In the 1950s a fox breeding experiment was directed by Dr. Dmitry Belyaev of the then-Soviet Union’s Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Siberia. The intent of this long-term study was to determine the genetic role humans played in the domestication of animals. Most importantly, he wanted to study how contact with humans might bring about not only new behavior but also changes in body features and physiology. The prime subjects of the study were silver foxes, who were cruelly caged while they and their offspring were put into various degrees of contact with humans.

This breeding experiment continued over forty years and the results were revealing. After over thirty generations of foxes were handled and petted by humans a number of subtle changes were apparent when compared to undomesticated control groups. One of the few apparent physical changes was the development of droopy ears among the domesticated foxes. Rather than the perky upright ears seen among so many wild wolves and foxes, these domesticated foxes had developed floppy ears over the generations. One cannot help but be reminded by the sight of domesticated killer whales, who also mysteriously tend to develop floppy dorsal fins during capture and domestication in public aquariums.

Other observed effects of domestication include the fact that the domestic foxes developed rolled up tails rather than tails pointing straight up. This seems analogous to the floppy ears. Dr. Belyaev speculated that the pointed ears and tails were possibly used for defense purposes (to stand tall against challengers) and to sense the external environment in a more defensive manner. During captivity within the protective dens provided by humans, these facilities were not necessary for survival.

Differences were also seen in circulating neurotransmitter and hormone levels among the foxes. Domesticated foxes had significantly higher levels of serotonin in the bloodstream, and their corticosteroids would cycle differently at different levels than their wild relatives.

Behavioral changes were also observed as the foxes became domesticated. Over the generations, they became increasingly relaxed and comfortable around humans, responding positively to petting and other touching. Their ability to respond and communicate with humans also increased over the generations as well.

This research indicates a connection between changed consciousness and the alteration of the physical body. When we consider the central difference between the domesticated environment and the undomesticated environment, the central difference outside of the fear of attack was the being in the company of an organism (humans) of higher consciousness. The humans expressed companionship through petting, talking and feeding. These are all expressions of higher consciousness. Note also that decreased fear from attack is also related to consciousness.

The physical and behavioral alterations followed the foxes being in the proximity and care of humans. We should logically connect these physical alterations of the floppy ears, curled tails and altered hormones to their increased contact with humans. Because human consciousness is different from fox consciousness, we can readily make the association. We can connect physical alterations to alterations in consciousness contact.

Dr. Belyaev’s assumptions that the changes were completely due to the animals not having to defend themselves is short sighted. He has ignored the consciousness element staring him in the face. To ignore the exchange between the humans and the animals is typical of the sterile view accidental evolutionists have about the living organism. Those foxes were not chemical robots. They were living beings.

Still we can partially agree with Dr. Belyaev that not having to defend themselves should have played a definite role in the physical changes of the foxes. Instead of being left to their own devices defending themselves in the wild, the foxes were protected and fed daily. Instead of them fearing for their survival, they were petted and cooed as a pet might. However, as the foxes gradually got closer to humans, and began relating with their human handlers, changes began taking place. Their bodies and behavior—reflecting their new surroundings and contact with humans of higher consciousness—were adjusted.

Although we all accept readily the physical changes caused by a changing environment, the critical issue here is the consciousness element. While we can all accept that a changing environment will create alterations, this alone—as we have discussed—does not explain the various species and the definite distinctions between them.

Note the increased hormone levels among the foxes came as a new twist on the accidental evolutionary theory. Suddenly accidental evolutionists were trying to blend in this information with the standard theory. The existence of many of some of these neurochemicals only became known in the mid-twentieth century.

These researchers appropriately connected the increases in neurochemistry to human contact: petting, feeding, and other emotional expressions of consciousness. In other words, the human contact drove biochemical alterations. The inclusion of behavior and emotion with genetic diversity opened a new factor for accidental evolutionists to wrestle with—like maybe the living being.

Our body reflects our consciousness.

Consider for a moment how our bodies can change and adapt to a change in consciousness:

An overweight person decides to make dramatic changes and improve his health. He becomes a long-distance runner. After several years of running, his body has become slender, with well-built calves and thighs.

