A Terrain Theory

Terrain theory asserts that health, whether individual or planetary, depends on the internal environment's balance. Disease arises not from a single external invader but from disruptions within the system. Earth, like any living organism, maintains an internal terrain that must be kept in balance. Humans play the role of its immune system—our intelligence and adaptability are part of Earth’s natural defense mechanisms.

However, the system has been compromised by the toxic information and technology spread through us; vi-r-us. As the human immune system of Earth, we were meant to respond to threats and maintain planetary harmony. But the viral influence has altered our behaviour, turning us away from our original role of stewardship. Now, instead of working for the planetary body, we unconsciously serve the needs of the virus, spreading it further and deepening the imbalance.

The Earth’s immune system—us—is now behaving autoimmunely. Confused and overwhelmed, it attacks elements of the planetary body that it was meant to protect. Environmental destruction, social unrest, and climate instability are symptoms of this autoimmune response. Just as chronic inflammation in a body reflects a malfunctioning immune response, the planet’s crises mirror the ways we, as Earth’s immune cells, are out of alignment.

Toxic Technology

Like a virus infecting a host cell, technology has embedded itself within human society, hijacking our natural behaviours. Information flows as rapidly and chaotically as viral particles, overwhelming our cognitive and emotional systems. As immune cells of the planet, we should be identifying and neutralizing harmful influences—but instead, this viral load has compromised our function. Now, the spread of tech and data drives behaviour that no longer serves the Earth but serves the virus itself.

This infection isn’t limited to Earth. The same viral impulse that spreads toxic tech and behavioural patterns here is pushing outward, searching for new worlds to colonize. Much like an intracellular virus that seeks new vehicles and hosts, the spread of technology aims to transcend planetary boundaries and replicate itself elsewhere. It needs us to do that. 

Evolution Through Control

The story of human evolution is not just one of natural selection but of domestication - human-directed evolution. Just as we domesticated wolves into dogs, molding their behaviour to serve human needs, we have also domesticated ourselves—and the consequences are just as profound. This domestication has shaped not only our social structures but our genes, leading to the emergence of distinct behavioural traits.

In earlier generations, the domestication of humans served to suppress aggression and encourage tameness. This process not only shaped individuals but also stratified society. The elite were conditioned to channel aggression downward, controlling the masses, while the general population was bred into submission—docile, passive, and easily managed. The same is true for how men and women were raised for generations, women trained to be submissive and men to dominate. Over time, these traits became genetically embedded. This behavioural domestication is not an additive process that blends traits; rather, it separates them. The offspring of domesticated folk—or foxes— tend to fall to extremes: hyper-empathic on one end and psychopathic on the other. This polarity is becoming more visible in today’s world, where both heightened sensitivity and detached cruelty are increasingly prevalent.

Like the foxes that evolve into tame or aggressive variants through selective breeding, human society has evolved along these diverging lines. But domestication can ruin a species and upset natural balance. It may make individuals more manageable and easier to exploit, but it does not make them stronger or healthier. Look no further than the German Shepherd’s hip dysplasia or the Pug’s respiratory issues for proof of the damaging effects of domestication processes. We are not exempt from this phenomenon: human-directed evolution has shaped the mind, but we are only beginning to understand the depth of its consequences. Aphantasia—the inability to see mental images, or Alexithymia—the inability to feel mental emotion—offers just a glimpse of how our minds have been misunderstood and potentially, altered through this process.

Stewards with a Greater Purpose

Despite these challenges, our purpose remains clear: we are here to steward the Earth. Just as immune cells must detect and restore balance within the body, humans are called to heal the Earth. Animals seek us out in times of need because they sense this innate role within us. We carry the ability to understand and nurture the interconnected web of life. Our intelligence and adaptability are not accidents—they are tools meant for planetary restoration.

We experience a profound sense of purpose because we belong here. Our role is not passive; it is active stewardship. Every effort to heal the Earth is a step toward recalibrating the immune system and restoring the terrain. The more we realign with this purpose, the closer we come to resolving the autoimmune crisis within the planetary body.

Our longing for connection, healing, and higher understanding also explains our fascination with aliens. Just as immune cells anticipate foreign invaders, we subconsciously expect to encounter life beyond Earth. This expectation is not entirely misplaced: it reflects our understanding that life operates within vast networks of intelligence. It is the ever-repeating self-similar fractal of life. As above, so below. 

Healing the Terrain

Earth’s environmental crises are symptoms of a fever—the planet’s attempt to fight the viral infection by frying the satellites and tech servers killing it. This fever is an opportunity for recalibration, just as fever in the human body serves to eliminate infection. The challenge is that the immune system—us—has been misdirected. We are attacking elements of the planetary body that should be protected, while the viral spread of toxic tech continues unchecked.

To heal, we must reclaim our role as Earth’s immune system. This means identifying and neutralizing the toxic influences that disrupt balance. It means restoring the terrain—both internally, within our minds, and externally, in our environment. The path forward is not to escape to other planets but to restore harmony here. Colonizing new worlds will not resolve the imbalance within us; it will only spread the infection further.

Healing is possible through cooperation—between humans, the Earth, and all life around us. Evolution is not about domination or control but about working in harmony with the system as a whole. Just as animals come to us for help, the Earth is calling us now. It is up to us to answer that call, to heal, and to restore balance to this planetary body.

Have we encountered this virus before? Is that why ancient advanced civilisations are lost completely; if the body didn't remove it all, it would come back? Did we bring it back? 

Either way, it is time to re-wild.