The Library of Consciousness
The Library
of Consciousness
of Consciousness
The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. On this shore we have learned most of what we know. Recently, we’ve waded a little way out—maybe ankle-deep—and the water seems inviting. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can. Because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.
Hominization, as interpreted by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, refers not just to the biological emergence of the human species but to a profound evolutionary threshold where matter becomes conscious of itself. Teilhard, a French Jesuit priest and paleontologist, saw the rise of humanity as a pivotal stage in the unfolding story of the cosmos. For him, hominization was less about anatomical change than about the birth of reflective thought—the moment when life no longer merely evolved, but began to recognize, question, and shape its own evolution. Humanity, in this view, marks the transition from biological complexity to inner awareness.
Teilhard placed hominization within a broader, almost cosmic framework of evolution, which he envisioned as a process moving toward greater unity and consciousness. In his model, human self-awareness is not a random accident but the first clear step toward what he called the noosphere, a sphere of collective thought enveloping the planet. Hominization thus becomes the bridge between the biological and the spiritual, the material and the transcendent. It is the point where evolution ceases to be merely physical and takes on a new trajectory, aiming toward higher forms of consciousness and, ultimately, convergence in what Teilhard described as the Omega Point—a culmination of unity, purpose, and divine fulfillment.
A Great Event Foreshadowed
The Planetization of Mankind
Teilhard explores the rise of the masses and the socialization of humanity. He predicts a future Earth where human consciousness evolves to its peak, achieving a maximum of complexity and unity through a process of “planetization,” and argues that collective unity is not a threat but a path to personalization and humanization. As we head towards an interconnected world, he challenges us to embrace a sense of evolution and celebrate our shared destiny.
Hominization
Introduction to a Scientific Study of the Phenomenon of Man
In one of his earliest writings on the topic, Teilhard de Chardin explores humanity’s unique place in evolution. He argues that humans represent an entirely new phase of life on Earth—the noosphere, or sphere of conscious thought. While physically similar to other primates, humans are revolutionary in their ability to use tools, form global connections, and reflect on their own existence. This self-awareness comes with both great power and great risk, as humans can choose to either advance or resist evolution’s push toward greater consciousness and unity.
Reflections on the Scientific Probability and the Religious Consequences of an Ultra-Human
Evolution as a cosmic drama: matter rising through life into reflective humanity, converging toward a planetary mind. Teilhard says this “ultra-human” destiny fuses science and spirit, where God is not above but ahead—emerging as love at the core of creation, and igniting the world into a conscious fire.
Survival
Teilhard de Chardin's book, The Phenomenon of Man, reinterpreted in a visual format to illustrate the complex topics covered therein.
The Activation of Human Energy
Teilhard sees human energy not as brute force but as consciousness folding back on itself, organizing matter into ever greater complexity. Our survival rests less on fuel than on vision and will. This energy converges toward a final peak—an irreversible surge of awareness—suggesting that spirit, not physics, is the true engine of the cosmos.
The Phenomenon of Man
Visionary theologian and evolutionary theorist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin applied his whole life, his tremendous intellect, and his great spiritual faith to building a philosophy that would reconcile religion with the scientific theory of evolution. In this timeless book (whose original French title better translates to “The Human Phenomenon”), Teilhard argues that just as living organisms sprung from inorganic matter and evolved into ever more complex thinking beings, humans are evolving toward an “omega point”—defined by Teilhard as a convergence with the Divine.
The Sense of Man
Humanity is not a scatter of individuals, but the birth of a single mind—the noosphere. Just as life once ignited from matter, thought now ignites from life. Teilhard says our task is no longer survival alone, but conscious evolution to forge a unified destiny where the universe awakens to itself through us.
Touched by the Tremendum
Terence McKenna suggests ancient African societies used psychedelic mushrooms in communal rituals, leading to reduced ego and increased cooperation. When climate change disrupted this harmony, it pushed humans into the “nightmare of history” dominated by ego and competition. McKenna advocates for reconnecting with psychedelics, particularly psilocybin and DMT, as tools for dissolving ego-boundaries and potentially saving our planet from ecological crisis. The talk concludes with a lively debate about the practicality of his vision.
