Biographical Sketch: Born in 1934 - Gdynia, Poland. Master of Arts - Jagiellonian University in Cracow 1958. Ph.D. in Pedagogy - Pedagogical University in Cracow - 1966. The Degree of Doctor Habilitated - Pedagogical University in Cracow - 1970. Professor - 1989. Head of the Pedagogical Institute of the Pedagogical University in Cracow - 1981-82. Has headed the Chair of Pedagogy at the Academy of Physical Education in Cracow since 1986 to the present moment. The author of about 100 multidisciplinary dissertations, essays, and articles on pedagogy, psychology, comparative religions. Inventor of the new branch of pedagogy - The Holistic Pedagogy. Distinguished with the ministerial award for his scientific achievements by the Minister of Education in 1980 and with the Award at the 9th International Conference - Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology, Florida, USA, 1998.

Summary of Hypothesis

The author presents the new holistic multidisciplinary view on several fundamental notions, as life, consciousness, personal identity, hereditary, genetic memory, etc.
According to the above mentioned revision of to-date terminology is presented. The author claims the notion of hereditary can be understood as continuity of the parents' lives in children. Therefore, the chain of life and consciousness has not been interrupted despite of the death of an individual.

Methods applied by the author during the investigation were as follows: introspection, logic (logistic) observation, psychometric and physiometric tests, and questionnaires. The programme of investigation including the state of relaxation and the peculiar state of consciousness named by the author "The State not able to change" or "Universal state of consciousness" was extended to about 1000 schoolboys and schoolgirls, and about 5000 university students.
The Author states that the Hypothesis of Genetic Immortality deserves, according to scientific opinions, to be called the Theory of Genetic Immortality (TGI)
It is true that important problems are in fact unusually simple. It remains strange, however, that they have not been noticed by man for so long. We could cite many examples as proof - Newton's exploration of the law of gravity as a result of his observation of the falling apple, or Copernicus "stopping the Sun and setting the Earth into motion". The origin of those examples lies in overcoming conservative ideas as well as in a simple alteration of the order of events: the cause and the effect.
    The author's idea is an attempt to promote a seemingly incredible hypothesis which appears to be from the genre of science-fiction but, in fact, is simple and clear. The author claims that the notion of "heredity" can be understood as continuity of the parents life in children. According to the author's thesis the primordial reaction on the stimulus converts gradually into human consciousness. Therefore, the chain of life and consciousness has been not interrupted despite of individual's death.
    The author presents a new, original view on the entity of life, death and consciousness of man, a multidisciplinary question of genetic immortality in organisms of the common origin. According to this, the revision of to-date terminology is proposed. The author proves the necessity, of verifying several fundamental notions, such as "life", "consciousness", "memory", "genetic memory", "personal identity", "personality" etc.
     The author's hypothesis is as follows: all living organisms of the common genetic origin (including Mankind) should be understood as a unity, a single body, equipped with an integrated system of communication, based on biochemical, bioelectrical, biomolecular and cybernetical chains (laws). The individual (personal) identity of the living organisms should not be considered analogously to the exact science, such as mathematics or mathematical logic (logistic). In this disciplines the term "identity" is equal to the rule of constancy, unchangeability, reversibility: a=b b=a.
    On the contrary, the living organism is different and variable in every fraction of time because of the constantly occurring biomolecular, biochemical and bioelectrical changes.
    All living organism are comprised by common biological fields, enabling mutual interaction by means of radiation (compare Rupert Sheldrake's hypothesis concerning so called "morfogenetic fields" in: Sheldrake, R. (1981). A New Science of Life. The Hypothesis of Formative Causation. London, Anthony Blond). The close, organic connection of all living organisms is thus brought into evidence.
    Different and numerous connections and relations among people need not be proved since they are the most obvious, common and universal phenomena in the history of mankind. We intend to prove, however, that this very union among the representatives of "homo sapiens" has not been based exclusively on the national, cultural and social connections, but it is organic, genetic, as close and unseparable as the union among the cells, nerves, and tissues of the living organism. Therefore, according to our argumentation, mankind has to be comprehended as a single organism, a single body in the literal meaning, and not as analogy or in the metaphysical sense. We state with full conviction, based on innumerable proofs in all domains of human activity, moreover, from the beginning of life on Earth, that all organisms of common origin, can be understood in reality as a single organism, despite the separation of individual bodies in space.
    The consciousness is an idea of fundamental meaning. Unfortunately, the modern science has not yet formulated an original, generally accepted essential definition of it. Existing encyclopaedic definitions had been formulated for practical needs of the different branches of science.
    According to the author's proposal, the essential definition of consciousness is as follows: "Consciousness is a Perception of Existence".
1. For a man this perception of existence is reflexive (because of the work of the brain) and not reflexive (because of the reaction of senses).
2. For animals the perception of existence takes a form of excitability and has exclusively not reflective character.
3. The perception of existence (consciousness) is inseparably connected with LIFE. The origin of consciousness and life is ONE.
4. Consciousness and excitability inseparably coexist with the living organism and its genotype.
    Therefore the DNA, RNA, and Albumen of parents are transmitted to their children together with coexisting with them consciousness and excitability. It really means the illusion of individual death. The perception of existence of parents finds its continuity in the perception of existence of their children even after parents death. The consciousness of parents has been transmitted to their children - the chain of life has not been destroyed from the immemorial time, when the primordial cell appeared.

