Ho’oponopono and the Origins of Humankind

The origins of the human species may be changing as we know it. It has long been believed that Homo Sapiens first walked the earth about 200,000 years ago, but a new study suggests human-like civilizations have existed a million years earlier.

A research team from Purdue University, led by researcher Darryl Granger, has gone back down into the depths of the Sterkfontein Caves in Africa to re-examine the fossils that lie within. These caves, also known as the ‘Cradle of Humanity’, are where the first tracings of ancient humans were first found.

The research team, which also includes scientists from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the University of Toulouse. Jean Jaurès, brought with them new technology to examine the plethora of Australopithecus remains that can be found inside the cave. They used this technology to analyse chemical traces left on fossils by their environment while they were still alive—and what they found surprised them!

The researchers used 3D imaging techniques to study dozens of teeth from animals that lived over 2 million years ago—including those belonging to gorillas and chimpanzees—and found something interesting: evidence for early speech patterns. They found that these animals had developed a unique way of chewing their food in order to make it easier for them to swallow.

The team also found evidence that some members of Australopithecus had taken part in rituals involving grinding rocks into powder and mixing them with water before drinking them. They believe this was done for ceremonial purposes because there was no nutritional benefit.

This suggests that our early ancestors were either intensely superstitious, or knew how to experience the power of magical rituals.

No one really knows how our early forefathers experienced the world. The likelihood being that their perceptions were richer, yet more confusing than ours are today.

The human species began with a single population of Homo erectus that left Africa, migrated throughout the Old World, and finally evolved into Homo sapiens. But the story of human migration is not so simple: it involves at least two waves of migration, both of which took place in the past 130,000 to 100,000 years ago. The first wave was an Out of Africa migration; this was followed by a Southern Dispersal that led to the colonization of all continents and larger islands.

This is where things get interesting: human evolution wasn’t a simple linear or branched progression but involves interbreeding between related species. Genomic research has shown that hybridization between substantially diverged lineages are common in human evolution. DNA evidence suggests that several genes of Neanderthal origin are present among non sub-Saharan African populations, and Neanderthals and other hominins such as Denisovans may have contributed up to 6% of their genome to present-day non sub-Saharan African humans.

People are thought to have colonized all the continents and larger islands, arriving in Eurasia 60,000 years ago, Australia around 65,000 years ago, the Americas around 15,000 years ago, and remote islands such as Hawaii, Easter Island, Madagascar and New Zealand between the years 300 and 1280 CE.

There’s no archaeological evidence to suggest that Hawaii was inhabited prior to its Polynesian colonisation around 1000 years ago. However, traditional chants suggest that the Polynesians overran earlier settlers known as the Mu.

These people are thought (by many) to have belonged to a matriarchal society. They were a small people (yet not so short as to be classified as pigmies). Importantly, they are thought to be the founders of what came to be known as ho’oponopono.

Ho’oponopono is a process of redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation. It was originally used to resolve disputes between different villages, and today is still used by social workers and others to remedy family divisions.

Ho’oponopono means ‘to correct an error’. The basic error to correct is the belief that we are simply our familiar walking, talking, thinking, body-minds.

This error gives rise to what the philosopher Alan Watts referred to as ‘The Skin Encapsulated Ego‘. This is a self identity which is so strong that it leads to our defending it through wars and arguments.

Truly though, we are part of one unique process (which when the ego steps aside, we may recognise and happily be inspired by wisdom and guidance.

Whilst finding that we’re a million years older as a species is fascinating, it’s probably more important to realise that life wasn’t always as it is today.

You can develop lots of data in the course of a million, or so years. Some comes from ancestors and is thought to be recorded in the DNA (which gives rise to your appearance as well as physical strengths and weaknesses).

Eastern people also believe in Karmic Data. This is the result of the memories of past actions in which you were either wrongfully judged, or oppressive to others.

In ho’oponopono we believe in something similar.

Your ancestors suffered much to get you to where you are today. Many, I suspect followed their superstitious intuitions by finding ways to put aside logic in favour of immediate inspiration.

Ho’oponopono is a means to bring you back to this point.