, distinguishes us from our predecessors. From Homo habilis to Homo sapien, our evolution took over a million years to unfold.

Since man arrived at the top of the food chain, another force has competed with natural selection to influence the pace and direction of evolution. Man’s cultivation and cross-breeding of animals have influenced the dominance of some plants and animals that are now the basis of modern agriculture. Our use of tools and technology has kept us at the top of the food chain and defines not natural selection but anthropomorphic selection. And this selection process is occurring at a different time scale entirely – spanning generations compared with hundreds of thousands of years for some natural changes to unfold.

We have stood erect for hundreds of thousands of years and are now insulated from the daily pressures of the pursuit of food, shelter, and safety. Yet, absent these pressures, what now guides our current development and evolution?

Our work and creativity are evolutionary because they build on those that have come before. In a world that has grown so much smaller, everything we do creates ripples that expand well beyond our initial intent. The pace and expansion of change increase with each new wave of creativity and development. It seems we are limited only by our ignorance, by those things we don’t yet know or have not yet considered.

The rapid pace of our current development has led to the point where a human body can be modified at will through rigorous training, nutritional support, and medical procedures to achieve Olympic physical mastery or a desired concept of beauty in a single lifetime. And the knowledge that took centuries to emerge from the human crucible can now be shared globally in milliseconds. So, what does all this mean for our evolution? Is there a goal to this development, an intention we follow to further our growth?

Our focus on the rapid expansion of technology intended to ease the burdens of life and reduce the natural pressures for survival seems to have rushed past a critical pathway – the evolution of the mind-body connection. I have always been fascinated with the Placebo Effect. I believe it has long confirmed that the nature of our beliefs influences the function of our bodies. This oft-mentioned but poorly developed aspect of our humanness has profound potential; what we think has physical impacts and, by extension, influences our development and evolution. To my knowledge, we are the only species that can choose to evolve through the application of our will – our intention.

The question has always been, what will we choose?

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Kevin Deeny