Fungus Theory of Conscious Growth
Mark L. Christensen
Find Art Foundation (2023)
ISBN: 978-1733455510
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (05/2025)
Humans as spores? A fungus as the source of all life? In Fungus Theory of Conscious Growth, Mark Christensen offers an extensive theory on the evolutionary purpose of consciousness. One that argues the universe is built to push life toward higher consciousness, and that humanity may be just one step in a much longer evolutionary chain designed to carry that growth beyond Earth and into whatever form evolution requires.
This isn’t light reading. It’s a theory-dense, acronym-filled exploration of how and why consciousness exists—and what our role in that process might be. Christensen’s central idea is that an ancient fungus set the whole system in motion—a kind of self-replicating biological organism designed to produce life capable of conscious adaptation. Built into that system are three major limitations: we can’t know our true origin, we all die, and we’re stuck on Earth until we invent a way off it—and do it in time. Christensen notes that tension is not accidental but is what pushes life to evolve.
The idea is that fungi were the original architects of life, and that humanity is a spore meant to escape the biosphere before it’s too late. There’s even a God Formula (yes, capitalized) that maps out the system’s structure—including concepts like Hidden True Origin (HTO) and the Void of Psychosis (VOP). With big-picture science and metaphysical questions throughout, it resembles speculative science fiction—but it’s clearly a work of serious nonfiction.
To Christensen’s credit, the book includes a glossary and diagrams to help navigate the more abstract parts, and that definitely helps make the theory a little easier to understand. Still, this is not a book that meets readers halfway. You either commit to the thought experiment, or you don’t.
One of the more fascinating real-world examples is his use of slime mold—an organism that can solve problems and adapt without a brain. It’s the perfect example of intelligent behavior emerging from decentralized systems. From this viewpoint, human technology represents the next stage in evolution—a new form of life altogether. And once we hit a certain threshold (what he calls TES: Technical Evacuation Standards), we’re meant to leave Earth and keep evolving out there. Eventually, if we’re successful, we’ll reach MCG—Maximum Conscious Growth—and maybe even something called the Uni-Galactic Conscious Harvest. It’s a lot to take in, but Christensen builds his case with commitment and clarity.
Overall, what makes the book work is that it’s not out to manipulate or shock. Christensen’s writing is earnest, offering a cohesive and purpose-driven theory that invites deeper thinking. While speculative by nature, the framework is imaginative, systems-oriented, and rooted in a genuine effort to explore humanity’s place in a larger cosmic process.
Fungus Theory of Conscious Growth by Mark Christensen won’t be for everyone. It’s heavy and occasionally overwhelming. But if you’re someone who likes to think big—and I mean really big—there’s a good chance it’ll spark something—maybe not agreement, but curiosity. Maybe not certainty, but a shift—something that stirs deep inside and lingers.