Over time the DNA in the cells also begin to mutate, making the cell more efficient in utilizing glucose and oxygen. The cell’s metabolism will increase, and various other physiological functions adapt to adjust. Expanded lung capacity, larger heart muscles and other changes will take place in the body. On the other hand, a person who likes to eat and does not exercise much will probably develop a larger stomach, enabling more eating. Their metabolism will decrease, adapting to that behavior.

Certainly the physical body changes as a result of particular activities. However, prior to the change in activities came a decision to change that activity. This decision arises from consciousness. For this reason, the shape of our body and our activities will reflect our consciousness.

Should we decide to become a boxer, we will probably end up with a broken or twisted nose and a puffy, scarred facial countenance. Likewise, a hardened violent criminal will probably have a number of scars and injuries as a result of his or her choices in life. His body may also end up dead because of his consciousness. On the other hand, an accountant will probably have more delicate physical features, and probably smaller, weaker muscles as a result of his or her choices and activities. An athletic accountant will probably have a longer life than the violent criminal will as well.

We can easily see how our physical features reflect our consciousness in so many different ways. Considering our consciousness to be a combination of our current desires and past behavior, we can see how our accumulated situation reflects either decisions we may have made in this lifetime or a past lifetime. As our consciousness changes, so does our body. We can thus scientifically and logically conclude that our bodies (and species) reflect our own personal consciousness. And as that consciousness evolves, so do our bodies.

This research on wolves and dogs set out originally to dispel the doubts regarding dog ancestry in support of accidental evolution. It unintentionally resulted in a practical display of how every living organism contains a living being. It showed how living beings have relative states of consciousness depending upon the body they wear. It showed how contact with higher organisms will result in increased consciousness and subsequent physical reflection. The bottom line is that all creatures display consciousness because all living organisms contain a living being:

Even the smallest creatures such as bacteria show the same survival and adaptation responses larger creatures do. In numerous studies and observations, researchers have observed that bacteria respond to various stimuli in much the same way that any creature does. They are attracted to elements that bring physical comfort and are repelled by elements that cause discomfort, pain or a threat of death. Furthermore, they have a memory of what caused pain or comfort in the past, and they can thus respond appropriately. Their basic responses are no different from other living organisms. This is evidenced by pathogenic bacteria learning to adapt to medicines like antibiotics.

Because these creatures are physically different, we often do not consider them living beings. Yet they respond to challenges and adapt the same way most other creatures do, including humans. When a bacteria or insect physically adapts to a new threat this is obviously an attempt to survive and avoid pain. The threat creates a challenge to survival. Since these organisms are alive, they are conscious. Since they are conscious, they avoid pain and death. In the same way a human might don a camouflage outfit to outsmart an opponent, a bacteria or insect might develop new physical traits to resist a particular poison. They cannot quite change species, but they can adapt within limitations. These adaptations are merely different ways organisms express their consciousness of being alive and their intent to become happy.

Anatomical change reflects the search for fulfillment.

Making physical changes in response to environmental stress is the living being’s search for happiness reflected physically. For example, the immune system of an organism will deter invaders, developing new antibodies to increase the likelihood for physical survival. This is the same as actively fighting off predators. All living organisms try to avoid physical destruction in an attempt to keep their physical bodies as comfortable as possible. This is in hopes that the physical body will generate some ultimate fulfillment. Meanwhile an organism focuses upon relationships with family and friends as another means for potential fulfillment. The commonality among the various creatures is that within each physical shell is a living being who is searching for fulfillment within the temporary physical dimension. As a result, the living being’s desires will cause a manipulation in its physical shell. This manipulation of the physical shell is common among all organisms that contain a living being. At the end of the day, both the physical shell and the attempt to manipulate the physical shell is a reflection of the living being’s desires and consciousness.

Just as one might improve ones house in order to become more comfortable; changes to ones physical body are outward reflections of the inner self’s ongoing desire for fulfillment.

The living being has an ultimate reason to survive.

