The archaic Homo sapiens (H.heidelbergensis) had evolved into anatomically modern humans in Africa, according to both genetic and fossil evidence, around 170,000 years ago. They now had the same physical appearance as modern humans but did not yet have the behavioral characteristics of modern humans. They looked like us but were not yet imaginative (they were still archaic as far as behavior was concerned). Around 100,000 years would pass before this would become a reality.

The final evolution of the brain that slowly transformed the archaic modern humans into modern "imaginative" humans began around 90,000 years ago in South Africa. The evolution of vital cells in the cerebral cortex of the brain was like the keystone that slowly opened up the wonders of the universe to the human animal. Over time billions of potential new pathways were created in the brain of the Homo sapiens. The physical body of a human is that of a rather ordinary animal, it is our brain that separates human beings from the rest of the animal world.

This was the time of "transformation" of the Homo sapiens into the “Homo Imaginative Sapiens”. The true test of being imaginative humans was their ability; to progress over a very long period of time; to be curious, to create new words, new technology, new stories, improve their living conditions, etc..

In the animal kingdom; birds build complex nests, beavers build dams across streams, etc. but they have been doing this for thousands of centuries, they have not progressed one bit. Just this spring a robin struggled to build a nest under our side door canopy. It was a real struggle, the straw would blow away as soon as he placed it. Finally one morning the nest was all built, he must have worked all night but he got it done. Talk about perseverance! The mama robin came, laid her eggs, sat on them for about a week and the chicks were born. Then she was busy feeding the chicks and it seems like within a week or so the chicks were out flying around the driveway bumping into the house. Then all of a sudden they were gone!

I took the nest down and marveled at the workmanship. It was very well built, light and strong. The bottom of the nest's inside was made of finer straw, very soft and clean. It was a work of art but was it imaginative? Probably not, robins have been building these nests for thousands of years, they have not progressed one bit. If they had progressed we would now be seeing their nest's with little roofs and maybe a couple of bedrooms, etc. But they had no need for such improvements so they did not progress. Maybe Homo sapiens secret is we are never satisfied. We are always trying to improve our living conditions until today we live in a complex world that is never quite done.

Getting back to the story - With human imagination, the Homo sapiens now had an extremely powerful tool at their disposal; it would change their lives forever. This was the same group of humans who had descended from "mitochondrial Eve" around 100,000 years earlier. She was the mother of all modern humans; all her female descendants have the same mitochondrial DNA that has been passed down unchanged through the ages.

"Mitochondrial Eve" was the mother of this special tribe of Homo sapiens who would eventually replace all other Homo sapiens on the planet BUT at this time (170,000 years ago) they had not yet changed into imaginative humans. Although they were very intelligent animals they did not yet have the behavioral characteristics of imaginative modern humans. They still made crude tools and weapons and used fire but they did not progress beyond that limited lifestyle. At this time, before the "transformation", they were on about the same level of intelligence as the Neanderthals and Homo erectus species.

During this period of time they probably could not compete with the more physically robust Neanderthals so they stayed out of their way as much as possible. For perhaps 100,000 years they stayed in their little corner of South Africa - enjoying the good life. If there ever was a paradise this was it. These archaic humans could barely hold their own with most of the other animals and probably were the victims of the larger predators who also lived in their territory.

This lack of a robust body may have caused the archaic humans to use their cunning more than their strength to survive. The challenge to survive may have caused them to come up with novel ways to defend themselves with new weapons and tactics. They had a big empty brain so why not use it. Over time they did just that, slowly making more and more connections in their big brain. Eventually as more and more connections were made over a very long period of time. A tiny "spark" of imagination began to flicker within the cortex of the brain. This tiny spark continued to slowly expand within the cortex until finally it was firmly established but still a very small part of the brain. The primitive connections were now in place and continued to slowly mulitply as time passed. This was the time "transformation" began, between 80 to 90,000 years ago.

The early modern human's children began showing signs of becoming creative. Each generation became a little more imaginative then the generation before. Over time new tools and weapons were created and became more sophisticated. Beads and other trinkets made from bone began to be created. Not only this but as they progressed the newer generations became more curious about the world they lived in, they also became more aggressive. This progress was extremely slow, over many thousands of years.

Slowly over the ages, the spark of imagination became ever stronger enabling the modern humans to evolve a keen "special sense" above and beyond their basic animal senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, balance). "Human imagination" is the "special sense" modern humans have that enables them to visualize within their mind, to plan ahead, to think abstract thoughts, to create new words, languages, to communicate complex ideas to each other, to create new art, tools, inventions, ideas, philosophies, etc. Human Imagination is the power that allows mankind to progress into the future. There is no sign of this powerful imagination reaching its full intensity, in fact, at the present time it is digging deeper and deeper into the secret worlds of nature.