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II. Methodological Strategy

    The author's investigations has been carried out since 1961 to the presents moment among persons of both sexes, mainly students. Among the methods applied by the author the following were the most important: introspection, logic, mathematical logic (logistic), introspection, the categorised observation, psychometric and physiometric tests, questionnaires, inquiries. The programme of investigation including the state of relaxation and the peculiar state of consciousness named by the author "The State Not liable to Change" or "The Universal State of Consciousness" was extended to about one 1000 schoolboys and girls, and about 5000 students of an university level school.

III. Selected Results of Investigations

    During the years 1988-1990 the author made research concerning students' ideas about the essence of heredity. Students answered among others the following question, demanding some introspection. "Do life and consciousness of parents find continuity in children?"
    Rather unexpected answers given by 135 students of pedagogy and rehabilitation of the Academy of Physical Education in Cracow were as follows:
Table 1. Students' Opinion On Inheritance Of Parents' Life And Consciousness In Children


YES % NO % NO OPINION % 109 80,75 7 5,11 19 14,6


    The verified small probe should be confirmed by more precise, multidisciplinary investigations. Nevertheless, the author's hypothesis of genetic immortality and inheritance of life and consciousness seems to be very popular among students. It is worth noting that author's hypothesis has been also accepted by representatives of different branches of science, medicine and philosophy. Professor dr med. Julian Aleksandrowicz, author's close friend and colleague, a world famous scientist in haematology, used to say: "Your hypothesis of inheritance of parents' life and consciousness in children is absolutely true, but you will see, people will not understand it for a long time!"

IV. Discussion: Genetic Memory as the Proof of Inheritance of Parents' Life and Consciousness in Children

    According to the "Biogenetic Law" formulated by Ernest Haeckel and F. Muller, the development of ontogenesis is equal to the shortened phylogenesis. Then it is not only the brain but the organism as a whole which reflects (copies) in the every movement (motion, reaction) the physiological process of the passing events from the genetic history of its species. This process of the recapitulation of the events from the history of the species, which manifests itself in reactions of one's body is called "genetic memory". The characteristic trait of this particular "memory", contrary to the common use of the term, consists of the fact that "genetic memory" is absolutely reliable, immune to destruction, mistakes and deformation. It manifests also itself in atavism.
    "Genetic memory" proves convincingly that life and consciousness is continual, incessant and really immortal. If the memory of past events is the most credible criterion of one's identity, coded in the brain - than even more reliable criterion seems to be the genetic memory, embracing the whole organism.

V. The Unity of Life and Consciousness in the Light of Great Religions of the World

    The author of the presented thesis came to the conclusion that existing reality resembles the top of a mountain with many paths leading to it. In other words, scientific results should be, at some stage, proven by the evidence of a religious, metaphysical character and vice versa. This conviction finds confirmation as regards the truth of the unity and identity of life and consciousness. This great truth is clearly confirmed by the words of Christ: "Love the Neighbour as Thyself' or "Whatever You Have Done for One of These Poor - Have Done For Me". During every Holy Mass we hear the significant challenge: "Become One Body and One Spirit in Christ".
    At the climax of higher illumination - sinking into Nirvana under the Bodhi-Tree - Buddha uttered the following words: "How Splendid! All Beings Have Perfect Nature, But They Do Not Realise It Because Of Their Minds' Limitation". Just as Christians, so the followers of Buddha claim the necessity to liberate every sentient being from oppression and suffering. They confirm the basic, unity, oneness and mutual co-determination of all life. The fundamental formula of Hinduism: "TAT-TVAM- ASI" ("YOU ARE THAT") , means nothing else than a confirmation of the identity of all life and consciousness, analogously to the basic thesis of the Scriptures: ATMAN = BRAHMAN (individual SELF = ABSOLUTE­UNIVERSE).
    Islamic mysticism (sufism) which leads to the unity-communion of the individual human being with Allah (i. e. The "union-mystical") indicates the same conclusion ­ an all-embracing and containing consciousness - full of LOVE - WISDOM - POWER-the primordial and always-present SOURCE OF LIFE-CONSCIOUSNESS.

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VI. Summary Conclusions

    According to the author's view, the revision of to-date terminology of several fundamental notions, as life, consciousness, personal identity, heredity, personality is proposed.
     The author claims, that the notion "heredity" should be understood as "continuity" (not "similarity") of the parents life and consciousness in children. The author has invented a new original definition of consciousness. Namely, consciousness is a reflective and non-reflective perception of existence (according to the man) and merely non-reflective perception of existence (according to the animals). This perception, determining the identity of an organism, is inseparably coexisting the wits its genotype. Therefore, the parents' life and consciousness finds its continuity in the life and consciousness of their children. This co-existence enabled the author to formulate the hypothesis of "genetic immortality" - namely the continuity from generation to generation of the life and consciousness of parents in their children. This idea suggests the immortality of all organisms of the common descent. In the light of the author's hypothesis the mystical idea of spiritual life after death finds scientific (genetic) confirmation.
    The author considers the genetic memory (also atavism) as a proof of continuity of forefathers' life and consciousness in progenies.
    According to the author's "HOLISTIC PEDAGOGY": "All organisms of common genetic origin (including Mankind) are a unity, a "Single Body" equipped with an integrated system of communication, based on biomolecular, biochemical, bioelectric and cybernetic chains".
    Examples of a profound comprehension of the true unity of life can be seen on the pages of the scriptures of all great universal religions; the same can be shown in ancient and modern philosophical systems and it inspires the magnificent works of science, literature, poetry, paintings, sculpture, architecture and especially "HOLISTIC PEDAGOGY".

The inspired SCIENCES - ART - PHILOSOPHY and METAPHYSICS seem to proclaim: "LIFE IS ONE - OMNIPRESENT ­ IMMORTAL"