Every living organism struggles to survive. Attempting to avoid death only illustrates that the living being has an ultimate reason for living. Living beings all innately want to remain living. Why would any creature desire to avoid death unless its central characteristic was being alive? Survival is hard work. Creatures work very hard to eat and drink enough to survive every day. In terms of energy expended, dying would certainly be much easier. Living organisms all pursue survival because there is an ultimate reason for living.

The missing link within the concept of survival and evolution is an understanding of who desires to survive. If we accept that in order to distinguish life from dead chemicals there must be an awareness of life; the question becomes: Who is aware of being alive? Who distinguishes itself from non-life? Distinguishing between life and non-life requires an entity who must be conscious of being alive, and who must value life. Without valuing life there would be no quest to survive, as dead chemistry would preferable since it requires no effort to remain alive.

If we accept the existence of a being who in every living creature desires to survive, then we must ask, for whose benefit is survival? If the living organism dies, which all living organisms do, then who is left to benefit from the that species’ longer survival? Why would a bag of chemicals adapt so that the next generation could survive better? What would the purpose of that extended survival be?

The living being, relative to its current level of consciousness, has specific desires, goals, and a basic quest to survive. The living being is capable of love, fear, anger, compassion, and consciousness because the living being is alive, and these elements are characteristics of living beings. As components of living beings, these emotions translate and reflect through each physical species in one way or another. The living being is the source of the energy and personality residing within each physical body. Whether single-celled, human, animal or plant, every living organism is powered by a distinct living being. Without a living being inside, the body is lifeless and there is no quest to survive. Without the living being’s continued quest for survival, there can be no functioning DNA, nor any altering of DNA.

With the physical eyes of our physical bodies, we cannot perceive this living being. This is because the living being is nonphysical and transcendental to the body. With this understanding of the living being, we can begin to make sense of how and why the living being evolves, and why the particular species reflect that evolution. We can also understand why species are so similar.

We might first clarify the elements that provide the foundation for the evolution of the living.

The body is constantly changing: The physical body is a moving, changing structure. It is constantly undergoing molecular and biological transition, as it exchanges molecules, cells, and form. The physical bodies we wear now are not the physical bodies we wore even a year ago. Within five years, every molecule has been exchanged for a new one, and we are wearing a completely different body.

Each living being displays emotion: As evidenced by experiments on plants, bacteria, and other types of animals, all species have the capacity to exhibit emotions. Each living organism exhibits the will to survive and avoid pain. Through these exhibitions, each organism seeks relative happiness.

Each living body contains a distinct living being: All living organisms, including humans, animals, plants, bugs, amoebae, etc., each have within their respective physical shells a distinct individual living being.

Each living being is transcendental by nature: The living being cannot be measured, quantified physically, nor perceived by the physical senses. It is of another dimension. The living being’s actual nature is transcendental—outside of the physical dimension.

Each transcendental embodied living being is prone to misidentify with the body: The risk of being embodied is mistakenly assuming that identity. The living being mistakenly identifies itself as the physical body, seeking satisfaction through physical means.

The physical shell of each living being adapts to environmental challenges: The living being, seeking fulfillment through physical embodiment, stimulates an adaptive physical response to environmental and internal challenges. This is an attempt to improve physical conditions—increasing the likelihood of physical happiness—just as the man improved his house to suit his liking.

The current physical shell of a living being reflects the consciousness and prior activities of the living being within: Each species of physical body allows different capabilities of expression and consciousness. Some species have greater capabilities for awareness while others have less. The distinct capabilities of each physical body of each species reflect the graduated consciousness (or evolution) of the particular living being occupying that body.

The mind is a subtle body covering the living being, forming the platform upon which the gross physical body is formed: We shape the mind by our various desires and sense activities. The mind thus creates the basis for the type of senses and the type of physical forms we take on.

The human form of life is capable of greater awareness and thus has greater responsibility for the decisions made by living beings within these forms: The human form of physical body has a greater awareness of life and the consequences of activities. The human form is a life of greater responsibility. The human form is a lifetime at the crossroads.