The Hubble telescope, for example, is peering deeper and deeper into the far reaches of the observable universe and other satellites are traveling out pass the solar system's planets into deep space. The scientists are probing the puzzling world of quantum mechanics, nanotechnology, etc. Science has discovered many of the secret worlds of nature, are there more out there??

The progress of mankind is due in a large part to the ideas of mankind's super imaginative minds (the geniuses of mankind). These people with their super minds may be more a product of their cultures (Babylonian, Egyptian, Hindu, Greek, Roman, Chinese, European, American, etc.) in which they lived rather than their superior physical brains, although the connections within their brains may be superior in some ways. Are they simply more curious than other people??

The existence of "Mind" of mankind is a product of these super minds being able to communicate with each other and build upon each other’s ideas across time and distance. This is the keystone of human progress. It is going on at a tremendous pace today. This is the "Mind" of mankind.

Astronomy is a good example of the "Mind" of mankind at work over a long period of time and place - right up to the present time. From the time the ancient people watched the stars cross the night sky, the sun rise and set, the moon follow its monthly cycle people have wondered why and how these mysterious phenomena moved across the sky. Over the ages the "Mind" of mankind built upon the speculative ideas and discoveries of these ancient "astronomers" slowly digesting the ideas and discoveries on how the heavens really work.

Astronomy is still a work in progress with new discoveries and ideas continually being put forth by people from all over the world. Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Hubble, are just a few of the super minds of mankind who contributed to mankind's knowledge of astronomy. There are thousands of other examples of the "Mind" of mankind at work that contributed to the progress of mankind throughout the ages.

It all started with the "transformation" and forever afterward enabled mankind to create beautiful new tools, paintings and every other possible concept imaginable. With this new power mankind began its relentless progress through the ages. A major part of the modern human’s imaginative power was their ability to invent words, sentences and develop languages. They invented vocal sounds (words) to describe various things and events that they encountered in their daily lives.

They began inventing sentences and telling imaginary stories. In their stories they created many supernatural beings; gods, angels, devils, witches, religions, etc... Finally after thousands of years some super imaginative minds invented writing. The era of written history was introduced to the world. This was another quantum leap in the progress of mankind.

People were now able to communicate more complex actions and things among each other. This was the first primitive indication of the "Mind" of mankind coming into existence. People continued to have more power to communicate ever more complex and abstract ideas with each other and to build upon and improve each other's ideas. This is the keystone of mankind's philosophical and technological progress through the ages.

This progress happened over a long period of time. Eventually new weapons such as better spears, axes, etc. were created that could stand up to any of the large predators that had preyed on them through the ages.

The Neanderthals never evolved this "special sense" and remained at the same intelligence level. Relying more on their physical strength rather then their cunning. They had some crude tools that enabled them to survive but not to progress. However they did have a learning imagination and being in fairly close contact with the modern imaginative humans for thousands of years they probably learned enough to improve their tools somewhat (creative and learning imagination are two different types of imagination, together they form human imagination).

Because of the new weapons and tactics the imaginative humans could now defend themselves better from the predators and their population numbers began to increase substantially. As their populations increased some tribes began to break off and form new tribes slowly migrating into new territories. If the territories were inhabited by Neanderthals; using their more sophisticated weapons, the modern humans simply moved into the new territories killing off its inhabitants, enslaving, raping the women and stealing whatever they wanted. Doing what humans do best; killing, pillaging, and raping, this is the nature of the "beast".

Both the Neanderthals and the Homo erectus tribes were too far removed genetically from modern imaginative humans to interbreed with them so even though there were sexual encounters no offspring were born. The pattern of territorial expansion and survival had now been set for the future generations. These, now aggressive, Homo imaginative sapiens could go where ever they pleased without fear. By the time they migrated into Europe and Asia the imaginative Homo sapiens had already progressed substantially both in technology and language. From Africa they wandered over much of the "old world" (Europe, Asia, and Australia) eventually evolving into the major races of the Homo imaginative sapiens species.

During the thousands of years of wandering the modern humans began encountering a new really tough enemy. They began to encounter other Homo imaginative tribes who had broken away long ago and settled into new territories many generations before. In the interim period of time these tribes developed their own languages so now they could not even understand each other. They were truly foreign to each other but they were both imaginative Homo sapiens. Out of all the Homo species who had inhabited the world over the ages there was now only one Homo sapiens species left on the planet and that was the "Homo Imaginative Sapiens" species.

For the next 70,000 years right up to the present time these imaginative humans battled each other trying to gain dominance over the other. History and prehistory is full of these bloody wars and battles and there is no sign of letup in this deadly mayhem.

Ever since the "transformation" when the Homo sapiens became imaginative there has been a constant struggle to gain superiority over their enemies with new and better deadly technology. Warfare technology has become so sophisticated and deadly that mankind is now capable of destroying itself and possibly even the planet.

Donald L. Hamilton, © 2009
Author of; The "Mind of Mankind" - Human Imagination, the source of Mankind's tremendous power.

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