Varki’s Mind Over Reality Transition theory says that awareness of mortality is a barrier to evolving an extended theory of mind and this barrier can only be crossed by simultaneously evolving denial of reality.
Only one species has crossed this barrier and it used its extended theory of mind to take over the planet, while denying the consequences of its success.
One prediction of Varki’s theory is that all 7 billion humans will have descended from the individual that managed to cross the barrier.
Here is a short video that explains why it is generally accepted that all 7 billion humans descended from one woman about 200,000 years ago.
The usual explanation is that humans experienced a bottleneck caused probably by a changing climate.
I think Varki’s barrier explanation is more consistent with the evidence.
un-Denial 
Rob, I understand the concepts presented in the video, but many people wouldn’t. I know many people who would not accept this type of information (a) because of the way it is presented (jolly, ho-ho type of presenter instead of scientist type) and (b) it’s primarily an ad for Ancestry services. Anyhow, just saying’.
I don’t think I’ve commented here before….I found your blog via Irv Mills’ blog. I’ve watched Varki’s excellent video talk and bought his book, but not started reading it yet. Thanks for what you do. Denial is so prevalent in human society…there has to be an underlying reason in there somewhere.
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Welcome. I agree the presenter is a little too animated but I thought the information he presented was good.
I was not aware that there is a single male that all 7 billion of us descended from about 60,000 years ago. I have not heard Varki comment on this. I wonder if there was another improbable genetic change at that time like the brain module for sophisticated language?
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