3.. Third Concept you need for a modern brain: IMAGINATION
What does this mean.
Lets use an easy explanation. Firstly we can cross connect apparently unrelated events or objects, we can group these events or objects into notions.
Imagination is nothing more, nor less, than the ability to create notions that DO NOT EXIST in reality. Picturing footprints that you have not seen. Going on a successful Hunt, only in your mind .... and then .... communicating it to others .. and carrying it out. Looking at a massive gorge in a Mountain range and deducing that it looks similar to a Snake Trail... ergo ... A Dreamtime serpent made this gorge when he crawled thru here. Explaining events that have no explanation using your existing notions. Becoming Spiritual, religious ... this is Imagination.
For this you need a very
BIG Brain with
HEAPS and
HEAPS of memory space.
Homo Ergaster did not have imagination. He did not develop jewellery, art work, religion, sophisticated burials ... His tools were masterpieces, but he did not know that ... for him they were purely functional.
You could not tell Ergaster a joke ... imaginary notions were not part of his brain process.
But the two descendants of Ergaster could do this. Neanderthal in a limited way. Homo Sapiens in a limitless way.
When Homo Ergaster disappeared from Africa we find the first fossils of Homo Sapiens.
When Homo Ergaster disappeared from the rest of the occupied world we find the first fossil of Neanderthal.
An Ice age descended on Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. Neanderthal adapted to make a living (just) in this environment. The physical requirements for Neanderthal were so hard that his imagination was put on the backburner.
But Homo Sapiens was in even Bigger trouble. The water that was being locked up in the glaciers of the northern hemisphere meant that no water was available in Africa. Africa started to dry out.
Something had to be done. What did Homo Sapiens do.
He died, and he died, and he continued to die.
It can be shown that as any species draws towards extinction, the fitness of the remaining population increases. This is inversely proportional. In other words when things get tough, the toughest get going, they are all that remain.
Homo Sapiens, our Ancestors, approached extinction until there was only around 300 to 1000 of us left. We know this from our DNA Markers.
What did these few, these mighty few do ? They used their imagination.
To start with they had to get out. But how, you cannot travel without water, and there was none in the northern escape route.
They decided to carry it. Sounds simple.
Sounds really simple. Listen, they were the first to ever think of it, no one, no creature had ever had a need to devise such an outlandish thing before.
They created water banks, hollowed out ostrich eggs, bark containers, and they fought their way out. They used their imagination to picture a notion that did not exist in reality. ie: water in the desert. Then they followed the coastlines to everywhere ...
Some of them never stopped until they reached Australia 60,000 years ago. The record of their journey is contained in their 'Dreamtime'. the dreamtime is not a religion, it is the oral history passed down thru the countless generations so that the descendants may survive.
The DNA proof of their journey is that they carry a special DNA marker unique to Australian Aboriginals. This DNA Marker has recently been found, by the human genome project, in 2 citizens of Chennai (Formerly Madras, India). These two citizens were born, and have lived all their lives in Madras, as well as all their forebears for as far back as can be traced. This has been taken to show that the Australian Aboriginal passed that way on his incredible journey.
The reason that the Dreamtime is not a religion is that it NEVER makes a prediction for the future, it only tells the story of the journey of man, and the creation of the world. it has no God. It is full of Serpents and creatures of mythical status ... but versions of these creatures exist all around such as snakes and emus and crows and kangaroos.
The Dreamtime lays down Dreaming Paths that are followed to this day by Aboriginals on walkabout. There are very good reasons, scientific reasons, why these paths should be followed and certain actions, such as burning, are to be carried out.
The Dreamtime is not just the Aboriginal story, it is ours, yours and mine too.
When you have the 3 things required for a modern brain ... you can legitimately say that you are SAPIENT (homo sapiens) Today we are starting to realise that their are many other species that show degrees of Sapience. Nearly all of them are mammals, whales, bears, dolphins, etc. The species that are not mammals but have some degree of Sapience are the Octopus and Squid and Cuttlefish.
I know that Michael and others will not agree with this but when you are classed as Sapient you are 'Conscious'. Thats what Consciousness IS !!.
Dear Peoples ... If you have stuck thru these last three threads you have been very patient and perservering. We have come all the way from Lucy, thru Handyman to US. Thanks for your responses, you too Austin. I don't think you would have read anything here you did not already know.
Now would be a good time to re-look at the first post in this thread and the rock art in the light of this explanation and the story of the Dreamtime.
They are the pictorial records, the postcards, that our ancestors have left us.
cool bananas ... hope I haven't bored anyone shitless ... greg
PS: As I said in the first post, I am not an expert and you should consult other sources for specific details.
Linear Mode
