If you feel that humankind is at a crossroads, there may be a good reason for that. For millennia, evolution on this planet has taken its course, and all life forms have been part of that process without being even aware of it. But then, a few thousand years ago, something remarkable happened. Humans hugely accelerated and surpassed biological evolution through social and individual development. There are many reasons to believe this process has culminated in recent times. We now have the ability to consciously and intentionally shape our destiny. This is an incredible opportunity but also a great responsibility, as the future of our species, as well as other life on Earth, may depend on the direction we take. At the moment, there are two forces pushing in opposite directions. Which one will prevail is far from certain.
 

On the one hand, the world is becoming increasingly fragmented on global, social, and individual levels. Despite having unparalleled access to information, our knowledge and understanding look more fractured than ever. Attempts to provide a meaningful and coherent view of our shared reality are largely abandoned. While scholars and other experts focus on their narrow specialisms, ordinary people retreat into their echo chambers and online bubbles. These spaces tend to be highly selective with evidence and the use of reason and burn rather than build bridges with others. Social polarisation is visibly on the rise; ethnic and religious bigotry, as well as divisive ideologies on both the left and the right, threaten the fabric of societies from within. Even personal lives are getting fragmented, and many individuals find it increasingly hard to hold it together. 

The economy and politics are also getting more fragmented nationally and internationally. Wealth and power are being concentrated in the hands of a few individuals and corporations, deepening social stratification. Nationalism and self-interest, often pursued with disregard for or at the expense of others, are gaining momentum. Aggressive, isolationist and protectionist trends are spreading, too. At the same time, institutions like The United Nations, designed to foster global cooperation, are being systematically marginalised even though we face challenges that require greater integration and cooperation more than ever. 

If we continue down this path, the world risks a complete breakdown of structures that keep societies together or a regression to autocratic or totalitarian regimes dominated by ideological, religious or technocratic/corporate forces. Either outcome can plunge the world into a new ‘middle ages’ or lead to massive destruction caused by the environmental collapse or a catastrophic war. This would be a tragedy of unimaginable proportions not just for those living now but for future generations and also past ones that brought us this far - all that suffering and efforts of countless lives that have contributed to our evolution would be in vain.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Rather than move backward or self-destruct, we can take another leap in evolution. You might wonder, “Is it realistic? Can we really make a difference?” Well, the trend described above may have momentum right now, but that doesn’t mean it will win. Once upon a time, at another point in our evolutionary history, dinosaurs ruled supreme; yet the puny little species we now call mammals prevailed in the end. Likewise, we, too, can make a difference. While the present ‘dinosaurs’ still roam, we can begin on the margins to pave a path towards a different future and ignite change when the time is right. For that, each and every one of us counts.

In fact, there is already an increasing number of individuals, groups, organisations and entire societies across the globe doing amazing work in raising awareness, tackling local and global issues, and making progress across various fields - from technology, medicine and clean energy, to innovative social, political and economic initiatives. Some significant advancements have also been made in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and even spirituality (one example being the emergence and growth of grassroots spirituality outside traditional religious doctrines).

We seem to have the most important pieces of the greatest puzzle that life in all its complexity is. However, they still exist as scattered and disconnected dots. The work we would like to introduce you to is an attempt to connect the dots. This is done by bringing together helpful existing as well as new ideas and practices on three levels: personal, social and metaphysical (understood as the study of fundamental questions about the nature of reality). These three make a whole:

PERSONAL SYNTHESIS

This one-stop resource for personal development brings together all the areas that play a vital role in our everyday lives and offers practical suggestions to master them. The ultimate goal of Personal Synthesis is to help you be more in charge of your life. You will find there how to manage your emotions, think and make decisions well, motivate yourself, achieve your goals, build good relationships, and many other things that really matter in life but you never learn about in school. There are 64 topics, and we can guarantee that all of them are relevant to you - whoever and wherever you are. You don’t need to go through these materials from ‘cover to cover’ though – you can just dip into the sections that are of immediate interest to you. Start exploring by tapping any square on the interactive map. To find more, go to  https://www.personalsynthesis.com

SOCIAL SYNTHESIS

For decades, we have been told there is no alternative. Social Synthesis is an attempt to demonstrate that there could be. It is the synthesis of best theories and practices from across the economic and political spectrum (without their ideological baggage) and some novel ideas to outline how the economic and political system can evolve beyond Capitalism. By the end of the first chapter, you might fall in love with Capitalism. By the end of the second, you might fall out of love with it. By the end of the third chapter, you will hopefully want to contribute to building a better future beyond what the current system offers. This is why Social Synthesis is not just a theory; each section provides many practical ideas on what each of us can do today to make this transition possible. Furthermore, the final chapter is a kind of manual for driving social change that you won’t find anywhere else. Explore it all at https://www.socialsynthesis.info

THE SYNTHESIS

Have you ever asked yourself, ‘What’s the point of life and all that?’ Most people have, but the quest for an answer is usually abandoned as what is on offer doesn’t seem fully satisfactory. Broadly speaking, we are presented with two choices: to live in a mostly rational but meaningless world (as per the doctrines of materialism) or in a vaguely meaningful but mostly irrational world (as per religious doctrines). The Synthesis is an attempt to demonstrate that reality can be seen as both rational and meaningful. It is the synthesis of science, philosophy, spirituality and common sense stripped of ideological, religious, and cultural constraints to explore what the meaning of life is, how it is manifested in our world, and how it can guide us forward. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a lighthouse that could give us a sense of direction at a time when we need to get together more than ever? To learn more, go to https://thesynthesis.info

NOTE

Access to all the materials on these three websites is free of charge, free of ads, and free from data collection. The motivation is to inspire the next step in our evolution - any financial or other gains pale in comparison to this goal. If you would like to join our network, please get in touch via the contact page on any of the above sites.